On April 18th, Billy Pate one of the pioneers of fishing travel and big game saltwater fly fishing died at the age of 81.  Billy was always willing to impart his knowledge of fishing to those whom asked and he also was a very kind and generous soul.  If you fished with Billy you found out that he was an angler with the passion and intensity that you would expect from a professional. He was very athletic and lived his life to its fullest potential while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I have a few Billy stories and moments that I was lucky enough to share with him but above all else he treated me with kindness and respect and I feel lucky to have known him. Actually without Billy my life would be totally different and not as rich.

I have linked an article published here some time ago with Billy's own bio   BILLY PATE

The document was given to me by Billy. He had some suggestions for changing the outdated IGFA rules for flyfishing that pre-dated modern tackle technology and targeting of species previously not considered fly rod targets. FLY TACKLE RULE CHANGES

Also linked here is a video of Billy and his ex wife Jodie catching a sailfish of Australia's Sunshine Coast  YOUTUBE VIDEO
 

Who can ever forget Jack fly fishing from a inflatable Giraffe!  We will miss you.....

KALMAN, JOEL, of Key Biscayne, passed away, Monday September 8, 2008. A resident of Key Biscayne for 42 years. Joel was well known as a Captain sportsman fisherman whom received many awards and records for catch weight. Joel's boat was called "Bad to the bone". He is survived by his mother and father Agnes and Robert Kalman, sister Julissa Kalman, son Shawn Kalman, niece Amanda Kalman, nephew Jeremy Kalman. His strength, his spirit will be dearly missed. A visitation will be held on Thurdsay, September 11 from 2:00p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Ferdinand Funeral Homes & Crematory located at 2546 S.W. 8th Street, Miami Florida. A mass will be held on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Agnes Catholic Church located at 100 Harbor Drive, Key Biscayne Florida. A committal service will be held on Saturday in Bushnell Evergreen Cemetery, Bushnell Florida. Ferdinand Funeral Homes & Crematory 305-631-000158 To visit this Guest Book Online, go to www.MiamiHerald.com/obituaries. Published in The Miami Herald on 9/10/2008

To read Julia Day's insights into this mans life please see full story.


Joel Kalman with World Record 29lb Snapper on 8lb tippet in NZ

Twenty years ago I started taking a camera on fishing trips after realizing that there was a lot more to angling than catching fish. Over the years I have learned to combine these two passions into my life's work.

This year the Northern California Council Federation of Fly Fishers will be inducting Mr. Ed Rice into the Northern California Fly Fishing Hall of Fame on Saturday evening, February 23, 2008. Ed Rice exemplifies the type of person, who has improved the art, science, literature, techniques, enjoyment and conservation of fly fishing as we know it. This year’s event will be held at the Veterans Memorial Building, Pleasanton, California in conjunction with "The Fly Fishing Show" we will be just ¾ miles east of the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

  

Join local fly fishing personalities and national celebrities for a lively evening of dinner, induction ceremony and fund raising as we celebrate Ed’s place in fly fishing history. Festivities will be held at the Veterans Memorial Building, 310 Main St., Pleasanton, California, Social hour and silent auction starting at 6PM, Dinner at 7PM, followed by a live auction.

Reservations required to this Special Event! Click HERE to register

Quality fishing television is hard to come across even with the multitudes of stations now available to the masses. Luckily there are shows such as Larry Dahlbergs Hunt for Big Fish on The OLN Network and of course the favorite for salt water anglers Jose Wejebe's Spanish Fly. Recently a new website has been constructed and Jose has added some out takes from his show online. One in particular is from our trip Downunder a few years ago. Jose wrestling with a heavyweight Queensland Grouper of the back of the
Tropic Paradise it is pretty funny!



Check out the Spanish Fly's Website and look out for the new series next year.

Peter Morse has penned a story about his recent journey to visit the Sage Factory in Seattle. Please click "visit website" below to read it. If you do not know who Peter is the snippet taken from his site below will give some background

"Any one who has had anything to do with flyfishing in Australia in the last 30 years would know who Peter is. As the presenter of the popular SBS series Wildfish, Peter has shown us many of his favorite fishing locations, introduced the local identities and even caught a fish or two in the process. He is also a renowned fishing journalist and author, having been published in many Australian and overseas fishing journals as well as writing several books on fly fishing."

It is with great pleasure I am able to share the following wonderful news with all of you. My father, Peter Van Gytenbeek, has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Federation of Fly Fishers. This promises to be a match made in heaven�. Not only does Pete's background read as though someone planned his career path for this job, but his extraordinary love and commitment to fishing and the environment makes this a dream job for him. (Complete bio and history by clicking read more)

On Alaska Flight 16 at 37,000 feet en route to Islamorada, the birthplace of modern day flats fishing as we know it, I find myself reflecting upon the reasons I am doing so. There are obvious attractions that draw people to the Silver Kings but why am I now making my way to fish for the Giant Tarpon of the Florida Keys? (Islamorada fishing and trip report in next article) Besides the fact that I have always been a enthusiastic fisherman, the path of my present journey evolved from the circumstances and events in my life after fishing with one man. Ironically this man has seen, cast and jumped more tarpon than most any other person on the face of this earth.