Inside knowledge from Florida’s greats

"A tribute to some of the most outstanding fishing personalities of our time. If you have a passion for fishing Florida’s waters, you will love this book."--Carlene Fredericka Brennen, champion angler and coeditor of Randy Wayne White’s Ultimate Tarpon Book

"The famous characters of Florida fishing live again in these pages. Kelly’s is the best kind of writing about angling--the kind that you want to take your time to enjoy, that at the same time compels you to go out fishing immediately."--David Conway, managing editor, Florida Sportsman, and author of Fishing Key West and the Lower Keys

As one of the most lauded fishing destinations in the United States, boasting world records on varieties of fish, Florida has proven irresistible to the world’s top anglers for more than 100 years.

Florida’s Fishing Legends and Pioneers systematically chronicles the exploits of the most influential men and women of the sport throughout the state. Chosen by Doug Kelly for their contributions to the techniques, equipment, and strategies of fishing--and often radiating colorful personalities--these "hall of fame" legends and pioneers have helped preserve the Sunshine State as a top fishing destination that currently draws nearly five million anglers to its bountiful waters each year.

Interviews with such current angling luminaries as Lefty Kreh, Stu Apte, Mark Sosin, Joan Salvato Wulff, Roland Martin, Guy Harvey, Al Pflueger Jr., and a number of other renowned figures are found throughout the book. Organized chronologically, this intelligent and captivating book provides readers a greater and more accurate perspective on how recreational fishing in Florida evolved over more than a century. It also features rare historical information and photographs from past decades.

Florida’s Fishing Legends and Pioneers is for everyone, from novice to master, who loves fishing!

Doug Kelly is a successful freelance writer and editor and producer of radio and television shows about the outdoors, who has also served on the editorial staffs of several state and national magazines.

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An entertaining as well as informative read.
--Society of American Travel Writers

When it comes to sportfishing, Florida has a long and rich history. Kelly chronicles the colorful characters who contributed to Florida's 100-years-plus recreational fishing boom.
--Visit Florida

For everyone, from novice to master, who loves fishing!
--Fishing Specials

Rather than a tedious compilation of bios and stats, the book provides entertaining stories and interviews about the eclectic personalities.
--Sport Fishing

For a historical, in-depth look at numerous men and women who helped develop Florida into one of the world's foremost fishing destinations, Kelly's book fills the bill.
--The Miami Herald

Beginning with Jesse Linzy, born in 1872, one of the first Florida fishing guides to garner a national reputation from his home near Ponce Inlet in the early 1900s, Kelly's work unearths the fondations of Florida fishing. You'll not only enjoy story telling of epic fish fights, angling history, technical insight into tackle, boat designs and fishing expeditions in a far more hostile Florida, plus the carefully collected and composed, rare historical photos, but you'll come to better understand the background behind the obsession to fish which so many of us share.
--Florida Sportsman Magazine

The forward-looking future of fly fishing, no matter how you slice it, depends on proper respect and appreciation for those who cleared the path for all of us now. And the best stories, and characters, inevitably rever to the waters of Florida. This is a beautifully written, interesting and captivating work, most worthy of the attention of dabblers and aficionados alike.
--Angling Trade

You'll not only enjoy story telling of epic fish fights, angling history, technical insight into tackle, boat designs and fishing expeditions in a far more hostile Florida, plus the carefully collected and composed rare historical photos, but you'll come to better understand the background behind the obsession to fish which so many of us share. An irresistible page-turner for everyone interested in the development of our sport.
--Florida Sportsman