12/03/2022
This alligator affectionately became know as the "Bain of Angie's Existence" as he was always lurking around a St Johns River dock where the homeowners' grandkids swam every weekend.....however his moniker came from his uncanny ability to show up when we were headed out to look at wedding rings. We cringed everytime the homeowner rang with the report that he just showed up off their dock....making us drop everything and head to the river. He had ducked several trappers including myself over the past three or four years....he took baits cleanly off the hook almost daily and we even launched my duck boat and hunted him a few times as an afternoon dinner dates....to no avail. Eventually a little early morning sniper action from a boat house with my 6.5 creedmor sealed the deal. I ran down and out into the river in my chest waders to get him in a bear hug while he was still kicking, then we hitched a ride back to the dock with some surprised bass fishermen. My initial plan was to have a computer bag made, but even though he was only 11ft, he had started to decline in health, and as we looked over the chocolate brown hide, the leathersmith commented that he wasn't really bag material, but would make some fine belts and wallets. This old guy lived a full life and even became the subject of several photo sessions by Lenny Foster at Galley 144. The test belt came in the mail today!
