Ghost! Field Journal of a Bird Dog
Capt. Tony Petrella, who writes the weekly fishing page for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, previously was a staff writer at the Palm Beach Post and Atlanta Constitution, where he covered the National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball, and wrote columns on everything from Super Bowls to heavyweight title fights. He is the author of Ghost! Field Journal of A Bird Dog, freelances for Ducks Unlimited, Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod & Reel, and Florida Sportfishing magazines, He writes regular updates of his fishing and hunting escapades on Facebook, and his web sites tightloopsflyfishing dot com, and www MichiganFishingandHunting dot com, which generate about 10,000 views each month.  Capt. Tony a United States Coast Guard licensed Captain has been a fishing and hunting guide in Michigan and Florida for more than 20 years. He s been a nationally known professional fly tier, angler and Certified Casting Instructor for more than 30 years; FAA pilot; Certified SCUBA Diver; radio and television personality; speaker and demonstrator at both consumer-oriented and fly fishing trade shows nationwide.   His innovative fly patterns are included in several books about freshwater and saltwater fishing, and have been sold worldwide by several of America s largest mail order companies and retailers. Along with that, his input on fly rod design while working for Sage, Temple Fork Outfitters, and Diamondback while a manufacturer s representative in the fly fishing industry solidified his reputation as an angling authority.   Capt. Tony s clinics, seminars, and casting demonstrations, which have taken him to many of the country s largest cities, as well as streamside villages, typically are packed with men, women and children eager to learn from his experiences. He also teaches saltwater fly fishing courses for the Sarasota County School District, and is a Designated Civilian Instructor with the United States Army s Project Healing Waters rehabilitation program.   He has served on the Board of Directors of the founding chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Upper Manistee River Association, and was president of the Red Cedar Fly Fishers when that chapter won the Federation of Fly Fishers McKenzie Cup as International Club of the Year.