{"id":69860,"date":"2012-05-11T09:49:23","date_gmt":"2012-05-11T07:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lemouching.com\/old\/2012\/05\/billy-pate\/"},"modified":"2012-05-11T09:49:23","modified_gmt":"2012-05-11T07:49:23","slug":"billy-pate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lemouching.com\/en\/2012\/05\/billy-pate\/","title":{"rendered":"BILLY PATE"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>All salt water fly fishermen know Billy Pate. He gave his name to the famous anti-reverse reels made by Ted Juracsik and manufactured by\u00a0Tibor<\/a>. \u00a0<\/span>They changed everything in salt water sport fly fishing. From bonefish to marlin they became a \u201cmust have\u201d and for some, they are still considered to be the \u201cRolls Royce\u201d of reels. For more than two decades, they were about the only reels able to slow down a crazy tarpon\u00a0 or a furious marlin\u2026 Today, only a handful of\u00a0aficionados<\/em>\u00a0and pumping iron fans are still using them (they are heavy\u2026 but if you want tough gear\u2026). I have several of them, I look at them with love, they were my first \u201cserious\u201d reels\u2026 with them I caught my first permit, my first tarpon\u2026 like many fly fishermen, they are part of my own history and I will never get rid of them.\u00a0 Billy Pate was a real fly fishing junkie, running after records (check the IGFA film below). He died last year in April , some say at 80 others claim he was 81\u2026 who cares ? He was one of a kind, probably one of the most important fly fisherman of the modern era. For all of you who would like a \u00a0iece of that history, there is an\u00a0auction<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0of Billy Pate\u2019s collection. You can bid on paintings, reels (several famous \u201cMarlin\u201d reels that are discontinued\u2026), rods, stuffed record fish, flies, guns\u2026his famous hats\u2026all Billy fishing gear and other personal items \u2026it\u2019s all in the\u00a051 pages\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\n\"\"<\/a> If you can’t make it to Islamorada (like me) I’m sure you can bid on the phone or internet…
\n<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m flying off to Cuba, this week end, as a tribute to Billy Pate I’ll take my Tarpon reel. I hope he’s going to sing …loud !!!