Bill Curtis Passes

Long-time south Florida fishing guide and pioneer of saltwater fly fishing Bill Curtis passed last night, according to friends.  Curtis was considered a legend by many of his peers and clients.  He was most likely the inventor of the poling platform, and the had broad influence over flats skiff design, flats fishing techniques, and flies and tackle.  “He was many things to many people,” Chico Fernandez told us this morning.

According to photographer Pat Ford, “Bill was 91 and died peacefully with his daughter in Crystal River of congestive heart failure on October 24th. He worked at Bass Pro Shop till June when his age made it difficult for him to drive.”

Read more about Bill in a profile excerpted from Tideline by Andrew Steketee and Kirk  Deeter on MidCurrent.