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Originally Posted by Lance03  WHAT IS THIS BARNES AND NOBLE NOW? |
Yo Lance,care to post your resume? Here is Fred's:
Article by Lenny Belcaro as published in the Sept/Oct 2007 issue of "Big Game Fishing Journal"
When it comes to big game Legends, Captain Fred Archer has earned his status among this elite group several different ways. Starting with his early days of fly fishing and tournament bass fishing, he developed some new flies and lures and pioneered some techniques that years later have become standard weapons of today’s bass pros. Just one example of this is was when he began bass fishing with and writing about braided line (Dacron) because of its lack of stretch and thus, enhanced sensitivity and hook-setting qualities. Thirty years later other bass fishermen started fishing braids, leading up to today, when virtually all of them do. There are many other examples, but this is representative of what Archer is known for; being on the leading edge of whatever kind of fishing he does.
From there, Captain Fred consulted with the first graphite rod material manufacturer, for an upstart company, Shimano, on the development of their first baitcasting reel, the Bantam 100. Then he joined them full time and wound up vice president in charge of the fishing tackle division. He was credited by none other than The Wall Street Journal as “making the difference at Shimano”. Much more a designer and innovator than an administrator, many of the products and features that he came up with are industry standards today.
Many say he is the father of west coast shark fishing and to this day he is considered one of the world’s leading experts on this style of fishing.
Archer fished hard all of his life, especially for big game, and he developed close personal friendships with some of the greatest big game fishermen ever, friendships that continue today. “I have been so very lucky to count people like Frank Johnson, Black Bart Miller, Roddy Hays and others as both true friends and incredible mentors. No matter what my experience level in a given area of big game fishing, when these guys or those like them talk or write, I shut up and pay attention! I can never thank those great fishermen enough for what they have taught me.”
After retiring from Shimano, Captain Fred continued his involvement in the fishing tackle industry by consulting for Accurate since their earliest days and for a number of other fishing tackle clients, both big and small. Then he turned to what became his greatest learning experience of them all when he moved to Cabo San Lucas and began running his charterboat, The Archer (named for his parents).
He fished over three hundred days a year for many years in what at the time was one of the most abundant and diverse, year-round big game fisheries in the world. While this would be “living the dream” for many fishermen, it was beyond that for a man obsessed with constantly searching for “the better”, be it in lures, tackle or techniques. It was then that he developed his family of lures and famous SuperBars.
Just before and during this Captain Fred began writing his extensive collection of instructional books on big game fishing and he continued his decades-old history as an independent outdoor writer for the major media, including of course, The Journal from its very earliest days. And on top of all of this, he became a self-taught marine artist who does any and all illustrations in his books.
Phew! Like we said, even a cursory listing of this man’s fishing credentials takes up a lot of space! But it goes to show why this fisherman is rated high on our list of big game fishing Legends. Now, let’s turn the reins over to the man himself.
Thanks, Lenny! Let’s move right to my advice to fishermen both new and experienced. I think that most are going to find my suggestions blunt, basic, limited and not full of secret lures, colors and special fishing tricks. The truth is, the best of the basics are exceedingly hard to perform and in the end, are what separate the best fishermen from the rest of the pack.
Rich