"The Average Angler
It was mild that day in early spring of 2002, and cameraman Wes had just rolled us down the ol’ dirt road to the edge of Mullet Key Bayou. My watch showed 7am, which normally is a time that I would be in deep slumber, comfy under my goose down comforter. I’m a lazy angler when it comes to rising early for that sunrise bite, but I was here for an important appointment. The AA fishing crew was in the midst of producing a celebrity episode and today I was fishing alongside a legend, Captain Mel Berman. We would be doing a type of fishing that Mel had loved ever since his angling days with his best buddy Merrill Chandler. In the old days, Mel and Merrill would drag a canoe to a calm body of water with lush grass flats and slowly drift it, tossing artificial lures while engaging in topics of the day.
My topic on this trip was Mel himself and his rich history in broadcasting, including interviews with numerous
dignitaries from a broad range of areas. He was really proud of his brief encounter with Eleanor Roosevelt at a press conference in which he asked, “Mrs. Roosevelt, what will become of us?! This of course was a time when world tensions were at a peak during the Cold War era. That day in 2002 however, was far removed from political intrigue or pressing global events and it was my turn to be the interviewer.
As we drifted across the flats in a canoe and yak, I asked Mel how his fishing radio show got started. Mel had been a productive offshore captain quite a while before settling in behind a microphone and he felt it was a natural move to combine his previous career in broadcasting with his love of fishing. He also liked the idea of just good ol’ fashioned conversation and teaching a newbie the art of angling. I sat in with him a number of times as his guest on the radio show
and co-hosting his Fishing Conversations. I loved his “get together conversations” with fans because it was like a group of friends coming together to just talk fishing. No frills, no fancy technique or jargon, just the facts plain and simple. He was “Old fashioned” in the best sense of the word.
As I write this, in 2010, Mel has been gone for over a week now and I find myself lingering on that day in 2002. We didn’t catch many fish on the trip, but we did solidify a relationship during those drifts that had lasted 8 years. He was a good ol’ friend to me and so many others through the familiarity of his voice and the integrity of his character. He stood up for things like “no more shark trophy kills” and didn’t back down. I admired that immensely. In a way, he was almost a father figure to me, supporting the show and my quirky endeavor from the very beginning, never belittling my efforts. Behind the microphone, his greatest magic was the ability to set you at ease and so that no question was too silly to ask. A
I wish I could go back once more to that mild spring day in 2002, to drift the flats once more with Mel. I would tell him how much I cherished his friendship and how much I loved the ol’ guy. I know he’d look at me for a brief spell then say….”Did you hear the one about the so and so…”then he’d be off on one of the many jokes he liked to tell. Mel’s best talent of all was the way he combined laughter with fishing. What could be better than that?
Goodbye dear Mel, you were the rock we all could count upon every Saturday morning and you are still the foundation of this fishing community.
Article layout by BP Designs
It was mild that day in early spring of 2002, and cameraman Wes had just rolled us down the ol’ dirt road to the edge of Mullet Key Bayou. My watch showed 7am, which normally is a time that I would be in deep slumber, comfy under my goose down comforter. I’m a lazy angler when it comes to rising early for that sunrise bite, but I was here for an important appointment. The AA fishing crew was in the midst of producing a celebrity episode and today I was fishing alongside a legend, Captain Mel Berman. We would be doing a type of fishing that Mel had loved ever since his angling days with his best buddy Merrill Chandler. In the old days, Mel and Merrill would drag a canoe to a calm body of water with lush grass flats and slowly drift it, tossing artificial lures while engaging in topics of the day. My topic on this trip was Mel himself and his rich history in broadcasting, including interviews with numerous
dignitaries from a broad range of areas. He was really proud of his brief encounter with Eleanor Roosevelt at a press conference in which he asked, “Mrs. Roosevelt, what will become of us?! This of course was a time when world tensions were at a peak during the Cold War era. That day in 2002 however, was far removed from political intrigue or pressing global events and it was my turn to be the interviewer. As we drifted across the flats in a canoe and yak, I asked Mel how his fishing radio show got started. Mel had been a productive offshore captain quite a while before settling in behind a microphone and he felt it was a natural move to combine his previous career in broadcasting with his love of fishing. He also liked the idea of just good ol’ fashioned conversation and teaching a newbie the art of angling. I sat in with him a number of times as his guest on the radio show
and co-hosting his Fishing Conversations. I loved his “get together conversations” with fans because it was like a group of friends coming together to just talk fishing. No frills, no fancy technique or jargon, just the facts plain and simple. He was “Old fashioned” in the best sense of the word. As I write this, in 2010, Mel has been gone for over a week now and I find myself lingering on that day in 2002. We didn’t catch many fish on the trip, but we did solidify a relationship during those drifts that had lasted 8 years. He was a good ol’ friend to me and so many others through the familiarity of his voice and the integrity of his character. He stood up for things like “no more shark trophy kills” and didn’t back down. I admired that immensely. In a way, he was almost a father figure to me, supporting the show and my quirky endeavor from the very beginning, never belittling my efforts. Behind the microphone, his greatest magic was the ability to set you at ease and so that no question was too silly to ask. A
I wish I could go back once more to that mild spring day in 2002, to drift the flats once more with Mel. I would tell him how much I cherished his friendship and how much I loved the ol’ guy. I know he’d look at me for a brief spell then say….”Did you hear the one about the so and so…”then he’d be off on one of the many jokes he liked to tell. Mel’s best talent of all was the way he combined laughter with fishing. What could be better than that?
Goodbye dear Mel, you were the rock we all could count upon every Saturday morning and you are still the foundation of this fishing community.
Article layout by BP Designs
