Episode 51: Harry Spear – The Perfectionist

When I first met Harry Spear I instantly knew I was in the presence of an unusual man. He was affable, wired, and intimidating. His aura exuded a high level of confidence. His legacy had already been established as one of the most successful skiffs guides in the Keys.
Little did I know how deeply he’d impact my life. Our introduction was like most others, a call was made with a little chit chat, ending with a time to meet.
Harry would not only fish me for the next seven years, but push, groom and demand me to evolve to where I couldn’t sleep because of my pursuit to be better. I connected with his way of thinking.
But I was not the only one he inspired to win the big ones as he has a total of 43 wins, including 5 Gold Cup tarpon tournaments, the granddaddy of them all. He won that four times in row with angler Glenn Flutie. He was a tour de force in everything he entered, eventually winning 43 tournaments!
Harry Spear will go down in history as one of the most prominent fishing guides the Keys has ever seen. Anyone who ever stepped onto his boat knew they were with a super power.
I fished three events with him with a win, a second and a fourth. And then he was gone… Was he burned out or what – I wondered? Huff left the Keys too, well before Harry. Then we all heard he was reinventing himself up in the Panhandle of Florida.
Harry is an exceptional adventurer. Never one for complacencies or boredom, he has laser sharp focus with his life’s numerous chapters. On today’s podcast we cover this spectrum and his desire for perfection. Enjoy!