Speaking Tarpon --- Eizo Maruhashi went where no one had gone before in championship saltwater fishing: Past the language barrier to the podium. Japan’s pioneering saltwater fly angler was a bridge between Japanese tackle innovation and the golden era of tarpon fly fishing in the Florida Keys.

Champion and veteran FL. Keys guide Randy Towe starts us off and paints the picture. He joins us to talk about the man he met in his early days in Florida, the friendship and tournament pairing that dominated the late 90's in saltwater.

Who was Eizo? Where was he getting his training? What were the reasons for success and how did he communicate?

These are some of the questions circling around Florida before he suddenly stopped tournaments at the start of the new century.

Before he left, he won three straight Florida Gold Cup Tarpon victories with his guide Kenny Collette from 1997-1999. And the Don Hawley Tarpon Tournament in 1994, 1996 - 1999. And holds the world records for Trevally and Masu trout (and a potential tarpon record - story included) among other accolades in angling - and founded the angling retailer SABALO Fishing in Tokyo, Japan.

All episode guests at: HowardFillms.com