Florida Game & Fish editor Jimmy Jacobs hoists a redfish taken in Florida Bay during the 2008 Redbone Celebrity Tournament. Photo by Howard Taylor.

"Polly, you have a tarpon on!" hollered my fishing partner, Carmel Cafiero, as the great silver fish grabbed my bait within arm's reach of the boat.

Excitedly, Carmel quickly began coaching me on how to fight the fish, reminding me to bow to it when it jumped. The tarpon put on an acrobatic show and after two impressive leaps, it was gone.

I am fairly certain that I never bowed as instructed or even did anything remotely correct in fighting the fish. Stunned, my brain was absorbing what I had on the end of my line and I just watched in amazement.

Cafiero apologized for getting so excited and worried that she may have kept me from landing the fish. I assured her that she had not been the cause of the freed fish and our guide Capt. Andy Putetti was certain that the fish, which he estimated to be about 60 pounds, would never have been landed anyway. Our lines were rigged for redfish, and the gear I was using was not heavy enough to boat that tarpon.

This was the second day of the 2008 Mercury Redbone Celebrity Tournament in Islamorada, and if I were fishing either of the other two tournaments of the Redbone Trilogy, the tarpon would have given my team valuable points and the loss would have been greater. The targeted species for this two-day tournament were redfish and bonefish. Nevertheless, jumping a tarpon is never unwelcome and my partner Cafiero, Captain Putetti and I were fishing this leg of the tourney for fun and most of all for a worthy charitable cause.

WHAT IS REDBONE?
In 1984, Capt. Gary and Susan Ellis' newborn daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The family learned that with considerable care, Nicole's life expectancy was only into her teens.

To raise funds to find a cure for CF, the Ellis family, with the help of friends, including baseball legend Ted Williams, organized a tournament of 33 boats to fish for redfish and bonefish. In 1988, the inaugural tournament was held in Islamorada, and became known as "The Redbone."

The first Redbone raised $16,000 and more importantly raised awareness of CF in the Islamorada community. The Redbone has since mushroomed into more than 30 freshwater and saltwater tournaments spanning the United States, Bahamas, Mexico and the United Kingdom. In all, the Redbone series has raised more than $10 million toward finding a cure for CF.

Today, the median age of survival of a person with CF is 37 years. Nicole Ellis graduated from college -- a milestone that she was not expected to reach at the time of her birth. She is now pursuing a career, but still speaks at many of the tournaments to personally thank the anglers and guides. She is a reminder that even though much has been accomplished in treating the disease, not a single life has yet been saved. The cure has still not been found.

THE TRILOGY
The Florida Keys are host to three Redbone events, known as the Trilogy. These tournaments have set the bar for angling excellence since 1990.

In September, the charm of Key West provides the backdrop of the Mercury Southernmost Light tackle Anglers Masters Celebrity Tournament, better known as the S.L.A.M. Anglers fish for bonefish, permit and tarpon.