Catch Of The Month

Captain

Meet Native Sarasotan and Fishing Guide CAPTAIN ALAN ROUTH

As a third generation Sarasotan, I developed a passion for fishing at a young age. My Dad worked alongside his father building custom homes during the day and studied at night to become an electrical engineer. When Dad graduated and accepted a new job, we packed the ‘54 Oldsmobile and headed for our new home in Brigham City, Utah.

There I was, 7 years old, standing in a mountain stream near Blacksmith Fork in northern Utah. My lifelong fishing adventure was about to begin. It was a day that started like so many that have followed. We rose before dawn, gathered our tackle and bait (night crawlers we’d caught the evening before) and made the journey to what would soon be our favorite fishing hole. It was here that I caught my first Rainbow Trout! Since that day many new fishing holes have been discovered, yet I still feel the same excitement as I did that day in northern Utah.

My teen years were spent in the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center. Even as I watched rockets blast off to the moon, I was wade fishing for monster Redfish and Gator Trout in the world famous Indian River lagoon. There’s no way to describe wading in the middle of winter wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes…….brrrrrrr.

For the past 30 plus years Sarasota has once again become my home. Along the way I’ve had the opportunity to fish throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. There were Sailfish in Cancun, Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo around the oil rigs of Louisiana, giant Blue Marlin on the north drop off the coast of St. Thomas, the slam (Sailfish, White Marlin, Blue Marlin) caught in Venezuela, Pacific Sailfish in Costa Rica and, of course, Tarpon on the beaches of Florida’s west coast.

Today I’m a professional fishing guide. For me there’s no greater pleasure than watching my clients enjoy their day on the water. Let’s face it, we all like to catch fish and a trophy is surely the dream of every angler. But being a guide involves so much more – it requires dedication, patience, a high level of professionalism, along with a desire to educate. Whether it’s showing how to tie a knot, teaching the importance of conservation, or helping the young angler learn to cast, I’ve found my passion and enjoy sharing it with others.

Captain Alan