Roberto Pragliola is the Italian Fly Fishing guru and a living legend.

He was born in Florence in 1937 and had a very hard and poor childhood like most of children and people in those years (they had no running water, no clothes and often no food but lots of values including respect to a word given - it was an offense to ask for a written word).

As a child he started to fish for sheer need and by using the only tools available; his hands. He thus learned to observe fish in their habitat which gave him an outstanding knowledge in this "hobby".

In 1967 he begun fly fishing for the first time after years spent with a spinning rod.

He is recognized as the main personality to practically have initiated fly fishing in the country by raising it at very high levels and founding a fly fishing school. He also developed his own way of casting, called TLT which has been reportedly misunderstood by the world fly fishing community (e.g. TLT is NOT only for light lines) until today as it was pointed out also in the latest event when he presented his latest book: "Magie sull'Acqua", Hoepli Editore, 2008 (an English translation is the making). The book deserves a own page which I am preparing but it suffice to say that it's NOT just another book about fly fishing but rather an enriching experience spanning from History, memories, values, techniques, hints. A memorable reading from page one.

Roberto is very outspoken and critical towards our days, "full of perfect figurines, but no fishermen" and deserve a serious listening for his personal insight. Personally, I would like to listen to him not only about fishing...

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