Ron Wagner… in his own words

From Stories from the Skiff: March 04,2009

Being born in Miami in 1948 was a lucky start for our family as my father would take me and my two brothers to Islamorada in search of simply amazing fishing opportunities in the early 50’s. Our favorite fish was the Permit which we did off 3 bridges: Indian key, our favorite haunt along with Channel 5 and Long key. Along the sides of those bridges they built catwalks, wooden walkways that you could safely fish from. As a kid, I remember laying on my stomach peering through the spaces between the boards and counting the schools of permit and tarpon that sat in back of the bridge pilings. My dad only wanted to hook and catch permit. Strictly sight fishing, we would pitch small finny crabs to a permit we were after and if a tarpon came over to eat it, we would pull it away from him. No way were we to want a Tarpon on a crab. We used some stout tackle back then and a monster Tarpon could drag you all over that bridge, not to mention perhaps rip the outfit right out of your grip. And over those early years, we caught perhaps 1000 permit to 42 lbs. there. I believe the Wagner family has caught that many. Catching the crabs was fun as we would walk the Oceanside flats early in the morning and dip net them as they scurried from our approach. Once we had a couple dozen, it would be a mad dash to catch the prime tide change that they prefer to feed. This we did what seemed like every weekend, coming down from the mainland, leaving at 3 a.m. and fishing as hard as we could for just one type of game fish. We were addicted beyond belief as permit filled the insides of our family’s heads. I think today, all I have to do is blink and they are there. And years later I’m still hooking them at the same places my father took me too.

I got married right out of High School in 1966 and with my wife Carol and a newborn daughter, we left the north and moved to Islamorada. Working for a tackle shop was just right for me and besides on my lunch break, I could drive down to Indian key bridge and hook up a permit quickly. Or I would wade the flats off sea oats beach and throw the fly rod for Bonefish. The first Bonefish I caught there was in 1968 and it weighed 12 lbs. What a lucky guy. We lived right across from the Green Turtle Inn on the bayside and I would fish anytime I could. During the time working, I hate that word, I would meet the elite anglers of the area and the best guides anywhere. I spooled their reels, cleaned their drags, dipped their shrimp. I was a Kid and enjoyed it.

The tackle shop was sold so my next step was to open my own almost right across the street called Wagner’s Tackle Shop where the new liquor store is today at mile marker 82. And there the wife and I would meet baseball legend Ted Williams who stopped in most early mornings. We would talk fishing until customers would come in the doors and cause Ted to leave. He would invite me fishing, I never refused as Carol would mind the store. She was a natural for selling tackle. We would leave very early either going for Tarpon in Sandy Key basin or running up the Cape to Little Shark River where the Reds and Snook were always waiting. I learned a lot from him, most importantly to do it to the best of your ability. This sticks with me today like it was yesterday. Why not be a guide, Ted said, I’ll be your mother and show you the ropes. Forget being indoors, get out in the fresh air. You can do it.

To make a long story short, I got my coast guard license in 1968 and the rest of the years that I have guided, I would not want to change a bit of it. I fished out of then called Islamorada Yacht Basin, now the Lorelei, for 25 of those years, and a couple of other places but prefer the solitude of trailering. Each day I thank the Good Lord for all my blessings he has given me and my better half. Those people I had the pleasure to know, 43 great years here in paradise. My home now on the other side of the Green Turtle. Straight line it is maybe 200 yards from where it all began. That is most amazing. All of this because of my passion to go fishing.

I leave you with this:

GOD NEVER MADE A MORE CALM, QUIET AND INNOCENT RECREATION AS FISHING

Carol and Ron’s pride and joy… the historic Red Cross House built after the 1935 hurricane… and lovingly maintained by the Wagners for the last 40 years … one of few Red Cross Houses remaining in the Keys and surely the nicest!