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Mill House Podcast

Episode 36: Capt. Craig Brewer - The Mud Man

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Wilderness, Sports, Leisure, Education, Hobbies

5973 Ratings

🗓️ 18 June 2021

⏱️ 77 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1964, in the small Florida Keys fishing village of Islamorada, a tournament was born, The Gold Cup, which would become the most prestigious fly rod Tarpon tournament in the world. All the great fly guides and anglers made it the most prized possession they could attain in their fishing. Over the next 57 years the names on the perpetual trophy were the famed celebrities of the sport. Ted Williams, Billy Pate, Steve Huff, Jimmy Albright, Harry Speer, Glen Flute.... and the late Jim Brewer. The efforts made to win were exceptional. The creativity changed and evolved the sport quickly. Fly designs, hooks, Lines, boats, push poles, everything was looked at as how to better their game to win the Gold Cup. I mentioned Captain Jim Brewer, after his win 1974 his passion to win was life changing. The following year he and good friend Bill Hagley went up in a small plane looking for fish they would target in the upcoming Gold Cup. Circling low and slow over a famed tarpon basin, they fell through the planes lift and crashed into the ocean and perished... Jim left behind two young boys Steve and Craig. At 14, Craig struggled as anyone would, but eventually found his way chasing his father’s legacy of becoming a Gold Cup Champion. Thirty six years later in 2010, he and angler Thane Morgan had their names etched upon the perpetual trophy. They were the first father and son to win the super bowl of saltwater fly fishing... As a guide Craig found great success along the way winning other big events, but what sets him apart from his tournament wins is his wonderful way about him! He’s effervescent, tall, loving, funny, loud, pure, truthful and caring. As a young man he was Islamorada’s son and brother and now a hero to Islamorada and everyone who knows Craig Brewer!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Just prior to the prestigious Gold Cup, Captain Jim Brewer and Bill Hegley

0:06.9

were in Bill's plane flying low over Florida Bay looking for tarpon they

0:11.5

would be chasing in the upcoming tournament.

0:14.0

Circling, banking, looking for fish, somehow something went terribly wrong.

0:20.0

The plane fell out of the sky and both were killed.

0:24.0

Growing up without a father, young 14-year-old Craig Brewer's childhood, was arduous to say the least.

0:30.0

But Brewer found his way and grew into one of the most beloved great guides in the Florida Keys.

0:37.0

In this episode, you'll understand why he's a brother to all. wall.

0:43.0

We broke everything, we broke lines, we broke cooks, we broke rods, we broke our minds, we broke our minds, we broke our minds, we broke marriages, we broke the whole thing.

0:58.8

We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and whoever had the biggest pair of

1:03.5

pain he's won the pot. I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other

1:07.5

way and I shot him going through the other way so I double-lunged him both ways.

1:11.1

But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress out into government cut.

1:17.1

I got him on all right now. We're gonna teach him a lot so. I'm just an old guy that likes to fish and I'm not quitting yet.

1:25.0

And he said, well who the hell do you think you are, Sue App?

1:29.0

And I said that's exactly who I am.

1:32.0

Life's journey to the grave should not be one arriving with a pretty well-preserved body,

1:38.0

but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly out thoroughly used up proclaiming wildly wow what a ride

1:50.8

there's something fishy going on here.

1:54.0

You know, we can back in

1:58.0

you know, we can backtrack a little bit.

2:03.0

Tell me about your fishing DNA.

...

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