![]() In the mornings before fishing it was common to sit at Becky's Restaurant in Weeki Wachee and have Grammy Award winning guitarist Chris Parkening sitting on one side of the table, pro hockey player Bobby Orr on the other and Olympic skier Andy Mill nearby talking about the big one that got away yesterday. On many occasions I was invited to dinner with such well-known anglers as Billy Pate, Stu Apte, Tom Evans and Rick Murphy. The close-knit fraternity of fishermen out of Bayport at that time was made up of a few starry-eyed wanna-bes. There were plenty of fish, they were big, and they would readily take a fly.Īnd so it went for the next decade. In the late '70s Curt Gowdy and his ABC fishing show The American Sportsman filmed a tarpon-on-fly segment that even today is regarded as one of the greatest fishing shows ever filmed. Today most of the larger fly-rod world-record tarpon were taken in this area, including the only one ever to weigh over 200 pounds. Soon the fly-fishing recordbooks were rewritten. World-class guides from the Keys and Tampa Bay began joining the locals every year to capitalize on the run of silverkings and to chase world records. Eventually news of the amazing "new" fishery began to trickle out and caught the attention of fly fishermen. Tarpon in the 150-pound class were common and many over 180 pounds were caught. The fish were coaxed into eating small plastic lures and battled on conventional baitcasting reels and short rods. At that time plug casting was the light-tackle fishing method of choice. ![]() ![]() Better yet, they often swam in crystal-clear water less than 6 feet deep. For reasons not fully understood, the tarpon that came here were bigger than those in other places. During the next few years these experts discovered one of the most amazing fisheries in the state. In the early 1970s a handful of pioneering anglers including Harold LeMaster, inventor of the MirrOlure, and Kirk Smith began investigating local reports of huge tarpon in shallow water in this remote area. I can tell you from personal experience that he is a masterful angler who combines an athlete’s fine-tuned instincts and equipoise with a keen, inquisitive mind.For many years May has been the premier month to catch tarpon on the famed flats of Homosassa, Chassahowitzka and Bayport. Many experienced guides in the Florida Keys say he’s the best they have ever fished with-maybe the best who has ever fished tarpon with a fly. “Andy Mill knows tarpon as well as anyone alive. The original photography of Pat Ford, with spectacular two-page color spreads separating all the principal chapters, makes the book a visual feast.īreathtaking in scope, A Passion for Tarpon by Andy Mill is destined to become one of the great fly-fishing books of all time. This riveting running narrative gets as close to the soul of why we chase tarpon as anything in print. Their rich stories-many told here for the first time-of obsession with this singular, leaping, lustrous demon are thrilling and authentic. Collectively these alpha tarpon hunters have experienced hundreds of years on the flats. Artfully interspersed among the author’s colorful and illuminating tactical chapters are remarkable, in-depth interviews with a dazzling lineup of renowned professional tarpon guides and rabid anglers-a veritable “who’s who” from the world of tarpon fishing. Everything is explored in engaging and entertaining detail: intuitively reading the fish, choosing effective flies for each situation, selecting the right tackle, honing your casting and presentation techniques, tricks for feeding the fish, critical advice on how to set the hook, the secrets to fighting tarpon efficiently and quickly.Īs if all this weren’t enough, A Passion for Tarpon is much more than a cutting-edge fishing manual. As in Andy’s own fishing, nothing is left to chance. In clear, concise language, the author personally guides the reader through the entire strategy of what it takes to successfully fool today’s often finicky tarpon into eating your fly.
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