Posted on July 13 2009
David Mehegan’s piece in the Boston Globe reminded me this morning of a story told to me by Steve Huff. He was guiding two long-time friends in the Everglades backcountry, and while landing a tarpon, one of the anglers dropped dead of a heart attack. After performing CPR on his friend, the angler turned to Steve and said: “Should we keep on fishing?” More than a few of us (myself included) wouldn’t mind going out this way, and even having a buddy on board who wouldn’t let our passing end a good day of fishing.
Mehegan tells the story of Rev. Francis Browne, who went to his Lord after considering a fly change in Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon: “‘He was out fishing Thursday morning, his day off, and having already caught a couple near Mosquito Lagoon, asked Paul Arnold to hand him another fly, and a second later he keeled over, dead before he hit the bottom of the boat. Bingo. Over and out. Exeunt!‘”