Episode 142: Dean Butler - One Of The Best To Ever Do It

I’m not exactly sure when I first met Dean Butler, but I remember
the moment well—he carried an unmistakable aura of quiet assurance.
Being an Aussie with that indelible accent only added to the
intrigue. Dean had the weathered look only the high seas can carve
into a fisherman’s face, hair, and attire. And that smile—like
someone who’d just robbed a bank and knew he was going to get away
with it. Long before I met him, Dean's reputation was already
etched into the billfish world. Years ago, I became a disciple of
Tom Evans and his tarpon game, and I’d heard about the two of
them—catching all the world-record marlin you see in The Book.
Dean’s done a lot in his fishing life. Sure, he’s caught his own
marlin records. But I can’t help thinking one of his finest moments
was gaffing Enrico Compozzi’s 735-pound marlin on 6-pound
test—truly one for the ages. Or maybe it was that 600-pounder he
gaffed for Evans, the one that broke the gaffs clean in half.
That’s who Dean Butler is—a fisherman through and through. As Lefty
once said, “Dean Butler is the best all-around fisherman in the
world.” In 2015, Tom was inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame. Dean
followed in 2023. No doubt about it: Dean Butler and Tom Evans were
the greatest marlin fly-fishing team ever assembled. On today’s
podcast, we travel to Homosassa, Florida, to finally catch up with
Dean—and hear the remarkable story of one of fishing’s true
legends.