Bass and Tarpon Linked in Fly Fishing History

It’s easy to forget the role fly fishing for bass played in the development of fly fishing in the U.S. Dr. James Henshall, considered the “Dean of American Bass Fishing” in the 1870s, was also the first to claim catching a tarpon on a fly rod, using a Vom Hoffe reel, a cane rod, and an Atlantic Salmon fly.
This article by Eric Sharpe recounts both Henshall’s and Edson Leonard’s role in shaping the sport of fly fishing for bass and discusses opportunity for warm-water fly fishers in Michigan . (Thanks to readers Sid Wales for reminding me of the Henshall-tarpon connection.)