I just returned from a wonderful eight day fishing adventure in the Everglades National Park. I was the guest of Leigh Perkins of the Orvis Company and his wife Annie on a unique custom built 55 foot mother ship he co-owns with Rick Capelletti, who was there with his wife Joann.

If there was anything we wanted to know about something we encountered in the Everglades, we had the experts who provided the answers. Along with us on the trip was Rick Ruoff, who has been guiding in the Keys and the Everglades for almost 40 years and knows them like the back of his hand. Rick is a marine biologist and was the host of the ESPN program Sporting Life for several years.

Pete Frezza was also a long, a biologist for Audubon. Before we headed out from Flamingo, Pete looked up at a hawk that was soaring over head and wondered aloud, "is that a broad-winged hawk or a short-tailed hawk?" He looked through his binoculars and said "it's a short-tailed hawk in its light color phase," as he passed his binoculars to me. I have always been an avid bird watcher and I keep a Life List that until that day did not include a Short-tailed Hawk. In birders terms this bird was a "lifer" for me and we had not even left the dock!

Rick Capalletti, a retired police officer and talented craftsman, built out the mother ship. Its tunnel hull (like the Ultimate) is impressive, for it draws less than three feet of water. This provides access to areas most boats of that size would not even dream of going without the fear of running aground. With two flats skiffs and two Native Watercraft kayaks on deck and two ultra lightweight shallow draft skiffs in tow, we were prepared to seek unique and very remote areas.

We planned to spend a lot of time in the "No Motor Zones" where all types of motorized watercraft are off limits, even those powered by electric motors. These are also Wildlife Protection Areas, nurseries where there are juveniles of all types of life forms. We need these sanctuaries to protect them as they grow and mature for as two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson states in his book entitled Naturalist, "Ecosystems and species are vanishing at the fastest rate in 65 million years."

These areas are the kayak angler's dream come true, because the only legal means of travel is by poling or paddling. You are secluded from the noisy world of power boaters and the fumes of combustible engines. In a way you are stepping back in time and using the same mode of transportation that the Native Americans of this area used.

I also brought along the paddleboard that we designed for fishing. This board has a scooped out deck and resembles the dugouts used by the Seminoles so much that we named it the Osceola after the famous Seminole of the Everglades.

I could see alligators and crocodiles on the banks and bull sharks in the muddy water. I did not see pythons but they were lounging in the same area. I figured this was not a good place for me to take a swim.

The versatility of the big boat and its shallow draft allowed us to change locations and try new areas up and down the coast. Brian Esposito, another excellent guide and builder of the ultra light skinny water skiffs, joined us with his own skiff (pictured on his skiff carrying the Ultimate 16). By now we had such an armada that we drew the attention of the Coast Guard who converged by air and by sea to check us out. They saw that we were no cause for concern, and we resumed our adventure.

We had great fishing, catching mostly redfish, snook and some tarpon. However, this was much more than a fishing trip. It was also an eco tour and adventure at its best, thanks to its many wonderful experiences in the company of diverse and knowledgeable people.

I am excited about the efforts to protect the Everglades and all of her natural resources. I hope to see additional areas in other States designated as No Motor Zones to help us protect important inshore waters and estuaries by allowing them to remain undisturbed.