Bill Pate passes away.......

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

From MidCurrent:


Billy Pate Dies

By
Marshall Cutchin
on April 19, 2011 4:53 AM | Permalink


We've received word that master saltwater fly fisher Billy Pate died early yesterday morning.

Pate was a important pioneer in landing big saltwater fish on fly rods and was particularly dedicated to tarpon fishing, although billfishing was also a passion. His 1982 188-pound tarpon world record on 16-pound tippet remained unbeaten for 21 years, and he was the first person to catch a blue marlin and a black marlin on fly. He was also the first angler to catch six billfish species on a flyrod.

Pate was also an ardent conservationist; he was instrumental in the creation of the $50 tarpon tag system in Florida and was a founder or board member of the Everglades Protection Association, Trout Unlimited, Bonefish & Tarpon Unlimited, the Don Hawley Foundation, and the Pate Foundation.

Billy Pate partnered with legendary Florida Keys guide George Hommel in 1967 to create one of the first destination angling companies in the U.S., Worldwide Anglers, which they sold in 1995 to Bass Pro Shops.

In 1976, Pate got together with Tibor Reels' Ted Juracsik to design the first readily available anti-reverse tarpon reel, a reel that later went on to help catch 225 world records.

He was inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame in 2003.

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I met Billy Pate once at Steve Chapell's party on Marathon Key about 25 years ago. He was easy to talk to and a real fisherman.

Working with the 3M/Scientific Angler Company he made the first famous videos on Tarpon fishing with a fly rod.

He had a great life.......

.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Email we got from Walt Robinson:

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Terry and all,

My Billy Pate story. I ran into Billy at a resort on the East Cape of Baja where Lois was attending the International Women's Fly Fishing Conference. Billy was sitting at the bar alone when I walked up and introduced myself. During the conversation, I mentioned that I wasn't sure how well I was maintaining my Billy Pate reel and had some difficulty in dis-assembling it. He said, "Go get your reel and I'll get my tools and we will do a check right here on the bar." I'll never forget that gesture and our conversation. He was so generous of his time. I will never forget this moment.

Walt

[jbird]

Boy thereve been a lot of legends passing as of late. Thanks for posting this Bill. Im sure he's discovering all the new species to chase along the "Crystal Shore"