Publisher Description

When William Halsey Wood landed the first big tarpon ever caught on rod and reel, news quickly spread. This 1885 event changed the face and fabric of sports fishing and helped make Southwest Florida a mecca for anglers from all parts of the world. Today, the silver king remains one of the most sought-after of all game fish.

Randy Wayne White's Ultimate Tarpon Book offers everything you could ever want to know about the origins of big game fishing, told in the words of those who were there. Zane Grey and Theodore Roosevelt fished for tarpon, so did Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Edison, Frederic Remington, and many others. The stories and narratives they wrote based on their experiences--along with those of more than 100 other contributors, including some of the best outdoor writers of our time--are presented here. The book includes information on the pioneer tarpon guides, the historic tarpon lodges, the innkeepers, the outfitters, the boat builders, and the scientists that made Fort Myers the greatest big game fishing resort in the country.

Randy Wayne White spent thirteen years as a professional tarpon guide, and Carlene Fredericka Brennen tournament fished for fifteen years for the silver king. For decades they have been collecting books, research papers, and popular literature on the tarpon. The best of their catch is presented here, complete with stories, commentary, and an introduction by White. The result is a book that no serious angler can be without!

Back Cover

"A pleasing prose mosaic and tribute to a life-shaping sport."-- Naples Florida Weekly "Recounts the history of Florida tarpon through a collection of fish tales from some of the greatest outdoor writers and sportsmen to ever wet a line--think Ernest Hemingway, Teddy Roosevelt, Zane Grey, and even Thomas Edison."-- Garden & Gun "A nicely balanced collection of short quotes, essays, articles, and book excerpts covering every aspect of tarpon fishing in Florida. . . . Anyone interested in saltwater fishing, Florida life and history, or White's nonfiction will find much to enjoy here."-- Booklist "Anyone who has seen a tarpon roll can catch tarpon fever and understand how this collection of essays will have wide appeal to a variety of readers. Over 100 essays are presented by the editors and include some of the best nature writers and observers of the natural world ever assembled in one book. The essays trace the origins of tarpon fishing from 1885 and have been collected by the editors for decades."-- Active Year "A powerful resource for the fisherman."-- Midwest Book Review "A book that anyone with an interest in Florida's history, natural history, literary history, love of nature, love of fishing, sense of adventure, or interest in the 'real Florida' should purchase and read."--John Fitch, contributor to Southwest Florida's Wetland Wilderness "An entertaining and illuminating tour through the halls of tarpon fishing history. Essential reading for anyone who considers themselves a tarpon nut or an informed flats angler."--David Conway, managing editor of Florida Sportsman Magazine and author of Fishing Key West and the Lower Keys "A bible to tarpon fishermen. Full of rich historical stories of great fish and even greater fishermen. Masterfully edited, a joy to read, Randy Wayne White's Ultimate Tarpon Book is a must-have for every angler's library."--Hilary Hemingway, coauthor of Hemingway in Cuba Randy Wayne White is the New York Times best-selling author of the Doc Ford suspense/thriller novels and, writing as Randy Striker, the Dusty MacMorgan action/adventure series. He has also written nonfiction books and monthly columns for Outside and Men's Health magazines. Carlene Fredericka Brennen, a former newspaper publisher, is author of Hemingway's Cats: An Illustrated Biography , coauthor of Hemingway in Cuba , and editor of Randy Wayne White's Gulf Coast Cookbook with Memories and Photos of Sanibel Island .

Author Biography

Randy Wayne White is the New York Times best-selling author of the Doc Ford suspense/thriller novels and, writing as Randy Striker, the Dusty MacMorgan action/adventure series. He has also written nonfiction books and monthly columns for Outside and Men's Health magazines. Carlene Fredericka Brennen, a former newspaper publisher, is author of Hemingway's Cats: An Illustrated Biography, and coauthor of Hemingway in Cuba and Randy Wayne White's Gulf Coast Cookbook with Memories and Photos of Sanibel Island.

Review

"A bible to tarpon fishermen. Full of rich historical stories of great fish and even greater fishermen. Masterfully edited, a joy to read, Randy Wayne White's Ultimate Tarpon Book is a must have for every angler's library."--Hilary Hemingway, author of Hemingway in Cuba
"A book that anyone with an interest in Florida's history, natural history, literary history, love of nature, love of fishing, sense of adventure, or interest in the 'real Florida' should purchase and read."--John Fitch, contributor to Southwest Florida's Wetland Wilderness
"A pleasing prose mosaic and tribute to a life-shaping sport."--Florida Weekly
"An entertaining and illuminating tour through the halls of tarpon fishing history. Essential reading for anyone who considers themselves a tarpon nut or an informed flats angler."--David Conway, author of Fishing Key West and the Lower Keys
"Recounts the history of Florida tarpon through a collection of fish tales from some of the greatest outdoor writers and sportsmen to ever wet a line."--Garden and Gun

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