Coach Robb:

The pirates started out after the first Florida Fish-in. There was a small group of us that really worked over the saltwater board and I guess we got called a few names and the pirates have stuck... Somehow at the last fish-in I was given a pirate dew rag I think what they call it, because Saltydancindave has deemed me the original pirate. I hosted the first fish-in in Florida.

To be a Florida pirate you must attend the secret meetings we have. You must be able to train rookies and must be able to out run the rookie. I have had to stop training rookies but Stev trained one a few months back... Search the archives and you will find a lot about this group.

We accept any one into the group that is welling to serve out his term. If you look back you will see that D. Micus was going to be hung from the Skyway Bridge so he could catch a tarpon and a shark under the skyway.
newbies have to provide the rum for the pirates. WE now have a ship that needs to be filled before the fish-in. (shown in the archives some place)
When we have these secret meetings we plan our get togethers and we do not fish. We also have been known to tell a tale or two and to pull the legs of some of the users on this web page. Ohiotuber is a pirate in great standing. I think about now about 1/3 of the board has become pirates. Heck we even have pirates in 6 countries most of them lurk more than they post. But they have contacted us in private...

So to shorten this a little come to next years fish-in and you will become a pirate in good standing. You will be honored with being the point fly fisher for the duration of your stay. You are only allowed to be the point fly fisher for one stay, after that you will want to be back with the rest of the non shark bait fly fishers. We fish in water that holds some of the largest sharks in the world. We have a pet 35 foot whale shark that swims by every once in awhile. Been here 35 years or so and never seen him, seen videos of him /could be a her. but never have I laid eyes on him.
I have seen the 17 foot sharks that swim in our waters. And I have seen 600 lb fish caught under the skyway. So when you come prepare for a big fish but expect nothing.

For some reason the equipment you bring from up north does not call the fish like the equipment we use. I truly think that is why the Dude won the "reel"

So consider yourself a pirate in training, declare it on the salty page and you will get all the training you can handle.

If you ever get down here you must and I mean you must see Saltydancindave's fly boxes. They barely fit in his truck now.

He has a new truck and I think it holds about enough flies to pay for the truck.

Hope this helped a little.

Harold

IN response to the untrained people making fun of the pirates drinking rum. A response team has been dispatched and they are not I repeate not carrying swords. We took the cannons off the ship and they are in the back of the pickups. You will have 2 choices and only two.... The first choice is to fill the rum tanker, and the second is to become a pirate. If you decide you do not like the two choices then powder will be burnt.

See you did not upset us much.

Harold

[This message has been edited by Harold Hattaway (edited 22 March 2006).]