M y father always told me that if I was fortunate enough to do something I loved for a living, it would not feel so much like work. Many of us strive our entire lives trying to earn a living pursuing our passion instead of working an every day job. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish and those that do will tell you it brings a unique clarity to the quality of life you experience.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Capt. Willy Le of Native Fly Charters in Cocoa Beach. Willy is one of those lucky people who has managed to make his living through his passion for fishing and photography. This was the first time we met, but I knew who Willy was through his amazing work. I believe most anglers like myself, are drawn to great fish photos. What typically stops me as I flip through a magazine and causes me to read an article is that the accompanying photo is dramatic or unique and catches my attention. Then I just have to know the who, what, where, when and how of that photo. A picture is truly worth a thousand words. And often the photo will grab you and make you want to read those thousand words!
This holds true with meeting Willy. I know he is the source of many of those “grabber” photos, and so I wanted to learn the story behind the pictures. I have been looking at his photography on and off for the last several years. Every time I see one of his photos I can’t help but think, “Wow, that’s a great photo, I wonder how they got that shot? After meeting and talking with Willy, I now have answers to the questions.
W illy was raised in Central Florida and grew up surfing and fishing the waters of the Space Coast. His family spent a lot of time camping, and the fish caught that day was cooked over the campfire for dinner that night. His passion for life on the Space Coast runs deep. In 1997, while fishing in his jonboat, Willy caught his very first tailing redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon. Poling a flat for tailing redfish has been his true passion ever since.
In 2008 Willy was laid off from his job. Knowing he was looking for work, Flip Pallot asked Willy if he would help film an instructional fly fishing DVD featuring Flip and Chico Fernandez fly fishing the Mosquito Lagoon. Willy explains, “I followed them around for two days watching the cameraman shoot Flip and Chico catching redfish and trout on fly. I was amazed!” Fly fishing soon became Willy’s passion and an art he wanted to share with others. In 2009 he approached Flip and asked him his thoughts about starting his own charter business and Flip told him to go for it, he thought he would be good at it. So in 2010 Willy launched Native Fly Charters where he specializes in fly and light tackle fishing.
It was Willy’s mother who helped him discover his passion for photography at an early age. His mother was an amateur photographer and Willy would tag along with her and watch her capture different images through her lens. Willy said “It started when I was in elementary school, she would let me take her camera out and shoot bugs and weird stuff like that.” However, high school is where he really learned the art of creative photography. Willy and his best bud were avid skateboarders; so much so that his friend is now a professional skateboarder. Willy shares, “All through high school that’s all we did, skateboard and take photos from all different angles. In some, I would be lying on my back while my friend jumped over me. Just all kinds of crazy stuff.”
Willy now applies these innovative photo techniques to his fishing pics. He strives for the creative shots that you do not normally see and his clients are usually the beneficiaries of these incredible photos. With all of the problems currently plaguing the Indian River Lagoon, I specifically asked Willy about Mosquito Lagoon and what he feels may be issues that need to be addressed there.
Willy explains, “I would like to see the lagoon back in the condition it was 15 years ago. With more people fishing in Mosquito Lagoon, the pressure has definitely increased, and in the last couple of years there have been tournaments run out of Titusville and New Smyrna every couple of weeks where anglers run down to Mosquito Lagoon, catch fish, and relocate them for the tournament weigh-ins miles away where these fish are released there. Also, the extra pressure from tournament anglers all over the region pre-fishing weeks prior to the tournaments is not helping the lagoon either. These are not ocean fish, it’s a very unique fishery in the lagoons and estuaries, and these fish are contained to this area habitat. It’s hard on the fish and the overall health of the lagoon to keep removing the fish for tournaments. I would like to see this addressed. Catch, photo and release tournaments are fine, but these tournaments are harming the fish and the habitat.”
I also asked Willy what would he like our readers to know about him and he said, “If you choose to fish with me you are going to meet someone who is laid back and there is no pressure. There is no yelling ha, ha.”
If you would like to see more of Willy’s photos or contact him regarding a charter you can visit his website at nativeflycharters.com.
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