Episode 32: Capt. Billy Knowles - The Mayor of Islamorada

Fly Fishing in the Florida Keys, especially Islamorada is rich and
packed with history. Ever since Joe Brooks put the Purple Isle on
the map for light tackle fisherman, there have been people that
have impacted and helped shape Islamorada and the flats fishing
guide community as we know it today. Billy Knowles is one of those
people. There is arguably no other person living as connected or
important to the history of flats fishing in Islamorada.  In
the mid 1800’s, Billy’s family came over from the Bahamas and
homesteaded half of Islamorada. The land was nothing but pineapple
farms and exportation of this fruit became their main source of
income. From a very early age, Billy gravitated to fishing and
began mating on an offshore boat in the summers off of North
Carolina. He fished for giant Bluefin Tunas in the northeast as
well as targeting them off of Bimini. Billy soon become a full time
back country guide in Islamorada chasing all of the inshore fish
from dark to dark.  Knowles has been credited with discovering
famous Tarpon fishing spots, helped create the Poor Boys Tarpon
Fishing Tournament, and has been a father figure for many of the
younger guides. He has won the Fall All Tackle Bonefish Tournament
5 times, the Spring All Tackle Bonefish Tournament 2 times, The Don
Hawley Tarpon Tournament, and the Poor Boys Tarpon Tournament a
staggering 11 times. It was only appropriate that in 2019 he was
inducted into the IGFA Legendary Captains and Crew Hall of
Fame.  What other living person has fished with Ernest
Hemingway, President Herbert Hoover, President George H.W. Bush,
and Ted Williams? I believe the “legend” word often gets thrown
around a little too much but Billy is a true keys legend. Thank you
for coming on Billy!