 |
Here are just a couple of Frank's books.
He was a prolific big striper hunter, writer and
lecturer. He had a profound affect on surf
fishing for striped bass that carries on to this day. |
It is with
sadness that I report the passing of Frank Daignault, a legend and pioneer of
saltwater surf fishing. Frank was someone
who many consider the “Godfather of Surf Fishing”. He was a prolific big striper hunter, and he popularized
striped bass surf fishing in the hundreds of articles that he wrote for
publications like The Fisherman magazine, On the Water and Saltwater Sportsman
to name a few. He also authored 6 books on the topic. In addition, he was a major lecturer and
conducted seminars at many of the big fishing shows and many club gatherings.
When I was a
young man just getting into writing about fishing for various magazines, Frank
was my favorite fishing writer. The first
thing I would do when the Fisherman magazine arrived in the mail was to look at
the table of contents and hope I would find a Frank Daignault article. When it
came to writing and fishing, he was the guy I looked up to, much like a mentor,
more than anyone. He had a writing style,
I’ll call a “New England Salty” style, that was unique, and I could not get
enough of it. Much of my fishing in the early days was patterned after what he
wrote about. And, his photos were simply the best. Back then Frank and other writers were taking
mostly black and white photos, no easy task.
His many photos were simply stunning as they frequently graced the
covers of countless magazines and books. I will never forget that he told me to
“take as many photos as you can. You
never have enough!’
It was back
in 1981 that I actually met Frank, and from then on we became good
friends. I was trout fishing at the time,
and I went after school to a place called Lake Pearl in Wrentham. As I stepped
into the water, there, right in front of me was the legend. I was in awe. I introduced
myself and Frank mentioned that he had read many of my magazine articles. That
started a friendship that lasted decades.
In fact, Frank sponsored me on my application to the New England Outdoor
Writers’ Association, an elite organization of outdoor writers and photographers
here in NE. Later in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. I was fortunate to share the
stage with Frank at many big shows doing seminars on striped bass fishing.
After
getting to know Frank through our conversations and fishing together in salt
and fresh water, I discovered a man that was so, so passionate about what he
was doing. He had a drive about him when it came to any kind of fishing be it
stripers, trout, steelhead, etc. that was unparalleled. That compete dedication
to the sport came out in his writings and his catches. He often told me about
stunning big catches of “cows” as he called them. The specific numbers were out
of this world. Frank himself would often admit he was fishing in the heydays of
striped bass where monster fish were around the surf in huge numbers if you
knew where to look.
I’m guessing
that many of the middle age and older surf fishermen around today got their
starts after reading many of Frank’s articles and books. He has had a profound
influence on the sport that carries on to this day.
I want to
offer my condolences to his wife, Joyce, and to his family. Know that Frank
lived a great life, and his legacy lives on in the fishing world.
.jpg)
