Tred Barta

Anyone who has spent any time with Tred Barta knows what a unique and entertaining personality he is. He has a long list of accomplishments. As a young man he was on the US Olympic Biathalon Team. He left college to go into business with his father selling corporate aircraft, a business his father started in 1947. Tred's earlier years were flying, testing and delivering various aircraft. He has 7500 hours flying and 23 ocean crossings. He is still President of that company, Barta Iso Aviation, in Hampton Bays, NY. He developed a passion early on for hunting and deep sea fishing. He has hunted and fished all over the world. He has held many world records in both, some of which still stand today. He especially became fanatical about deep sea fishing. He began exploring the waters off of Long Island and ventured where very few had gone before. He brought in one of the very first Big Eye Tuna seen in those waters. His techniques and theories revolutionized the sport fishing industry. His book, "The Best and Worst of Tred Barta" became the major textbook of sport fishing for many years. At one point he had caught more big eye tuna than any other man alive. To this day, after 30 years, he still writes the back cover of Sportfishing Magazine.

As is true with any long time hunter, he became concerned with the sustainability of each species. Having harvested so much game himself, he wanted to look for more challenges. With modern technology changing the game, he also wanted to put the animal on a more fair playing field. He adopted the longbow and wooden arrows, the hardest way to hunt. He doesn't always get his game, but when he does, the satisfaction of accomplishment is much higher.

Similarly, he fishes with the lightest possible tackle, again making the catch much more challenging. He is a proponent of preserving the pelagic fish and very critical of the commercial fishing industry. He also has been strongly and vocally opposed to Big Money Kill Calcutta fishing tournaments. Where the prize money amounts to $1million, moral codes were broken, observers had become necessary, and the fish must be killed and brought back to be weighed. Tred initiated a very unique tournament with his Barta Blue Marlin Classic. At the root of his philosophy was to bring a younger generation into the sport, have your word as your bond, and catch and release all billfish. The industry said no one would come but it turned into one of the most successful tournaments of its time. The funds that were generated were donated to build the IGFA Junior Angler Program. In 7 years, $1,000,000 was raised. He then set his sites on raising funds for The Boys and Girls Clubs of coastal Carolinas and has now raised $700,000.

His philosophy of "The Hard Way, the Barta Way" has a significant meaning with today's youth in what he sees as an instant gratification society. He feels today's youth are becoming soft and have forgotten how to work hard for a goal and thus realizing the greater reward of something that is hard to come by.

In May 2009, Tred met his greatest challenge when he became paralyzed from a rare spinal stroke, which has left him paralyzed from his armpits down. He soon found that he had a rare blood cancer, something he will never get over but which is controllable. His zest for life and passion for his sports and the endless support of his wife, Anni, is allowing him to live his life to the fullest. His outlook is that he is not disabled but instead: It's all about attitude and adaptability.