Anglers Alexandra Nicole and Alec Lucas head to Belize for season 2 of Coast 2 Coast. Their goal is to explore the different parts of the country, from shallow water flats to backwater lagoons, in search of the hardest thing to do in saltwater fly fishing: catch a grand slam (permit, bonefish, and tarpon). Along the way, they explore the country, diving headfirst into Belize’s culture and lifestyle, learning just what this angling destination has to offer. But before we kick off the series, we sat down with Alexandra Nicole to learn more about her.
Alexandra Nicole
Alexandra Nicole is a Georgia native, born and raised on the barrier island St. Simons. From an early age, she was surrounded by the natural world and the Lowcountry marshes of coastal Georgia. Memories of throwing a cast net for shrimp or catching redfish in skinny, tidal creeks inspired her to pursue a degree in wildlife and fisheries biology. “I was obsessed, and going out on the boat was all I wanted to do,” says Alexandra. When she went to college, she learned how to survey fish populations using electrofishing, trawls, seines, and even snorkeling. As she puts it, “I didn’t really care how we did it (fishing), I just love catching fish.”
But fly fishing didn’t become part of the picture until she met her now-husband, Clint. The two planned a trip to Belize and made a deal—she would learn to fly fish if he would get scuba-certified. On that trip, she caught her first bonefish on the fly, and her husband completed his scuba certification. If you’re wondering whose hobby won, that trip was 10 years ago, and neither of them has been scuba diving since.
Her love for fly fishing stems from her background in biology. Inspired by the habitats and environments where fish live, she loves traveling to new places in search of new species. Alexandra believes that fly fishing fast-tracks your learning about a new ecosystem. “I think fly fishing gives me a way to continue exploring and learning in a way that is incredibly stimulating and fun to me,” says Alexandra. From local hydrology and tides to predator-prey relationships and so much more, the possibilities are endless.
Throughout her professional and fishing career, though, Alexandra’s love for art never faded. Her love for painting Lowcountry landscapes and wildlife serves as a vessel to share her deep love for wild places. Today she is a full-time artist, painting the fish, places, and scenes she loves most.
A Coast 2 Coast Q&A
Flylords: What inspired you to be part of Coast to Coast Season 2?
Alexandra: I’ve never been one to turn down a fishing trip. Even though I was jumping on board with a crew of complete strangers, I’ve found that having a passion for fly fishing is a pretty good litmus test for good humans. I think I was just excited to explore a new fishery with new folks.
Flylords: What are you most excited for viewers to experience when they watch Coast 2 Coast Season 2?
Alexandra: I hope the audience feels the range of emotions we all experienced! Big highs and lots of stoke when you catch a fish you’ve worked really hard for. But also, the lows and frustrations you get when you don’t make the best cast, the hook pulls, or fish spook. This sport can be a rollercoaster, and I think Coast 2 Coast captured the full spectrum of that.
Flylords: What’s your favorite moment from Coast 2 Coast?
Alexandra: This is hard because there’s just too many. I think a lot of my favorite moments were just laughing at the commentary from the peanut gallery that was the crew. Especially once we got to Rocky Point Permit Camp. My favorite moment at Rocky Point is probably the portage adventure we took to get to the promised land—also, seeing jaguar tracks up there was wild.
Pre-Rocky Point favorite moment was when Alec hooked his permit. It was just such a cluster with him jumping in, losing his flip-flops, fending off a barracuda, realizing he had a mic on, getting stabbed with the mic as we tried to get it off him while he’s still fighting the fish— meanwhile our guide Christian is like—can we land the fish guys?!
Flylords: What part of the trip challenged you the most?
Alexandra: The DIY portion of the trip was my favorite, but it was definitely a physical challenge. We were paddling, portaging, or wading for 12 hours each day. It really makes you appreciate those fish (and guides, when you have them) because you see how much work it takes to make it happen.
Targeting permit specifically was a mental challenge for me. Sometimes I would get too nervous and make bad shots, and sometimes I was able to tap into my zen and lay out good casts that the permit still didn’t appreciate (rude). It’s part of the reason I love this sport. I get to do something that challenges me and makes me feel so alive. If a day comes where I don’t feel those things, maybe it’s time for the next challenge.
Flylords: If you could sum up your Coast 2 Coast experience in one word, what would it be?
Alexandra: This is way too hard of a question. “Adventure” comes to mind because we did have ourselves a bona fide adventure, but it’s too vague. “Enterprise” could work, but it feels too corporate. I’m going to go with “Odyssey,” which the Cambridge Dictionary defines as “a long trip or period involving a lot of different and exciting activities, esp. while searching for something.”
