Steve Huff
1945 -
2010 Inductee
Steve Huff has spent the last 40 years poling South Florida waters and becoming the most well-respected guide in the history of flats fishing. From the time Steve caught his first snook at the age of 10, his life has been all about salt water, and about riding his customized bike -- with tackle box and rod racks -- to Miami's causeways, seawalls and bridges in search of its denizens. After his graduation from the University of Miami in 1968, Steve moved to the Keys and started guiding. With his invaluable marine biology training, it quickly became apparent that few guides were as knowledgeable -- or had as much respect for the sport and the fish -- as Steve Huff. He knows the waters better than anyone, remembers details of every fish he's caught, and thinks nothing of fishing from dawn to dusk to assure his clients' success ("... when you get on his boat you need a sundial, not a wristwatch," according to one angler.) It wasn't long before Capt. Steve Huff was booked up to 300 days a year, and well in advance. His customers became regulars; his regulars became friends. Some of the most coveted world records followed. As a pioneer of the tarpon fishery in Homosassa, Florida, Steve guided angler Tom Evans to six tarpon world records on four different line classes. Steve's personal best -- a 186-pound tarpon caught in 1977 -- surpassed the existing world record by 10 pounds but Steve didn't submit the catch, preferring to leave the record-setting to his anglers. He's largely responsible for popularizing the sport of permit fishing too, developing innovative techniques for catching the elusive species on fly tackle. Together with Del Brown, Steve created the cutting-edge Merkin crab pattern, and he guided Brown to hundreds of permit and four world records: three (from 1986 and 1992) remain records, with the 41½-pound catch on 8-pound tippet still the largest permit ever caught on fly. When it came to tournaments, Steve was always the one to beat. In the 1970s and 1980s he guided anglers to 13 championships in the Gold Cup, the Islamorada Invitational Bonefish Tournament, and the Islamorada Invitational Fly Bonefish Tournament. It was common knowledge -- to the dismay of many -- that anglers who never had the good fortune to fish with Steve often had the misfortune to fish against him. Steve Huff is an innovator. In the early 1970s fiberglass skiffs were in their infancy, and Steve's initial attempt at crafting his own involved sawing the top off a Sidewinder ski boat and completely re-building it. His first design was so thoughtful and creative that Shipoke Boat Company incorporated the details in their own boat. In 1978 Huff modified a Dolphin, which developed into the Super Skiff, and later gave rise to the Maverick Mirage. Yet Steve's quest for the ultimate maneuverable, smooth-riding, easy-to-pole craft was ongoing. And as his designs continued to evolve -- with fly stretcher devices under hatch covers, fold-down push-pole holders, handmade de-hookers, ice chests, bow platforms, and more -- his prototypes continued to break new ground. An IGFA member since his mother signed him up at a young age, Steve is totally dedicated to the integrity and ethics of the sport, and has never rigged a piece of tackle that didn't conform to the IGFA's rules. He knew knots were often the weak link in light-tackle fishing and created the Huffnagle, now the standard for attaching light tippet to heavy shock tippet. He's designed fly patterns that consistently catch bonefish, snook, tarpon and redfish, and is the go-to guy for tackle companies that want their new products put to the utmost test. Since 1989 Steve has been sharing his knowledge and skills as an instructor at the Florida Keys Fly Fishing School, and for three years served as Commodore of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association. A role model and mentor to many of today's guides, Steve inspires them to pursue excellence, to care deeply about the sport and the resources, and to encourage the same in their clients. Steve Huff is the benchmark in flats fishing. When the angling community speaks about him, the accolades flow freely: humble, articulate, committed, gracious, intuitive, peerless, passionate, ethical. He still arrives at the dock full of enthusiasm, ready to take people fishing, ready to learn something new, and thinking he's the luckiest guy in the world. The IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame celebrates Steve Huff, an angling legend.
