Joe Ballarini, the headman at Tail Magazine and Strung Magazine shares the story of why he created one of the only print magazines in salt and how it all came to be. He describes what it’s like working as a full time ER doctor, being the Editor in Chief of two magazines, and a dad at the same time. Joe also mentions some saltwater fly fishing trips that we can take part in this year along with the Tail crew and the things you need to prepare for.
Discover the Top 5 Saltwater Fly Fishing Destinations that should be added to our bucket list!
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(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
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Top Saltwater Fishing Destination Show Notes with Joe Ballarini
5:58 – Joe has been living in Miami Florida, on and off for 30 years – bought a place there in 2009
6:34 – Joe noticed that there was always a lot of trash in the fisheries – he’d pick up everything he’d see
7:21 – Joe started a website called Fly Fish Bonehead – an informational website about saltwater fly fishing and conservation
7:47 – Tail Fly Fishing Magazine came about so that people would visit the website about conservation message for free – in 2 years they had about 36,000 digital readers
08:23 – Six months after Tail was launched, Fly Fishing and Salt Waters Magazine, one of the dominant magazine at the time closed up shops – then their audience found Tail
9:30 – Tail took off when the print magazine started
10:52 – Orvis and Thomas & Thomas were supporters early on
11:46 – Tail Fly Fishing Magazine is a bi-monthly publication, 100-120 pages, 80% content and 20% ads
12:52 – Tail Magazine is made out of thick high-grade paper and it’s waterproof – Joe describes what it looks like
13:10 – Joe mentions some of the Tail Editors and Contributors – click here to see the whole roster
14:57 – Strung Magazine was born on Dec 2018 – about bird hunting, duck hunting, big game, fly fishing, food, and travel (often compared to Gray’s Sporting Journal)
16:23 – Joe works full time as an ER doctor
18:08 – Aside from Tail, there’s another salt water fly fishing magazine in Australia
21:03 – The travel section in the back of Tail Magazine has a variety of trips you can take part in
21:15 – Tail is hosting a permit fishing tournament in Punta Allen in conjunction with Punta Allen Fishing Club and the Grand Slam Fishing Lodge – to raise fund for the school of Punta Allen
24:14 – The Tail crew are going back to El Pescador on April 24 to 30
29:25 – Joe puts in 8 to 10 hours a day for Tails whether or not he works 12 hours shift in the ER
31:54 – Joe describes his Maldives trip experience and notes it as one of his favorites
35:12 – You can catch Tarpon, Permit, Bonefish, and Snook in Mexico and Belize
38:20 – Joe discovered a great Tarpon fishing spot in Turtoguero, Costa Rica
39:54 – Joe and Chico are going to Flamingo (they might have went already as you read this)
40:10 – The guys from Thomas & Thomas are going to Key West Florida and Joe is joining them in March – Joe mentioned some more Tail hosted trips this year
43:55 – Joe’s advice for people joining their trips is.. “don’t overpack”. A 7 and a 10 weight rod is good enough
46:44 – Tail is hosting another trip to Bahamas in November this year which will be led by George V. Roberts Jr – George is the author of Master the Cast and a student of Joan Wulff
50:57 – Tail is has a good relationship with Deneki
58:52 – Bob Branham is one of the legendary guides in Keys
1:02:40 – Check out the Perfectionist Leaders by Tail Magazine here
1:03:49 – The Razor Scissors
You can find Tail on Instagram @tailflyfishingmagazine
Top 5 Saltwater Fly Fishing Destinations
- El Pescador Lodge, Belize
- Punta Allen, Mexico
- Andros South Lodge, Bahamas
- Turtoguero, Costa Rica
- Maldives
Related Podcast Episodes
Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Saltwater Fly Fishing Conclusion with Joe Ballarini
Joe Ballarini, founder of Tail Magazine and Strung Magazine shared the story of why he created one of the only print magazines in salt and how it all came to be. He described what it’s like working as a full time ER doctor, being the Editor in Chief of two magazines, and a dad at the same time. Joe also mentioned some saltwater fly fishing trips that we can take part in this year along with the Tail crew and the things you need to prepare for.
We discovered the Top 5 Saltwater Fly Fishing Destinations that should be added to our bucket list!
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