Ray and his Grandfather, R.C. Williams, in 1988                             Ray with a nice native brookie 
              with two nice Whitetails from the family farm                                    from the Pootatuck                 
                                      in Tennessee                                                                           in Connecticut

                              

"I live a Carnival life, complete with all of the highs and lows. Im lucky in that I get to travel and fish and photograph my favorite bands in concert...Im truly blessed. Ive always identified with Jimmy Buffett's music and I kinda backed into living my life like a song. Much to the eternal consternation of my family. But I would not trade the view you have at sunrise in the marsh or when you head down the Mississippi to catch Tuna out in the Gulf of Mexico or being in some flooded delta woods at sunrise or watching the morning mist rise off of a Connecticut Trout stream or when taking photographs from the "pit" at a concert. I wouldnt know what to do with myself in a nine to five job...ties make me feel like Im being choked by a really weak person. As Captain J.B. so eloquently put it...'Im growing older but not up...my metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck'...and away we go, adventure around every corner!!!"

                                                                                                  -Ray Huntz
                                                  August 20th, 2008, 9pm, Port Fourchon        

Ray grew up in Memphis, hunting and fishing all over Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Mexico and Florida. He credits his love of the outdoors to growing up with family (Grandfathers R.C. Williams and Bill Huntz, Father Terry, Uncles Billy, Fred, Joe and Bob, Cousins Joe, Mike...who taught Ray how to use a squirrel call AND was the first person to really encourage Ray to pursue writing, Raymond and Billy, Stepfather Barney) and to watching Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin (Three of Ray's heroes!) while growing up, prompting Ray to, at age 9, tell his Grandfather that he was going to be a tv fisherman just like Bill Dance...people who told him the good ways, about the good days and old stories...things that should never be forgotten...people, who, basically "showed me the way".

His love affair with the Gulf, the Caribbean, Mississippi River lakes and mountain trout streams continues. Ray has been dubbed the "Marsh Whisperer" by no less than the legendary Hopedale Captain Gene Dugas, a long time fishing and hunting friend, for his hardcore fishing style, his duck calling and his love in general of Louisiana's beautiful marshlands. Ray was declared, by Planet Weekly Magazine in 2002, to be "this generation's Nash Buckingham and Bill Dance rolled into one"...an accolade Ray doesn't think he deserves, but still considers to be among his biggest honors! He also continues to travel and fish... having fun, looking for adventure and promoting fishing, especially along the Gulf Coast...