"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, author of Fishing Key West and the Lower Keys

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!

Randy Wayne White is the winner of the Florida Humanities Council 2019 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing. He 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.


With Contributions From:

Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey, W. H. Wood, Randy Wayne White, Billy Pate, A. W. Dimock, Mark Sosin, Theodore Roosevelt, Ted Williams, Lefty Kreh, Thomas Edison, Joan Salvato Wulff , Jimmy Albright, Stu Apte, John N. Cole, Vic Dunaway, Chico Fernandez, Thomas McGuane , Carlene Fredericka Brennen, Van Campen Heilner, Flip Pallot, Nick Lyons, Joe Brooks, Bill Curtis, Louis L. Babcock, Lorian Hemingway, Byron Stout, Norm Zeigler, and more!

No Sample Chapter Available

Awards
Florida Book Award for Florida Nonfiction, Bronze - 2010

"A pleasing prose mosaic and tribute to a life-shaping sport."
--Naples Florida Weekly

"A powerful resource for the fisherman."
--The Midwest Book Review, December 2010

"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."
--Active Year

"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

"may be THE collection of tarpon stories from the earlier days of Southwest Florida tarpon fishing"
--Bill AuCoin, Suncoast Fly Fishing Newsletter (St. Petersburg, FL)

“Offers a look back at the beginnings of the Florida tarpon fishery, and offers… anglers a jump-start of enthusiasm to test their tackle on a tartpon.”
--The Collection

“Truly the ultimate book about tarpon fishing and the history behind its growth as a sport… gets into the heart of why an angler fishes for tarpon.”
--Brad Wiegmann Outdoors