|
Is he genuine or a jackass?
Depending on whom you
ask, either, both, or some more colorful phraseology may be elicited from
the mouths of anglers when the name of Long Island, New York, native Tred
Barta is brought up in cockpit conversation. A well-known figure in the
world of sportfishing, he’s the kind of guy who stirs the pot because
he speaks his mind. For example: “I don’t like circle hooks.”
“The IGFA has its own agenda.” “Fly fishing is just
another way to present a bait. This thing about fly fishermen being holier
than everyone else is a bunch of horsepucky.” It’s this kind
of frankness that has landed this angler, author (he has a long-running
column in Sport Fishing magazine), and adventurer his own TV show, The
Best and Worst of Tred Barta, airing on the Outdoor Life Network
(www.olntv.com). And just like his
column, this recently launched show is drawing attention and attracting
viewers who want to learn about angling and some who wonder what he’ll
say or do next.
For instance, a recent
episode which displayed Barta repeatedly beating a tuna into submission
had hardcore anglers cheering and PETA members jeering. “I got,
like, 2,000 letters on that show,” Barta says—and those were
in support of his tuna-taming techniques. There were the critical letters,
too, but Barta claims they were significantly fewer in number. “I
hit [the tuna] the first time to subdue him, and the next five were to
conquer and kill him,” Barta says assertively, adding, “I’ve
always said, be careful to analyze who’s criticizing you—90
percent of it is jealousy or incompetence.”
Barta has the right
to brag a bit. This is a man who started traveling offshore in a 19-foot
Mako, wore a wetsuit in case he hit the drink, and slept on deck, just
to chase big game. And back in the 1980’s, when few people would
venture to the deep waters of the Northeast canyons, Barta and his crew
would take his wooden 47-foot Ridgeway, Makaira (all his rides
bear this moniker), loaded with extra barrels of fuel and explore a tuna
fishery that was virtually untouched at the time. He single-handedly launched
the recreational bigeye tuna fishery in Long Island—the first time
Barta brought a bigeye to the docks in Shinnecock, no one knew what it
was—and also learned why the fish were here and began to perfect
techniques for catching them.
Next
page > Part
2: But even Barta admits
that he regrets all the fish carcasses in his wake. > Page 1, 2
|