David Siskind | Sunday, 15 June 2025
I’m at the gate for my flight back to Los Angeles, recently liberated from the socialists and lunatics by puppy killer Kristi Noem. As is usual I was away from home for catastrophe whether it be fire or an invasion by my very own US Marine Corps brought into the city to back up the masked Feds picking up nannies and day laborers. Anne Applebaum, the Yale Historian and renowned writer on the mechanisms and trajectories of authoritarian movements wrote a chilling article in The Atlantic which set me spiraling yesterday morning. But the joyous turnout for the No Kings protests and DJT’s pause of migrant deportations of agricultural workers, hotel staff and restaurant workers. I have terrified migrant friends seeking asylum working in those industries. These are people who have “done everything right” but had the rug pulled out from under them, revoking their approved status and forcing impossible choices. As I drove to my Cozy In-Law after a day of fishing, The Tamiami Trail was lined by happy demonstrators with clever signs and American Flags waving at passing motorists. It brought me to tears (I’m a big baby).
Florida was the final stop on a five week trip and I hooked up with my buddy Brian Boehm, my go-to guide for Redfish, Snook and Tarpon. You can look him up and book him at Quiet Waters. We’ve been fishing together for years and have a great time under all conditions. He has taught me a lot. This trip didn’t work out quite as planned. After a day of many shots, follows and a couple of furtive eats, I drove back to my quarters and had a car accident leaving me with a black eye, 10 stitches, and a banged up right forearm. Pretty bloody but really, I dodged a bullet. Injuries were trivial. But it cost me fishing time on two days of good weather. When I got back out the wind and rolling waves were challenging and the opportunities separated by long lulls. Whatever. Time with Brian is always well spent. Every species, every locale, and every day are different. There is so much to learn. I still suck but am learning what to train and keep plugging. For me, the tossing boat and stiff winds are tough. Also I have trouble leading tarpon. My shots land just where I want them but are often short. I think it might be caused either by water depth or a miscalculation of the swim path of the fish. I have to think more about it and figure out how to improve my skills. I did a little better on Saturday and got two (maybe three) eats that somehow never hooked up. But still came up empty. I am confident I will figure it out.
David Siskind