Texas Taste Test

WHILE IT’S TRUE THAT SOME PEOPLE DREAD visits from out-of-town family, every winter my wife and I look forward to hosting my sister and her husband for a long weekend in South Florida. To be honest, I don’t care for the fancy restaurants and $20 cocktails that end up in our plans when we all get together, but my annual fishing trips with Ron are always enjoyable.

- Martin Simmons

Ron and Liz live out in the boonies of northern Texas, and while Liz and I grew up here, the bright lights of South Florida were always a bit of a culture shock to Ron. Furthermore, the only saltwater fishing he had ever done was during past visits, when every year we would book a local charter and target mahi mahi offshore. He had certainly never done any tarpon fishing and I worried that his lack of experience would be tough to overcome, especially since we were targeting the elusive silver king that often evades capture even from professional anglers.