Gary A. Anderson

Nontraditional fishing methods often yield outstanding results and sometimes make it into the market place. Back before the time of Walmart and before the mom and pop shops, that abounded our waterways selling hardware to drinks before you launched onto the water, were cane poles and inventive peoples looking for better ways to catch fish. One of those people was my Grandfather.

My grandfather, Little Iron Eagle, Edwin Anderson, was my mentor of the outdoors and in the ways of catching fish.. A decedent of the Crow Nation, he was born with sustainability in mind in that he used the land to fish and hunt, while passing many of the old traditions down to me. Like using a piece of straw tied to a hook so it would float and mimic that of a wounded minnow as it bounced along the surface of a moving trout stream. Adding color to it by smashing a blackberry onto it and it looked even more real. Dad, is what I always called him, as my father was always away, defending our country, somewhere, as the cold war was in full swing. 'Dad,' use to always exclaim how the hooks attached to the straw and on the fishing line, “looked like little dogs on a leash, crossing the stream,” and they did as each seemed to prance and splash as they wiggled and jumped the ripples, as the were pulled along with a stick or piece of cane for the pole!Through the years, we hunted many a creature and fished, many a pond and with the biggest being, the Gulf of Mexico and in doing such, again too, I learned a couple of tricks in catching saltwater fish with an ordinary drinking straw. It too, has the same characteristics of a piece of hay or straw tied to a hook, except in this case; one runs the shank of the hook through the hole in the straw and reels it in after casting it out with a jerking movement in creating what I call working the dog or Fishing Strawdogs, in tribute to Chief Iron Eagle 'Dad' Anderson! Dad also taught me to always watch to see which insects were on the hatch, flying low on the waters and if frogs or lizards were present. Reason being, he was teaching me what they call today as “Match the Hatch” in catching more fish. From color to size, live to artificial, if you give the fish what is on their menu for the day; you have an advantage up on them, as they are more opted in on eating your offering than the other angler who throws out the prettiest lure in his box. My son Ed and I have fished the pier in Venice many a time and both using Strawdogs as others around us are casting in vain. They are just anglers out to cast in luck like a one armed bandit at a gaming hall; they pull and pull in hopes of a strike. If they too, tried a bit to match the hatch, they would be increasing their chances of a good strike, rather than a cast and hope in catching a fish.

When the water temperature hits between 65 and 78 degrees off the Florida west coast, Mackerel from Cero, to Spanish, to the mighty King migrate either up from the Caribbean in the spring or back down in the fall. If an angler were to match the hatch, in size to color of the lure he was to use, like a straw, he could be fishing strawdogs in his catching of the mackerels as they prefer this tasty treat on their menu, more than not to any lure you can buy and if you lose one; its just a straw! You heard me use the saying, “match the hatch,” which generally applies to fly-fishers but that slogan, applies down the line to spin fisherman too! When on a stream, creek, river or canal and upon the banks are that of leaf-hoppers to grasshoppers, a fly fisher's best bet would be in an imitation grasshopper or a color scheme of green or yellow in a popper fly, where as a spinner may chose a Rooster Tail or similar spinner, like a beatlespin in green or yellow; match the hatch. In saltwater angling the varieties of bait are multiplied exponentially so. Little minnows to small fry sized glass minnows are easily met for the fly fisherman in picking a colored streamer to the same pattern and color. The spin fisher though is at an disadvantage, in that most saltwater lures are either different colored lead headed jigs or larger spoons and lures. In using a drinking straw, the spin fisherman can not only mimic the actual movements of these small minnows but straws come in millions of colors to sizes in diameter and can be cut to length!

When Edwin, my son or I use straws, we refer to them, too, as dogs, as when they are thrown and reeled back in, they resemble the “walking the dog” of a stick bait. When the Mackerels make their biannual runs, the strawdogs are the deadliest lure in your tackle box. The only two lures to come close to the catching power of a straw is the right colored Gotcha or Diamond Jig! But I would rather lose a 10 cent hook and free straw to a hungry mackerel than a six to nine dollar lure. You do the math?

The rigging is easy! You will need to go to McDonald’s or your favorite fast food joint, buy a malt and collect some straws. I find, McDonald’s straws last the longest and have the perfect sized hole for the bubble trail. Fifty pound test whatever, I use Andre' as it is most pliable and absorbs many a strike from the toothy critters called mackerel. Cutting of a piece at about three or four feet long, slide two cut pieces of the straw at around two inches long or the length of the shank of the hook onto the line, through its hole and now tie the EagleClaw, long shank number 1 hook to both ends. Double the line through itself, in forming a knotted loop around six inches from the top hook. Your strawdogs are done, now you need a method of delivery; too which they range many. If using a fly rod, its ready to tie on and you are ready to go, remembering the strike generally occurs on the pause between strips; but not always as Mackerels sometimes enjoy a run for their money and will hook it up two at a time on the stripping itself! If the spinning method is preferred, decide if your working the top, middle or bottom water columns. If on top, slide your casting bubble on your line and tie on the dogs. Now your ready to cast and jerk, retrieve slow or rip it across the top of the water column. I prefer this method most as it sometimes produces a King Mackerel, though the use of mono-filament line even at fifty pound test, slices like butter to them but sometimes you get lucky. Edwin likes working the bottom to the middle water columns. To do this, you need to see what the maximum weight allowed on your rod in lure weight. Near the base of your rod it tells you your line test limits and lure limits, so you do not exceed it and break the rod. If it allows it, a 1/2 to 1 ounce egg sinker is slipped onto your fishing line first and a bearing or invisaswivel attached. Now connect your dogs to the swivel. Casting out, let the dogs settle to the bottom, all the while watching your line for a sudden jerk or twitch, if this happens, you have just had a strike and you need to recast, as either it is fish on or fish following. If no fish, jerk the dogs whale continuing to reel at the same time as this many a time will produce many a strike! Again, casting out to settle to the bottom and in a slight raising of the tip, just over your head, your leading a skipping dog across the bottom. From flounder to Seatrout and lizards and ladies could be of your catch, in this prescribed method. After a couple of lifts and nothing, begin a steady retrieve with a slight jerk of the rod and stop, repeat again and then letting the baits back to the bottom, all the way back in. In this fashion of angling, you will cover both the middle and bottom water columns. If you wish to work the top of the column remember, the faster the dog retrieve the higher in the water column the lure will rise, until it is splashing across the top of the water; like in kite fishing. As too, kites can use strawdogs in catching fish as after you attach your leader to the kite leader, as the kite move away from the beach, so do the strawdogs, as they dance to skip with bubble trail in tow to collecting everything from mackerels to sailfish.

Ed and I had a great day out on the Venice City Pier working our Strawdogs in catching a ton of Spanish and Cero Mackerel. Edwin caught a couple of King Fish (King Mackerel), but they fell under the 24 inch minimum, so they too were released back to the waters below. We were in search of dinner and dinner we caught in keeping eight nice fish. Catching mackerels while matching the hatch, as greenbacks to glass minnows were everywhere, on a homemade rig called strawdogs, is both cheap and fun. In the event of a cut off, replacement is fast and easy. In the event of no hits, colors of straws are enormous, switch colors! Whenever Edwin & I are Straw-dogging, we think back of the days of my grandfather, Little Iron Eagle, Edwin Anderson as we are fishing with sustainability in mind, in that we are using all we can in not having that straw end up in a landfill but on the end of our line catching fish. Like our ancestors and the Indians before us in using all that is about you without leaving a trace behind that you were there is a plus anytime in continuing traditions in catching fish. Remembering our Florida State Regulations in that all Mackerels, except the King are legal to harvest if measured at the fork at 12” long and 15 per person per day with no transfers boat to boat at sea and King Fish or King Mackerels must be 24” at the fork and two per person, per day harvest allowed with Bag limit reduced to 1 in some state waters when federal waters are closed to all harvest. Check www.MyFWC.com/Fishing for most current regulations prior to fishing. As always, catch your catch and release the rest as limits are but a guide. If we are to remain a sustainable fishery, we must as fisherman everywhere police ourselves and practice catch and release when possible!

Remembering our old “nontraditional ways” in catching fish will enable you to carry on a traditional way to fish with those you too go fishing with, as there could be something you remember your dad or grandfather teaching you in playing in our great outdoors. “matching the Hatch” is more than an ole' saying and in its practice, you, too, will catch more fish. Using straws is not only fun and exciting in catching fish but when asked by fellow anglers why you are catching, you have the perfect opportunity to start a conversation with a total stranger, who too may have so secrets he may share, as you exclaim “Drinking Straws catch more fish.” Good Fishing. “FISH ON!”