References

Geoff,
We were talking about you in late August – Dick Myrick, Sam Brooks, Warren Hamilton, Alan Bullock and I spent a week in Wyoming with Blane Woodfin at his ranch near Pinedale. On more the one occasion the topic of  “past great trips” became our debate for the evening over cigars and single barrel bourbon!  We could all agree that certainly one of the best trips from the past was our last outing with you and the team in the Everglades!  We have vowed that a return trip to Glades will be on the calendar next year – lets start talking about a premium time to return there and I can promise you at least 6 anglers for 4 days.

I am sorry to hear that the Fishabout venture has come to the end – as noted above, we had some great times with the group on that crazy vessel.  But always know this – what made those trips great…were the people that you assembled to conduct them – the Fishabout was comfortable but we came to the Everglades to fish with you Geoff!  I will be looking for James Hall’s book when it comes out next year – sounds like it will make a great addition to the Heagy “fishing library.”

I am headed back out to Wyoming with Lucy next week for another crack at the fat rainbows in the South Fork of the Snake (a two day overnight float) and a driven pheasant shoot on Blane’s newest sporting venture in Idaho – the Lazy Triple Creek Ranch – check out their website.

Geoff,
Fantastic day of fishing, very efficient too, + 30 snook and redfish all on one 1/4 oz jig!

If you haven't spent a day fishing the Glades with Geoff would strongly recommend that you do so.  There are very few places left where you can have great fishing in beautiful surroundings with no other boats around.  Many thanks for a memorable "trip".
Dr. Rich Kishner

Lighthouse Point, FL

Geoff,

Just got back, I’ll get organized and send you the pictures shortly. In their raw state they’re a little “general”, but there are plenty of pixels, so once you do some cropping and zooming they’re good.

I definitely think we did well; we caught plenty of respectable fish and the bigger one that gets away just leaves you keen to come back and try some more. I must tell you that I went to sleep yesterday thinking of that last long back cast at that last big fish you spotted out in the open on our way out; that would have been such a finish if that had all come together…

I’ll be back and I’ll let my brother know about it all – he often has clients passing through Florida; thanks again for everything.

Alex McLoud

London, UK

Geoff,
We are both still talking about it Geoff. We had a great time and are already trying to plan the next trip. Thank you so much for your patience and skill - we obviously required much of both - but we both are motivated to work on this hobby. Skip Bradeen and Wayne did a great job, and we had tuna for dinner that night!

Thanks again - I'll be in touch
Dr. Bud Woodall
Birmingham, AL

Geoff,
As always, great to tarpon fish with you, and we won again this time. Let me know if there are any open dates on your book between now and late July, I'll write them on my calendar, and if things look good, call you a few days in advance for a late booking. Also, check the tides going into the new moon next April and June, and let's get something down.

Best,
Carlton Neel
New York, NY

Geoff,
I spent about 2 hours yesterday (after the Christmas extravaganza) fooling around with satellite imagery. It was really fun. I used the park map to try to locate the chickees; found some, not others.

As an fisherman you may find this hard to believe but I actually enjoyed the exploration aspect of our trip to the everglades as much fun as the fishing. It seems as though one could spend a lifetime exploring the backcountry.

Rest assured that your spots are still safe as I could not figure out where we went after getting into Hells Bay.

I told Tommy Harris about the trip and he's psyched to give the 'glades a try.

Regards,

Doug Brown
Chicago, Illinois

Geoff,
Wanted to thank you again for a very nice weekend of fishing. That Everglades stuff is starting to grow on me. Thanks also to Liza-Leigh for the use of her bed and bathroom. And last but not least, Liza the master chef. Great dinner, needless to say.

Have a great Halloween with the kids and a great week.

Talk to you later,

Dr. Charles Rosen
Miami, FL

Dear Geoff,
Just a note to let you know how very much Mary and I enjoyed our two days of fishing with you. I am hooked on tarpon fishing! I knew that I would like it; I love to spend time on the water, and I have always enjoyed fishing. But I had no idea that fly casting was so addictive!

You are a very fine teacher. You gave clear instruction; your metaphors were apt; and you kept up a cheerful and instructive chatter that kept me from becoming discouraged. Your demos were precise and to the point; you even remembered to tell me what to look for. Many is the time that I have I tried to show someone how to do something and forgotten to tell him what I was demo-ing...

Finally, you are a gentleman. It was so pleasant to spend time with someone with intelligence, experience, humor, and manners. You made it a great two days on the water.

I’m sorry that Mary didn't really feel like working on her fishing, but maybe next time. She had a great time, and she joins me in thanking you for such a fine experience. Next time, she says, she’ll bring a pillow. (She really was a good sport, wasn’t she?)

Let me know your thoughts about how you might wish to present a fly fishing class to students in my school. A one day visit? On a Saturday? On a weekday, after school (we are out at 3:20 each afternoon)? What would we do about gear? Should we offer a parent/child class? I’d love to get your ideas before passing on the main idea to the Head of School.

Our best to all of you, human and animal... You gave us a great vacation! Thanks...

Cheers!

Bill Stanard

Geoff,

Thanks for mail and thanks for linking our web-page to yours. The trip back home was fine, though I feel the days went by too fast. We had a fantastic week and will definitely be back next year. So I would appreciate if you recommend some dates for next year. We wish to fish for 7 days. Have shown a lot of customers in the shop the picture of my tarpon which you helped me catch, on your web page. The summer heat has arrived in Norway at last, and it is about 77 degrees farh. So we are waiting for the sea bass to appear any moment now. Hope you and your family are fine. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Greetings from,
Runar "Rudy" Kabbe ;-)
Runar Kabbe Nordisk Fiskeutstyr

Hi Geoff,
Thanks for a another wonderful trip. I had a great time and the memories of the tarpon will live with me forever. I really appreciated being invited into your home. I know that you had the flu for most of my trip and went that extra mile for me. My one regret is that I didn't offer the rod to you when there were all those fish about as you don't get to fish yourself very often. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anglers heading for Florida. Please send me any photos you have of the big tarpon, the guys at work think I'm tied to a rock!

Thanks again,
James Seymour
Technical Officer, Fisheries, UK

Geoff,
Oh I will be back! I hope to get down there next summer. I'll always remember the the great trips with you. I'm up here in Jacksonville now catching cold water Reds out of my Kayak. The issue I have is that it's to damn cold. Happy Holidays! I'll be in touch.
Rich Santos
Jacksonville, FL

Hi Geoff,

Thanks very much for the kind words. I had a great time and learnt a huge amount about fishing the flats and the Everglades. You mentioned that the snook fishing in February is excellent; just confirm that for me and you will probably see me then. I got back to England and found the temperatures to only be in the 40s, quite a shock! Please pass on my thanks to Andy; I greatly enjoyed both your company and look forward to hearing from you about the Snook.

Kind regards,
James Seymour
Technical Officer, Fisheries, UK