188 Louisiana Sportsman^ | April 2015
“It
was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was
the age of foolishness ....”
The opening lines to A Tale of Two Cities by
Charles Dickens aptly describes the contradictions
in my fly-fishing adventures.
Just when the action on bream and redfish was get-
ting red hot (the best of times), I injured my elbow
and was unable to paddle my
kayak for a month (the worst
of times).
No problemo! There are
many good bank-fishing spots
across Louisiana. I just made
sure I had at least one rod
rigged and ready in my SUV in
case an opportunity arose.
A wise decision? Perhaps.
But, as Dickens implies, wis-
dom is marred by foolishness.
In this case, a rod on board
but no ice chest or cooler bag.
I was on my way to Lake
Charles for a meeting. On the
route is Oil and Gas Park in
Jennings. Over many years,
the 11-acre lake in this park
has provided
many memorable
catches.
What makes this lake so productive? It’s
high in water hardness.
Hardness and total alkalinity are mea-
sured as parts per million of calcium car-bonate (CaCO3). Waters with a hardness of 40 ppm
or more have the pH buffering capacity to make
more nutrients available to the food chain.
The dissolved calcium itself is used by the many
insects and crustaceans that fish feed on.
I’ve measured the Jennings Park lake to have hard-
ness in the 80 to 90 ppm range. Similar lakes have car-
rying capacities of 200 pounds of fish per acre or more.Another characteristic of this lake that makes
it great for fly fishing is water visibility of about 3
feet. As Cormier’s Second Law of Fly Fishing states,
“Clear water favors the fly angler.”a tale of two lakes
Bank fishing opportunities— big and small — abound
fLy LineS
Catch Cormier
You have to be ready every time
you throw a fly, or you could end
up eating Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks.Glen ‘Catch’ Cormier
has pursued fish on the
fly for 30 years. A certified
casting instructor and
renowned fly tier, he and his
family live in Cotile.>>>