Ever have one of those things on your “bucket list” that you keep saying, “next year, next year,” to and just always forget about it? For me, it’s fly fishing Alabama’s Cahaba River “shoal lily hatch.” The flowers bloom each year around Mother’s Day and the river holds multiple species of redeye bass. I was kindly reminded by this Instagram video from Meateater & the Native Habitat Project that it slipped my mind yet again!
A fishing friend (Stewart) first brought this to my attention maybe 7 or 8 years ago, and it always breaks my heart when pictures of the lilies pop up on social media and I’m still sitting in Florida. I’ve since learned these flowers also bloom on the shoals in Georgia & South Carolina, but I really want to do it in Alabama. Never fished the Yellowhammer State before.
Definitely gotta set a reminder now for 2026!