Interview with Capt. Travis Glidden

Our FlatsWorthy newsletter team recently sat down with Capt. Travis Glidden to talk about his time fishing, the importance of etiquette, and his time with FlatsWorthy.

Capt. Travis Glidden Owner/Operator of Sightcast Safari, Board Member for FlatsWorthy

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Rockport, I’ve been fishing the middle Texas coast all of my life.

How has fishing changed in your lifetime?

When I was growing up here the boating population was much smaller. Most weekends you could fish in areas, without harassment, you can’t now. Even in the early 2000’s, it was nothing like the boat traffic we currently have. With more boaters on the water, especially people who are newer to the coast, issues come up. The biggest issues to me are prop scarring, burning flats to short cut to deep water and trying to bump fish to locate them. None of these are necessary to fishing our coast, and do significant long and short term damages to our fishery.

How did you get into fishing?

I started fishing with my dad, who gave me a fly rod as soon as I could stand up, and was using mild child labor to fill fly boxes. Everything I love about the outdoors now came from him, from poling a skiff in the shallows, to fly casting, fly tying and traditional archery.

What is your favorite place to fish?

My favorite area to fish is the middle coast of Texas. I’ve done some trips to other great areas, all of the Texas coast and Florida. The back lakes and shallow flats of Texas keep me coming back.

What conservation issue is important to you?

There’s a lot of conservation issues in the area at the moment, all critically important to the health of our fishery. The biggest one that we can do something about, on a personal level, is boating etiquette. Every boater that chooses to do it the right way is helping the fishery and his fellow anglers have a better day on the flats.

How did you become associated with FlatsWorthy?

I was going to some of the early FlatsWorthy meetings, and Capt. Chuck Naiser invited me to join the group, I eventually became the secretary and a board member for FlatsWorthy. I’m grateful to Chuck for the opportunity to give back to our fishery.

How important do you see the message of FlatsWorthy?

FlatsWorthy’s message is critically important to Texas fisheries. There are too many boats on the water, and more coming every day, for etiquette on the flats not to be addressed. Everyone can influence this and it will benefit everyone. Happier fish on the flats short term and ensuring the long term viability of our fishery, will help all anglers enjoy our waters.