Episode 39: Hal Chittum - Skiff Mastermind

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Wilderness, Sports, Leisure, Education, Hobbies

5 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 19 July 2021

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hal Chittum has been pushing the boundaries of greatness his entire life. Everything he’s ever engaged with he’s exerted limitless focus with an innate ability to understand the exacting process it took to succeed. I was first exposed to this when I entered his Islamorada store in the early 90’s and wanted to buy everything I saw. It was a fly fisherman’s wonderland! The door and handles of my tackle room now are a direct replica of his. His stores were incomparable. I’ve spoken to Stu Apte about Hal and the two tarpon world records they caught on six pound test on the same day. One was on conventional plug and the other was an 82 pound 8 ounce fly record that stood for decades. I didn’t meet Hal for the longest time, but everywhere I went his footprints were on the trail I walked. Homosassa, tournaments, records, and the boat I always wanted and finally bought, a Hell’s Bay, from Hal! Chittum did all those things at a very profound level, but it was his boat building that made a historical, indelible change in the game of how we chase fish. His newest vessel of Chittum Skiffs is the most sophisticated, scientifically designed boat ever built.... On today's podcast Hal uncovers his labyrinth fishing life which leads us to his latest stage of brilliance, Chittum skiffs!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hal Chidham has led a prolific life in fishing. As a guide, angler, store owner, and boat
0:08.6	builder, he pushed the boundaries of excellence. He fished with icons and gaffed their records. He
0:14.7	pulled his boat and caught fish in fabled locations that have been written about.
0:18.4	He lived the era of tarpon fishing that will never be seen again. He owned fishing stores that were groundbreaking,
0:26.0	as was his boat company, Hels Bay that he founded. Today his new boat company, Chitem Skiffs is the most sophisticated scientifically designed boats
0:36.2	on the water that is on everyone's wish list.
0:39.6	On today's podcast he talks about his life's journey on and off the water with some of the
0:44.6	greatest names in our sport. We hope you enjoy.
0:49.2	We broke everything we broke lines we broke hooks we broke rods we broke our minds we broke
0:59.8	our minds we broke marriages We broke the whole thing.
1:05.0	We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and whoever had the biggest pair of pain he's went to pot.
1:12.0	I knocked another arrow and he turned around the
1:14.4	other way and I shot him going through the other way so I doubled on them both ways.
1:19.4	But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress out into government cut.
1:22.8	I got him on.
1:25.0	All right now, we're going to teach him a lot.
1:28.0	I'm just an old guy that likes to fish.
1:31.0	I'm not quitting yet. And he said, well, who the hell do you think you are, Sue App?
1:36.0	And I said, that's exactly who I am.
1:39.0	Life's journey to the grave should not be one arriving with a pretty well preserved body,
1:45.6	but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly torn out, thoroughly
1:51.2	use up proclaiming wildly. Wow! What a ride!
	...

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