Castro,Joe Brooks, & Lefty

[Rip Tide]

Lefty mentioned something about this last time he spoke at our club.

Macabi Grande | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters

[mcnerney]

Rip: Great story, thanks for sharing!

[tennessee dave]

Thanks for sharing.

[ditz]

I have read a lot of Lefty's stuff and that is a first for me. Thanks......I have never met the man but he is my hero and has been for many years. Stu Apte and The 'Walkers Cay' guy Flip Pallot are close behind. Then comes Capt. Bob and Diver Dan.

[yonder]

Originally Posted by ditz

I have read a lot of Lefty's stuff and that is a first for me. Thanks......I have never met the man but he is my hero and has been for many years. Stu Apte and The 'Walkers Cay' guy Flip Pallot are close behind. Then comes Capt. Bob and Diver Dan.

Ditz....I was at the the fly fishing show in Winston Salem and talking to the TFO rep, before things got crowded. Lefty walked up in his signature hat, and joined in the conversation just like an ordinary guy...we talked for a few minutes before people began to gather for a meet and greet.....I'm sure he has lots of "good" stories to tell........!!!!!

[theboz]

Thought I had read them all ! That was a good one Rip! Have been reading a lot of Stu Apte lately and amazed by how much
he was involved with Joe Brooks ,Lefty and others.
i especially like the fact that even though he fished with Ted Williiams for a better part of 40 years Williams still called him Bush for most of them and when he asked Ted about going up to his place to Salmon fish he said no.
i could read these guys stories for ever and never get bored!
Having met the majority of them over the years in one way or the other I consider myself quite fortunate!
Now all I have left on my bucket list is Diver Dan!

[chuck s]

Good story!

[catspaw]

Every July my brother and I go to Islamorada to tarpon fish, the last couple of years we've had the privilege to have dinner with Hank and Joy Brown and Billy Knowles. I've known Billy for quite a few years and his stories are always great but when Hank and Billy sit down and start talking about the early days it's just epic. Someone has to sit down and get these stories on paper, it's not just about the fishing but also about how all these guides interacted and pulled pranks on each other, stuff that would get you shot today. There's been talk of trying to get Carl Hiiasan to do it.

[wjc]

Thanks Rip. Great article. I keep hoping to run into Lefty down here sometime because I have a question for him.

I was supposed to meet a guy I knew who managed (maybe part owner) of a fly shop in Wesport, CT at Pennfield Reef in 1969 to fish with him and Lefty. I had heard a little about Lefty, that he'd fly fished the Keys, and I was planning to move there permanently that winter. So I was hoping I'd have a chance to talk to him about it after fishing.

Unfortunately, I got a call from the manager of the Stamford town baseball team that we had a rain-out gaime rescheduled for that evening so I couldn't make it.

A few days after the missed opportunity, I asked Mike how the fishing was, and he replied that it was horrible - the most embarhassed he'd been while fishing in his life. He said he'd hooked Lefty through the cheek so hard with a streamer they were able to cut the barb off inside his mouth and pull it out.
Mike was reluctant to elaborate and I didn't press since I knew hiim only as a customer and someone to talk fishing with.

But I've always wanted to ask Lefty if he kept fishing or called it a night.

[JoJer]

Lefty's books added 30' to my casts and improved my fishing immeasurably. My son likes to jab me when I mention Lefty's name. He says "Lefty who?"