Gray Taxidermy says good-bye to a Legend
and True Friend
“Stratty” pioneered the Gray Taxidermy model in Hilton
Head. Captain Stratty led by example not only being our
“Area representative,” he himself was a top mounter and
always engaged his customers in a positive way –
A True Legend.
William Stratton Pollitzer died peacefully in his home in the early
evening of July 5th. Known affectionately as "Dad," "Big Daddy,""Big Strat" and "Capt. Stratty," he was born in Beaufort on
December 11, 1947, in Jacksonville, FL.
After school, “Stratty” entered upon a life as a mariner including
work with the US Coast Guard, with Capt. Woody Collins aboard
his long line boat, "Arenas." He was the owner and operator of a
shrimp boat the "Miss Leadenwah," and for Stevens Towing Co.
as a Captain of river tugs. The bulk of his career; however, was spent as the Capt. of the sport fishing vessel, "Hero" out of Harbor Town where he became a legend to the charter fishing community and beyond. Known for his unforgettable character and charm, he will be missed by a tremendous amount of friends and family. Fair Winds and Following Seas Forever. Gone Fishin'.
Captain of the Month – Captain Danny Juel Little River, SC. Fish Screamer Charters
June was a banner month! Over 90 species of fish were
turned in from all over the Globe! One was chosen...
a 37” Scamp Grouper for a customer from West Virginia – the Captain??? Captain Danny Juel. Congratulations Captain Danny!
From this order, you will receive a New NEUTRON watch from our great
sponsor, REACTOR Watch Company.
Captain Danny will also receive a
plaque naming him, CAPTAIN OF THE MONTH.
Captain Danny Juel grew up in Little River, South Carolina. His dad owned the
Hurricane Fleet, with two party boats. Like many of our Captains and mates, Captain Danny started fishing at the young age of eight years old, and started cleaning fish and helping mate on his dad's boats. It didn't take long for him to realize he wanted to be up where his dad was, as captain.
At the age of eighteen Captain Danny got his one-hundred ton license and started running an eighty-five foot party boat. One year later he received a call from a friend in Miami to come down and run a sport fishing boat at
Castaways Dock in North Miami Beach, Florida. Off to Miami he went instead of staying the winter. Captain Danny stayed in South Florida six years, fishing all through the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, and took to liking the blue water. Captain Danny’s track record speaks for itself. He is well known up and down the east coast.
Capt. Danny moved back to the Carolinas in 1982, bought a fifty-seven foot long-line boat seven years later and decided to go back to chartering. He has now been chartering for approximately thirty years out of Little River, South Carolina, running Fish Screamer Charters where he plans to finish his career.
Captain Danny has been with Gray Taxidermy since day one. “I have never had a complaint from any mounts I have sent to Gray Taxidermy. Thank-you Gray Taxidermy for all your great work, and giving my customers something to truly be proud of from their fishing experience aboard our boats.”
Species of the Month – White Marlin
First we want to Congratulate Brian Taylor from Hatteras,
North Carolina. Brian is the mate on “Carolina Girl” and turned
in an 84” White Marlin that was pulled this month as Fish
Species of the Month. Way to go Brian and Captain Derek
Taylor! Brian will receive a pair of Tuna Alley Sunglasses
from Costa Del Mar. Thank you Costa for your continued
support to this great industry.
Some interesting info on the White Marlin
White Marlin (Kajikia albidus) is the most cautious predator of the
Marlin family, and is the most difficult to lure to strike. White Marlin
are found throughout the east coast of the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean. Although smaller than the other species of Marlin, it is
still a strong fighter and beautiful mount with its vibrant shades of blue.
Recognized by its rounded pectoral fins, first dorsal fin and anal fin, the
White Marlin is lighter in color and shows more green than other marlins. They are also noticeably smaller: the average weighs 60 lbs, and the maximum recorded weight for a White Marlin taken on rod-and-reel was 161 lbs. The color of the body is dark blue to chocolate brown, shading to a silvery white underbelly, with visible spots on dorsal fin. The lateral line curves above the pectoral fin,
and then goes in a straight line to the base of its tail. It is thought that there may be separate
populations of White Marlin in different regions of the world. Some believing that there is, in fact, a second species, the Hatchet Marlin. Many consider the Hatchet to be a variant of the White Marlin; however, recent scientific evidence points to the Hatchet actually being a new species, the Round Scale Spearfish.
Like other Marlin, this is a highly migratory species. They will travel alone or in small groups to
increase their feeding opportunities. The diet of the White Marlin is predominately fishes and squids. Groups of Whites have been seen coordinating their efforts to congregate bait into a ball for feeding purposes. While White Marlin typically roam deep waters, they will also approach areas that are
normally too shallow for other Marlin. They are often seen in areas less than 8 fathoms deep.
Members of this species reach maturity around 51 inches. It is not uncommon to find White Marlin up to 8 feet long.
Mate of the Month – Roddy
“Local Knowledge”
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The winning order pulled for Mate of the Month was
a Nurse Shark for a customer from Texas. The crew
turning in this order is from Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Captain Mike Johnson, and the winner of Mate of
the Month – August 2014.... Roddy
The Mate of the Month contest is sponsored by our very good friends at Costa
Sunglasses. Roddy will receive a plaque from Gray Taxidermy and a new pair
of “Fisch” Blue Mirror sunglasses. Way to go Roddy!
“I was born and raised here in south Florida. I grew up here fishing with my parents. After college I took a year off to charter fish in Key West before I started my career. That was 16 years ago. Soon after, I moved to the private side and travel fished for about 10 years. I had a little boy 2 years ago, so I'm back home here in Ft Lauderdale, still fishing and enjoying being with the family every night.”
This Month we Celebrate Alaska - This picturesque settings will leave you breathless and
wanting more.
After last month’s orders were pooled together, one was chosen.
Congratulations to Captain George Zarlengo from Juneau, Alaska, for the
winning order of a 20” Dolly Varden for a customer from New York.
Congratulations Captain George! Our wonderful Sponsor of this event is
Hopkins Carter Marine Supply and Fishing Tackle out of South Florida.
Hopkins Carter is awarding Captain George (2) Okuma, Solterra SLR-15CS reels.
Alaska
Alaska has an estimated 100,000 glaciers, ranging from tiny cirque glaciers to
huge valley glaciers. There are more active glaciers and ice fields in Alaska than
in the rest of the inhabited world. The largest glacier is the Malaspina at 850
square miles. Five percent of the state, or 29,000 square miles, is covered by
glaciers.
Of the 20 highest peaks in the United States, 17 are in Alaska. Mt. McKinley,
the highest peak in North America, is 20,320 ft. above sea level. Denali, the
Indian name for the peak, means "The Great One."
Good sport fishing isn't hard to find in Alaska. In fact, in this land of 3,000
rivers, 3 million lakes and 6,640 miles of coastline, a sport fisher’s greatest
challenge can be deciding where to get started. From an angler's perspective, Alaska is enormous; fishing it all would require
one to cast across a million acres of streams, lakes and water-lapped shorelines
every day for a full year. Think of it as the old anglers' quandary – so much
water, so many fish, and so little time – but on a wilder, grander scale.
Alaska supports one of the most productive commercial fishing economies in
the world. Combined, fishermen typically receive well over $1 billion for their catch; while the value of Alaskan seafood sold at first wholesale easily tops $3 billion. The total economic impact of the seafood industry (direct, indirect, and induced efforts) in Alaska was estimated at 4.6 billion in 2009
Your Facebook Campaign
By working together we can provide an even better Facebook experience for your existing customers as well as thousands of potential customers! We can post your fishing adventure photos, and you get the opportunity to advertise your company directly to people that love fishing and in return you will receive added exposure for your Charter business. IT’S THAT EASY!
Send us your fishing photos to submit@graytaxidermy.com and we will post them to our growing audience of OVER 127,000 fans, exclusively for Gray Taxidermy Captains and Mates. Make sure you let us know the Charter Business name, the Captain and mates name along with your location. Feel free to include your logo, website and phone number.
