Some mornings are worse to wake up to than others. Fly fishing legend Flip Pallot unexpectedly passed away on August 26, 2025 at the age of 82, and it should go without saying that he was singular figure in the uppermost echelon of the fly fishing life and industry… the kind who leaves behind a pair of shoes that will most likely remain unfilled.
Perhaps most well-known for hosting The Walker’s Cay Chronicles and The Saltwater Angler, he solidified the legitimacy of the fly rod as a tool for catching big saltwater gamefish, and went on to develop his own specialty rods for these purposes. He lent his expertise to boat design, co-founding Hell’s Bay Boatworks and developing the very innovative Skanu with East Cape Boats, as well as casting techniques and myriad other innovations to bring the sport of fly fishing into the 21st Century.
A renaissance man of the highest order, he also guided, wrote, and consulted for companies such as Yeti and G. Loomis.
Not only a fisherman, he was also a hunter and conservationist who advocated traditional use practices as a tool for responsible wildlife management; aligned with the North American model of wildlife management and our own views here at The Upland Soul. He advocated for his beloved Florida’s coastal fisheries, and for efforts to preserve habitat and improve water quality, and was awarded 2022’s “Captain For Clean Water Steward of the Year” title from Costa for his efforts.
Lately, we’ve had the saltwater bug after reading Vincent Bini’s snook fishing escapade, and spending the day on some Flip is a great way to fan the salty flames. Below is Episode 1 of Walker’s Cay Chronicles. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and perhaps reflect on where the sport of fly fishing was before, and now, sadly, after Flip Pallot visited his genius upon it.
In a world the 9-to-5 can set in and true adventures can seem farther away than ever, Flip Pallot was a man who set out to live life to the fullest, out in Creation, and manifested his discoveries for the better of all of us.
He made waves. Not ripples.
Mad River Outfitters, one of our favorite fly shops and YouTube channels, posted a wonderful tribute recently. Brian Flechsig, who knew Flip personally for many years, eulogizes Flip way better than we can. There are a ton of recent videos with Flip on their channel, which we highly recommend checking out if you have even a tangential interest in fly fishing.
