© Photo by Tom Rosenbauer

Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession and the Hunt for the World-Record Tarpon

From the bestselling author of Saban, 4th and Goal, and Sowbelly comes the thrilling, untold story of the quest for the world record tarpon on a fly rod—a tale that reveals as much about Man as it does about the fish.

“This is a story of the obsessed, unhinged, and often brilliant dreamers who chase giant tarpon–a primeval fish with breathtaking glamour and ungodly strength. The thrill of hooking one on a fly rod is impossible to exaggerate, so you can believe every word of Monte Burke’s funny, wistful, wonderful book. He’s clearly as sick as the rest of us.”—Carl Hiaasen

 

“I distinctly remember the first tarpon I hooked. After about a half-dozen leaps that would leave an audience at Sea World slack-jawed, I looked up at the end of my fly rod bent against the horizon and thought: ‘Good God, I’ve got a dinosaur on a stick!’ A tarpon is one of the greatest creatures in the sea. Lords of the Fly gets to the heart of why. You will love this book.”
—Michael Keaton

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Selected Stories by Monte Burke


Six Immigrant Stories That Will Make You Believes in the American Dream Again

Immigrants are taking a beating on television, at political rallies, even on capitol hill. But on the Forbes 400, it’s a love story. We’ve never had more members–over 10%–born outside this country. That’s a healthy thing for American entrepreneurship and job growth.

» Read It on Forbes

18 Holes With Greg Norman: The Shark On Golf, Adventure And How He Became A Folk Hero In China

When I arrive at the range at the Dye Preserve, the Shark is already there, hitting high-arcing fades and draws into the flawless Florida sky. “Nice to meet you, mate,” he says with a blue-eyed grin. He wants to know how many rounds I’ve played this year.

» Read It on Forbes

Other Publications

The Everglades’ Wild Hope

The fate of the South’s last frontier teeters on the brink—after decades of losing ground to environmental devastation, the endangered Florida habitat and its legions of supporters may finally be turning the tide.

» Read It on Garden & Gun

The Pursuit of Nick Saban: Alabama vs. Texas

A behind-the-scenes look at Nick Saban’s reported interest in taking over the Texas program after winning the national title at Alabama in the 2012 season.

» Read It on The New York Times

When Salmon Return to the Margaree, It’s All Fly Rods and Autumn Glory

The river is public, and can get crowded, but anglers here on Cape Breton Island know it’s something special.

» Read It on The New York Times

Shore Albies

The rocks on this jetty were all once uniform and composed. They say that, long ago, you could drive a car on them, all the way out to the tower, where the greasy cormorants preen their feathers. This is no longer possible.

» Read It on The Drake