Show Notes
Over the years, as I’ve participated in various fishing tournaments, I’ve often noticed the names etched on the trophies from past events. One name that always stood out to me was Lenny Berg. He made history by winning the first inaugural Don Hawley Tarpon Tournament in 1976, with the legendary Billy Knowles as his guide. Lenny also triumphed in the Fall Fly Bonefish Tournament three times, alongside his guide, Steve Huff. One of his most remarkable feats was landing a 128-pound tarpon on 10-pound test, setting a world record that was later invalidated when the IGFA removed the 10-pound tippet category for world records, erasing those catches from the record books. Lenny’s fishing journey also had him alongside some of the sport’s most influential pioneers, including Woody Sexton, Eddie Wightman, Hank Brown, Stu Apte, Guy de Valdene, Jimmy Lopez, Hal Chittum, and John Emory, just to name a few. In today’s podcast, we not only explore Lenny’s incredible life in fishing, but we’re also joined by his son, Elliot Berg. Like his father, Elliot is an outstanding angler, but he’s also an ingenious boat designer in his own right. We discuss both Lenny’s legacy and Elliot’s work in pushing the boundaries of boat design, including his contributions to the Maverick Boat Company, which revolutionized flats skiffs and became one of the most successful brands in the industry for decades.
More from Mill House Podcast
Mike Dawes has spent more than three decades chasing fish across the globe, building a life around the places, people, and experiences that make fly fishing far more than a sport. Raised in a family steeped in the tradition, Mike caught his first trout on a fly at just five years old. His grandfather helped establish the legendary Deep Water Cay Bonefishing Club in the Bahamas, introducing Mike early to the world of saltwater fly fishing and planting the seeds for a lifetime of exploration.
Mike Lawson is a legend of the Henry’s Fork—and one of the men who helped shape modern fly fishing in the American West. A fourth-generation Idahoan, Lawson grew up fishing the Henry’s Fork and began his professional fly-fishing career in the early 1970s while working as a schoolteacher and tying flies commercially with his wife, Sheralee. He later guided in West Yellowstone before the two founded Henry’s Fork Anglers in 1976, building what would become one of the most respected fly-fishing operations in the country.
Boots Allen is a third-generation fly-fishing guide, tournament angler, writer, fly designer, and one of the longtime stewards of the rivers around Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Born and raised in the valley, Boots grew up immersed in a family whose name is woven into the history of fly fishing in the region. His grandfather, Leonard “Boots” Allen, was one of the early guides and outfitters in Jackson Hole, securing permits to guide the waters of the Greater Yellowstone area in the 1940s. His father, Joe Allen, continued that tradition and became known for his innovative fly patterns, including the famous Double Humpy.
Baker Bishop is an avid fly fisherman, surfer, husband, father, and mentor whose life has been shaped by a lifelong connection to the water. He picked up a fly rod at just ten years old, taught by his mother, who passed down the skills, traditions, and passion she had learned from her grandfather—a bamboo-rod builder and lifelong angler.
Rudy Babikian is an accomplished fly fisherman, adventurer, and co-founder of Los Locos, a premier fly-fishing destination in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Originally from Maine, Rudy cut his teeth in the Northeast chasing giant striped bass from shore—often putting himself in precarious situations in pursuit of the biggest fish. Those early experiences helped shape the adventurous, risk-taking approach that would define his fishing life.