Lords of the Fly, Monte Burke
Lords of the Fly, Monte Burke
2 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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Lords of the Fly
Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon

Author: Monte Burke

Narrator: Mike Chamberlain

Unabridged: 10 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/05/2021


Synopsis

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, something unique happened in the quiet little town on the west coast of Florida known as Homosassa. The best fly anglers in the world all gathered together to chase the same Holy Grail—the world record for the most glamorous and coveted fly rod species, the tarpon.

In Lords of the Fly, Monte Burke, an obsessed tarpon fly angler himself, delves into this seminal moment and the growing popularity of the amazing tarpon, a fifty-million-year-old species that can live to eighty years old and can grow to three hundred pounds.

Lords of the Fly ties together the lives of the biggest names in angling—Ted Williams, Stu Apte, Lefty Kreh, Flip Pallot, Thomas McGuane, Billy Pate, Tom Evans, and Steve Huff—as well as present-day stars like Andy Mill, David Mangum, and Nathaniel Linville.

Alongside the story of the world-record pursuit, Burke also chronicles the heartbreaking destruction of the fishery brought on by greed, environmental degradation and the shenanigans of a notorious Miami gangster—and how all of it has shaped contemporary tarpon fishing.

Filled with larger-than-life characters and vivid prose, Lords of the Fly is not only a must-listen for anglers of all stripes, but also for those interested in the desperate yearning of the human condition.

About Monte Burke

Monte Burke is a staff writer at Forbes magazine and has also written for the New York Times, Outside, Men's Journal, Town & Country, and Garden & Gun. A recipient of Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers Award, Monte is the author of 4th and Goal and Sowbelly. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three daughters.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kyle on September 15, 2020

Fly fishing is a sport built on tall tales and stories. This is a fantastic collection of stories detailing the quest for the world record Tarpon on the fly. *best enjoyed while sipping rum/whiskey late at night while dreaming of your next fishing trip......more

Goodreads review by Craig on October 20, 2020

This is an amazing and at times insightful book on a fishing subculture I didn't know existed before I started reading it. The lives and passions of people pursuing record-size tarpon off Florida -- sometimes in the Keys, sometimes in the Panhandle, but mostly off a small Gulf coast town called Homo......more

Goodreads review by Ross on June 02, 2022

This book is engaging and enthralling. I love learning about the history of Tarpon fishing in Florida. The last 3rd of the book dragged a bit for my taste. Overall, a very enjoyable read.......more

Goodreads review by Ben on February 12, 2023

Makes me want to go fishing🎣......more

Goodreads review by Wes on September 12, 2020

Incredibly entertaining read, especially to someone who has never fly-fished for tarpon. Stories pour out of the pages. Highly engaging.......more