Legends of the Salt

Is it really possible to come up with the consummate list of the greatest fishermen of all time? Probably not, but these legendary anglers all met our most important criterion: They have helped all of us become better fishermen. It's their achievements and unselfish contributions that have universally enriched the world of salt water fishing. The brief profiles of these late fishermen do not do justice to their accomplishments, but we've tried to shed some light on their careers. Whittling the list down to this selection was no simple task, and some readers will disagree, but here are our picks for the most influential salt water fishermen of all time.

Ted Williams (1918 - 2002)
Theodore s. Williams, one of the greatest hitters in baseball, was also one of the best salt water fishermen in the history of angling. A fighter pilot during World War II and Korea, Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. He pursued his passion for fishing with same intensity with which he played baseball. A master of fly tying and casting, he studied the habits of fish. As in baseball, he wanted to be the best.

When Williams retired, he devoted much of his spare time to fishing. In the fall, he targeted Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. But it was the Florida Keys that really intrigued him. With his fishing buddies Jimmie Albright and George Hommel, Williams caught almost every species, though his favorite targets were tarpon and bonefish. This is evident in his book, Fishing the Big Three: Tarpon, Bonefish, Atlantic Salmon. Over his lifetime Williams caught thousands of fish and let the vast majority go. "Releasing a great fish,"¿ he said, "is about the greatest thrill I get from fishing."¿