Every year in late July, Key West has a major celebration called the Hemingway Days. Today July 21st, 2025, is the 126th birthday of the esteemed writer and sportsman.
In fact I believe a case can be made that Ernest Hemingway had as much of an influence on sportsfishing as he did in literature.
His sportsfishing boat “Pilar” was a model of innovation for her time as were the rods and reels he and his crew used to land giant Tuna & Marlin.
Legend has it because of the reels Ernest and the crew used they were the first fisherman able to land a giant Tuna in the Bahamas before being mutilated by sharks.
Ernest lived in Key West from 1930 to 1939. Where he wrote his acclaimed novel “For Whom the Bell Tollls”.
The Old Man and the Sea came later in 1953 while Ernest lived in Havana. One of the photos below is of me posing next to one of the reels used by Ernest in the Havana Marlin tournament bearing his name in 1960.
I fished the Hemingway days tournament once in 1999. Which would have been Ernest’s 100th birthday. We weighed in a 30lb. Mahi-Mahi which was good enough for 2nd place.
Perhaps that is why I say in my book “Neither fisherman or fish go through a full season undefeated unless you are the 1972 Miami Dolphins” 🐬
Happy Birthday “Papa”
