Flare Fishing
High pipe stacks venting hot burning gas
In the Gulf of Mexico where fishing a blast
Oil rigs vent natural gas that never stops
The hot flames create - crackles, snaps and pops
This hot burning flame is known as a flare
it’s the serious fisherman will you find there
The heat’s so intense you stay far away
You catch fish there at night; not during day
Bugs are attracted to the flame at night
Then heat over comes them, they drop from flight
Small fish are waiting each night for the feed
That draws the big ones for the food they need
The giant ones are also hanging around
Normally the sharks find this feeding ground
When a giant one swallows a fish you have on
Best to cut your line before it’s all gone
But on this trip we’re after speckled trout
Keep fishing until all ice chests fill out
All poles are rigged up with two hooks per line
You’re always expected to catch two at a time
A speckled trout isn’t a trout at all
It’s named is “weakfish”, that’s its proper call
A brackish water fish, gets a foot long
In the Gulf at the flares, grow twice that long
“Flare fishing” involves being up all night
Grab a snack and cool one when off the bite
It’s a long run to get there and get back
Make the best of it you can, do not slack
All the ice chests must be packed just right
With layers of fish and layers of ice
Most all of the fish that we catch, we sell
A night of flare fishing, you’re tired as hell
You think to yourself I’m done doing that
Too much work and no sleep for what I get
But when someone says, “Let’s fish the flares”
I’ll say, “Sure, I love to catch them in pairs”
Copyright © Charles Sides | Year Posted 2011
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