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History
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It all began the summer of 1945, ( the same summer that my parents moved to south Florida) when my grandfather took me to a muddy bank of a small creek in northern Kentucky. He would tell the story of how he managed to hook an already caught carp onto my line and slip it back into the muddy water without me noticing. When the bobber went under, the battle began. After what must have seemed to me an eternity, the huge fish was slid up on the muddy bank and with an exuberant yell I exclaimed, "!@%$!#, WHAT A FISH!". Little did my grandfather know at that time, it wasn't a carp that was hooked, but me. Since that time I have learned to control my expletives but not my enthusiasm for fishing.
During the '40s and '50s my father and I fished lakes, canal banks, beaches, bridges, and finally when we built our own boat, the ocean. Back then all you had to do to catch fish was find some water. It was during this time while fishing from the old seven mile bridge that I caught a 15 1/2# Mutton snapper on 8# test line and by chance entered it in a never before heard of, Metropolitan South Florida Fishing Tournament. Hooked again! In the early 1960s, Mel Shipero (owner and proprietor of the "Tackle Box" where we all hung out) suggested that some of us fishing nuts get together and form a fishing club for the purpose of exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, etc. After posting a message of that intent on Mel's wall, some 30 or so people showed up at a little restaurant on Southwest 8th Street and decided that would be a great idea. That was the beginning of the "Miami Sportfishing Club". As the membership grew so did the knowledge and skills of its members. The names of which now read like a who's who in the fishing industry today, Flip Pallot, the late John Emery, Nat Ragland and others. It was during this time that I got my taste for competitive fishing. I won many club titles, divisional championships, and overall championships.
It was in 1967 that the Metropolitan South Florida Fishing Tournament (affectionately known as the Met) caught my attention and I made a five month commitment to fish for the highly coveted "Master Angler" award. This tournament is the oldest and largest fishing tournament in the world and annually draws from 30 to 50 thousand entries. During the five month long tournament I was able to compile a list of entries (including two world records) that the judges deemed superior, and I was awarded the prestigious "Master Angler" trophy. Though I had won several smaller tournament awards, this was my first real tournament win. The same year while fishing with the late John Emery, I was able to capture a 69# cobia on 10# tippet fly tackle. This was the largest cobia entered in any tackle division in south Florida at that time, and still stands as the 12# tippet I.G.F.A. world record as of the date of this writing.
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Two years later, in 1969, I competed in the Met again and won the "Master Angler" once more, thereby becoming the first person in the history of the tournament to win this award twice. My most outstanding catch that year was a 319# jewfish caught on 15# baitcasting tackle. This catch was made in the Flamingo area and under the scrutiny of 21 different witnesses.
Another two years passed and in 1971 while practicing as a structural engineer in Miami, I decided to get my captains license and try some part time guiding. Shortly thereafter the energy crunch of 1973 knocked the bottom out of the construction industry and with no work I decided, if I am to be broke, I might as well be broke in the fishing industry. I moved to Key West and began to commercial fish and charter when I could. In those days there were only two light tackle boats working in Key West and as publicity got out as to the tremendous catches being made down here, my business prospered, and the number of guides began to grow. The list of Met registered guides now exceeds 400, many of which are considered the best in the world.
In 1975 I won the "Outstanding Guide" in the Met and continued to win this award for the next 20 consecutive years. In that same time frame I also won the "Triple Crown" of guiding in the Met, i.e., "The most winners", "The most citations", and "The most releases" in the same year. To date, no other person has accomplished this task. In more than twenty five years that I have guided in the Met, I have led my clients to more than 500 trophy wins. I have also guided my anglers to most of the "Master Angler" wins during those years. One of the most challenging endeavors of those times was fishing a husband and wife team for the men's and women's "Master Angler" at the same time. At the end of the tournament, Mr. and Mrs. James Eckhart became the first husband and wife to ever become "Men's Master Angler and "Women's Master Angler" in the same year. This has never before or since been accomplished in the 63 year history of the Met.
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Throughout the years it has been my privilege to fish some of the best fishermen and fisherwomen in the world, and with Key West providing the best all around fishing in the world, it was an easy transition into fishing for world records. In February of 1994, Chris Martin caught an African Pompano that became a world record for him and allowed me to be the first guide in history to guide clients to 100 I.G.F.A. world records. In recent years, I.G.F.A. has opened several light tackle line classes and several new categories as well as numerous new species of fish. Catching a world record fish has become somewhat easier than in years past. One stands an excellent chance of hooking a world record on most any given day. Notice I said "hooking"; landing is another subject.
Though world records certainly are an exciting aspect of guiding, many spectacular catches are never listed in I.G.F.A. record books. While guiding the late Pete Peacock (a great fisherman and a true gentleman), we were able to compile a list of great catches, such as a 486# Bull Shark on 6# test line. This was the largest ratio of fish weight to line strength in the world. An astounding 81 to 1 catch. Mr. Peacock also has caught the three largest fish ever taken on flyrod: a 365# Bullshark, a 376# Bullshark and a 386# Bullshark, the largest of which still stands as a Met record today. He also has the Met record Warsaw grouper, 162# on 20# test line. This fish was lost the previous day by another angler on a wreck in 260 feet of water. When caught, the previously lost terminal rig was removed and given back to the losing angler. You can still find his name throughout the record books.
In 1986, I began trailing my boat to the famous Cape Cod bluefin tuna grounds where we began to employ some of the techniques that we use in south Florida. I felt that "Standup Tackle" gave me a better feel of the fight and that touch helped me lose fewer fish. With time we altered the equipment and came up with the ultra short rod butt, which shifted the leverage and enabled us to consistently take fish of such large proportions. The average weight of the fish for the first eight years was 764#, including two over 1000#, the largest of which was 1154#. This is the largest fish ever landed on "standup" tackle.
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Throughout the years I have been able to share with the public some of the great fishing that we have in the Key West area as well as throughout Florida. Television, videos, magazines and now the computer are all vehicles that have made this possible. One time while on an outing with an editor for "Outdoor Life" magazine, I captured a Broadbill swordfish on the flats of Florida Bay. On another outing with "The Discovery Channel" TV crew, one of the divers had the lens of a $100,000 underwater camera housing bit off by a shark while filming a shark fishing episode. I have also been fortunate to have had a film crew on board during the winning of several major fishing tournaments, such as "The Women's World Invitational Tarpon Fly Tournament", twice in "The Texaco Keys Classic" the latter of which was won both times with Susan Gros, the only woman to have ever won this event. Rick Murphy (of "Sportsman's Adventures" fame) and I have made numerous informative and exciting videos on fishing Key West and the Dry Tortugas for his TV show. In one segment Rick was able to capture an I.G.F.A. world record barracuda on fly. On another, he just missed the world record kingfish by ounces. On a two day filming of tarpon fishing with Stu Apte, we were able to capture three I.G.F.A. World record class tarpon on 12# tippet fly. The largest was 164#, which stood for many years.
Over the years I have worked with many tackle, boat, and motor manufacturers, where with my technical background in engineering and my practical experience in fishing, we have been able to develop many of the improvements that are a part of the fishing industry today. I will only promote products that I feel are in the best interests of the public and I will not compromise the quality of the fishing of my clients for the promotion of any product. At the present time I can say with all confidence that I am using the finest equipment in the world (see "Capt. Ralph Delph" home page and visit these sites).
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to this site and will return often.
Thank you.
Captain Ralph Delph