Episode 40: Capt. Rob Fordyce - Voodoo Daddy

Over the course of the 17 years that I fished tarpon tournaments in
the Florida Keys the man to beat was always Rob Fordyce and who
ever was on his bow... Tarpon tournament fly fishing is a team
event with an angler and guide. The teams with a strong guide and a
strong angler were always tough, but some guides have the ability
to just find more fish than other guides and inspire, teach, and
calm an angler to be better than he is. Rob Fordyce is that Guide.
I always feared great guides more that great anglers and we all
knew Fordyce was going to be there at the buzzer. And he was! If
you look deeper into his DNA you’ll understand his genius. First,
this man is an athlete. He played baseball and was drafted by the
Mariners before an injury forced him onto the water full time. His
mentors were hall of famers Al Pflueger Jr. and Flip Pallot. Self
guided, he won The Met Master Angler award when he was just 17. The
youngest ever. Over the last four decades he has finished in the
top three 58 times in tarpon tournaments. That number was 57 when
we interviewed Rob, but he recently won the prestigious Don Hawley
tournament for the seventh time. His preeminent success has found
him as the most decorated tarpon guide to ever poll a skiff. He
also hosts the popular television show "The Seahunter." When he’s
not on the water, he’s in the woods somewhere hunting or in the gym
benching 400lbs. The man is an animal.... Personally, I can relate
very closely to all this, and we’ve been close because of it. We
spoke of one day fishing an event together for years and it finally
happened in 2015. I am honored to say that my last tournament
victory was with Rob by my side calling the shots...