A Los Angeles film company came to Boca Grande two weeks ago to film Mark Futch as he piloted and fished from his seaplane for a documentary for the Seaplane Pilot Association and Water Fly Magazine.

During the seven-day shoot, there was an "unexpected consequence," said Futch. "We got some great footage of the snagging and jigging of tarpon in the pass during the 'Professional Tarpon Tournament Series' that should prove once and for all, how damaging this kind of tarpon fishing is to the fishery," said Futch.

Filmaker Steve McCaughey, a native of Fort Lauderdale who has worked with Florida photographer Clyde Butcher, said in a phone interview that his cameraman, Gavin Brennan, known for his work for the Discovery Channel and Public Television, shot high definition footage just feet away from the back of the weigh boat.

"We filmed tarpon hooked around the eye; and every tarpon, by the time it was brought in to be weighed, had no life in it. I doubt that any survived," said McCaughey, whose company Strange Bird (for its seaplane film work) is developing a second company, Fragile Orb, to do documentary work on  environmental issues. McCaughey said after the footage is edited a copy would be sent to the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association as well as interested media outlets.

BGFGA president, Cappy Joiner is definitely interested in seeing the film. "We have been fighting this kind of fishing for years," said Joiner, "The difference in the way a jigger fishes, is that the jigger will play the fish for 30 minutes or more. We learned you can't play the fish that long. We play the fish no more than 10 minutes so it can survive. We know damn well that they're snagging most of them with those jigs and then wearing them out by the time they get them to the boat."

In April new laws through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulating tarpon fishing went into effect. Those laws included the prohibition of breakaway gear to harvest

any fish in the Pass during April, May, and June. Breakaway gear is defined as "any bob, float, weight, lure or spoon that is affixed to a fishing line or hook with wire, line, rubber bands, plastic ties or other fas-

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This is it. On Wednesday about a dozen boats will take to the Pass for the first day of tarpon fishing in

the Chamber's "World’s Richest" Tarpon Tournament.

The second venue for the tourney, offshore fishing, will have six teams participating 

with more teams for both venues expected to sign up at the last minute, said Craig Lutz, executive director of the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Continued On Page 5

Boca Banner was on the scene: 
Photos by Jim Tucker

Armin Trojer, 19 of Baden, Austria, is attended by Thelma, a nurse from Arcadia, Florida who happened to be on the scene, Friday when Trojer was bitten by a shark in the Gulf off Gasparilla State Park near Amory Chapel. The nurse was applying pressure to the ankle wound before paramedics arrived on the scene within minutes. The nurse did not want to release her last name. 

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