Episode 68: Capt. Eddie Wightman - The "Loner"

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Wilderness, Sports, Leisure, Education, Hobbies

5 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2022

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eddie Wightman will go down in history as one of the legendary guides of Islamorada, Florida! Pushing his boat for his clients over 300 days a year, he was known as one of the hardest working guides and was an independent man who prided himself on finding his own fish in different locations. When the fleet of boats went one way, Wightman went the other. So much so that Flip Pallot named him “The Loner!” Wightman took great pride in that name because that’s who Wightman is. His reputation preceded him and many wanted his talents to guide them. Eddie fished with a lot of great anglers, those who chased world records and big tournaments. He saw the halcyon years of the best tarpon hole in the world, Homosassa, and won the biggest tarpon tournament, the Gold Cup, twice. His voice was heard loud and clear when the push for no kill tournaments was waged. Conservation prevailed, and in 1992 the Gold Cup evolved into a catch and release event. There were others too, pushing for the change, but Eddie was there at the forefront. I fished with and against Eddie, and I must say there were few at the dock that carried a presence like him. With great respect, we hope you enjoy Mr. Wightman!

Transcript

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0:00.0	During the early 60s, Eddie Whiteman was one of the few guides seen running across the flats of Island Marotta, Florida. For 51 years he was one of the best
0:15.4	bonefish and tarping guides of his generation, ultimately winning two of the sports biggest
0:20.8	tournaments, one including the Gold Cup in 1975 with Carl Navaray.
0:27.0	On today's podcast he speaks about fishing progression, hurricanes, and why he was known as the Loner.
0:34.0	We hope you enjoy.
0:39.0	We broke everything.
0:42.0	We broke lines, we broke everything we broke lines we broke cooks we broke rods we broke our minds we broke
0:49.7	marriages we broke the whole thing.
0:54.6	We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and whoever had the biggest
0:59.0	pair of pain he's went to pot.
1:01.3	I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other way and I shot him going
1:04.6	through the other way. So I double-lunged him both ways. But it was nothing for us to
1:09.2	paddle an air mattress out into government cut. I got him on.
1:14.0	All right now, we're going to teach him a lesson.
1:17.0	I'm just an old guy that likes to fish.
1:20.0	I'm not quitting yet.
1:21.0	And he said, well, who the hell do you think you are, Sue App?
1:25.0	And I said, that's exactly who I am.
1:28.0	Life's journey to the grave should not be one arriving with a pretty well preserved body but rather skid in
1:35.2	broadside in a cloud of smoke thoroughly torn out thoroughly used up proclaiming
1:41.4	wildly wow What a ride!
1:45.0	There's something fishy going on here. Eddie, thank you for coming on to the podcast. You know, everybody knows your name and the keys you fish tournaments forever and as they made
	...

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