JAW'S

                                                                             It has been 45 years this June when we lost Bartholomew Quint the Captain of the shark fishing vessel "Orca". The larger than life Captain was eaten alive by a 25 foot great white shark while fishing near Amity Island. I was a young lad when I watched Quint get eaten on the big screen. Today 45 years later the sight of Quint slipping into this sharks pie hole still crosses my mind when I wade into a flat..                                                            

Where is he ?

                                                                Today was no exception to my life long fobia. As I waded into a  saltwater grass flat near Saint George Island the thought of a shark and the movie Jaws did cross my mind, be it only for a split second I caught myself calculating an escape plan and route if a 25 foot rougue shark did appear. My mind for all but a few seconds focused on fish, casting, wind and tactics and flies I would be using to be productive on this flat. A couple hours into the afternoon I noticed a long figure swim slowly over the grass and over a sandy section. Standing in thigh deep water my first thought was of amazememt and wonder but not fear. I even thought of casting a fly in front of the beast.Thirty yards from me was swimming a 5 to 6 foot Hammer Head Shark. The fish had no interest in me as it swam away into deeper water off the flat. For a short time I felt I had finally got control of my childhood fears but laughed as I caught myself wading the rest of the day with my head on a swivel turing around every few seconds or so trying to avoid the late Captain Quints fate.