Month: June 2018

Island Summer – A few words and a few pictures by UseppaGin – It was a quiet weekend on Useppa. Just the right amount of people to make it fun, but not so many there wasn’t room for one more in the pool. Casual dining at the Collier, cool drinks on the patio, boats tied up in the Marina. It’s the lazy island summer we all love.

Izaak Walton Tournament 2018 – Photos and thoughts by UseppaGin – Kelly Liber and Amie Carfrae with Captain Travis Murphy won the 2018 Useppa Izaak Walton Tournament catching and releasing seven Tarpon. Nineteen teams caught twenty-eight fish (17 Friday and 11 Saturday). One team decided they needed a Permit to catch a Tarpon. It didn’t help. They only caught one. Carfrae and Liber are the first women to win the Tournament since Mika Beckstead in 1991. Runners Up were Kyle Scheid and Cole Calhoun with Captain Ozzie Lessinger. Net proceeds fund donations to Bonefish Tarpon Trust, Captains for Clean Water and 4Ocean.

Useppa’s 2018 Izaak Walton Tournament Day #1 – Pictures by Rusty Chinnis and UseppaGin, Thoughts by UseppaGin – For 126 years people on Useppa Island have fished for the Silver King, and the tradition continued in a two-day Izaak Walton Tournament June 1st and 2nd. On Friday afternoon, anglers and guides caught and released seventeen Tarpon. At 7:30 the fishermen and their families shared stories in the aptly named Tarpon Bar, listened to the music of Islander and fisherman Pat Leach, and enjoyed a delicious sunset dinner. In a few moments of quiet, founders of Captains for Clean Water, guides Captain Chris Wittman and Daniel Andrews, spoke about the progress they and others are making locally and in Washington educating people of all ages about the importance of restoring and protecting marine eco systems. On Useppa, all ages proudly wear Captains for Clean water hats. It’s a cause we all support.