A Diamond in the Mid-Atlantic

vividly remember my first trip to Oregon Inlet in 1977, watching my father return to the dock after a day on Capt. Lee Perry’s Deepwater. Dad caught his first billfish and, as the tradition goes, he was thrown into the water behind the boat to celebrate the catch. Although I was only 7 years old, I remember the distinct look of the boats that caught my eye. Hearing of the billfish and seeing the tuna on the docks, I never imagined fish that large were so accessible and close to home. And while I did not venture offshore myself for another five years, fishing out of the Outer Banks has been a passion for our family that runs deep in my blood.

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE

Boatbuilder and former charter captain Paul Spencer fondly remembers the early days fishing along this part of the Carolina coast when his older brother, who worked with Omie Tillett, and his father took him to the charter docks to see the fleet’s catch. “It was an event, with a lot of the locals along with scores of vacationing families lining the docks,” Spencer says. “It truly was like a carnival.” He remembers the boats averaged around 40 feet in length, as well as their unique look, and how well the captains cared for their vessels. The fleet was special: They helped others to find the fish, learned different techniques from one another,