Allen L. Merritt and Franklin "Buddy" Merritt - IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame

Описание: Allen L. Merritt
1922 -
Franklin "Buddy" Merritt
1918 - 1971
2011 Inductees

Allen and Buddy Merritt's passion for offshore fishing resulted not only in legendary accomplishments and contributions to the sport, but also in remarkable boats. Their father Roy started a charter fishing business in New York after World War I, and when he took the fleet to Florida for the 1924 winter it became the first to operate seasonally between the states. Roy's sons left school to fish full-time when business began booming for the Caliban Fleet; Allen was 14 when he started running his first boat; Buddy was 18. In 1948 Roy opened Merritt's Boat and Engine Works in Pompano Beach, Florida. The facility had docks and repair services, and within five years Merritt's was building boats. By this time Buddy Merritt was making a name for himself on the fishing grounds of the Bahamas, where he was known as theserious brother, the thinker. He was determined to outsmart and outfight the giant tuna found there, and the modifications he made in tackle and boats forever changed that fishery. Buddy's knowledge was vast; his strategies, techniques and even tricks were intuitive and revolutionary. Years before the first tuna tower was built he added a seat and rope controls to a sailboat mast, knowing the elevation would help him spot, bait and maneuver the boat on the tuna. By the 1950s Buddy was working full-time in the boat yard and fishing only during tuna season, yet he had earned the respect of the other captains and guides, and that admiration grew whenhe showed up at Tuna Alley with the 34-foot Miss Belair, Merritt's first sportfisher. Buddy went on to win both the Cat Cay and Bimini Tuna Tournaments in 1963, and the Bimini event a second time in 1968. Allen Merritt was gregarious and outgoing, but when it came to fishing the brothers were closely matched, and though they were competitive they usually shared information ... eventually. When Allen was puzzled by all the wahoo Buddy was bringing in, a rare catch in the late 1940s, Buddy let on he was fishing a line way back off the bridge. The method worked for Allen, too, but the line tangled in the rigger baits, so he ran the line from a Calcutta pole, perfecting the technique and creating the center outrigger. Allen excelled at tournament fishing. He knew the tides, understood the patterns, anticipated where the tuna would be, and never panicked, and he built his reputation in the waters of Cat Cay. He first fished with Bill Carpenter at the 1951 Tuna Tournament and went on to win eight times, more than any captain in history. In the unassuming Carpenter Allen had a natural at fighting big fish on heavy tackle and linen line, and in less than 10 years the pair caught 300 giant bluefin. For almost two decades the brothers Merritt reigned at Cat Cay. And their rule continued inNewfoundland, Canada, where in the summer of 1968 Allen caught 15 giant bluefin in one day. The next summer it was Buddy's turn, and aboard the Caliban II, a 43 Merritt built especially for him by his nephew Roy, he landed 16. These remain two of the greatest days in angling history, for the catches made by the brothers may never be equaled. While Buddy and Allen were introducing new techniques, setting records and winning tournaments, Merritt's Boat and Engine Works was shaking up boat building. Though the general concept of the 34' Miss Belair was inspired by Rybovich's Miss Chevy II, Buddy is widely credited with the progressive design and style of the early Merritt boats. In 1955he introduced what he considered the perfect tuna-fishing boat -- the Merritt 37. With its trademark unbroken sheer line, and ability toaccelerate and reverse and cut and turn at speed, the 37 had no equal in the tuna boat fleet. The breakthroughs kept coming -- the first rocket launcher was built at the yard, as was the prototype bucket harness -- each reinforcing the major role Merritt boats played in the growth of big-game fishing. Before his death from Lou Gehrig's disease in 1971, Buddy had built 13 Merritt 37s, 12 of which survive to this day (the thirteenth was lost to fire), and one 42. His death was devastating to the yard and the boatbuilding division closed for three years. Buddy and Allen Merritt first revolutionized the sport of big-game fishing, and then did the same in the world of boatbuilding. For their enduring contributions to both, the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame celebrates them.