Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon

Great book about the passion and obsession only a fellow angler would understand!

Long live the king!Seriously good Book!Quality

A Good Read,Tarpon are an amazing fish.

Interesting to get a perspective of IGFA record seeking tarpon fishing throughout the key fishing areas of Florida and the Keys. This is where all the guys you've heard about were chasing the record books until sadly the fishery got seriously depleted. All the big boys are in here : Navarre, Pflueger, Billy Pate, Evans, Huff, good old Lefty, Stu Apte. Well written and a pleasant read.

Monte Burke has written a gem. Fly fishermen will enjoy the quest for the world record tarpon and an insider's view of the legends who put fly fishing on the Florida Flats on the map--the likes of Lefty Kreh, Stu Apte and Flip Pallot. Everyone can join in the fun, passion and misery associated with chasing records and busting tackle on giant tarpon from Homosassa to the Florida Keys.Burke also introduces us to the artist Russell Chatham, and authors Tom McGuane and Richard Brautigan (of "Trout Fishing in America" fame) as they experience the long-lost fish/party/repeat days in the Keys where the guides and their fishermen got into more than their fair share of trouble. (Also worth reading McGuane's books and stories on fishing and the novel "92 in the Shade', which is set in Key West).The descriptions of the tarpon trophy hunters alone are priceless--from rich tycoons with unlimited means to hardscrabble locals, to a Florida mafia boss, to other characters stranger than fiction. The fishing scenes in the book are vividly written, capturing the beauty of these great fish and man's obsession with them.Includes some fascinating stories about how the craft and skill related to saltwater fly fishing developed from the 1970s to today--You'll learn about how rods, reels, and flies were developed to tackle the giant tarpon and how fortunes were made (and sometimes lost) by the promoters of the sport. You also get a real sense of what it takes to be a top fishing guide trained over decades of time on the flats, often through multiple generations.A perfect armchair book for those missing the days fishing on the flats with only the horizon stretching out beyond the mangroves.

Great read

Recommend this to anyone who loves to fly fish and especially salt water fly fishing. It’s really informative, well written, and full of the history of the game. It does have a tad too much “back in our day it was a lot better than today and today sucks” vibe, but you’re always gonna get that when talking to the trend setters of decades ago. It’s a great book, tho. Perfect gift for skiff owners

An awesome story! After reading this book, you want to book a trip to Florida to try your hand at Tarpon fishing. The cast of characters and their reverence for the Tarpon makes you want to experience what they did. Mr. Burke weaves a great tale about Homasassa and the people who came there in search of a world record Tarpon that is hard to put down. If you fly fish, you must read this book!