THE DOCTOR IS IN

I have been a fan of your magazine for quite a long time, but this is the first time I felt compelled to write. I really enjoyed the article “At the Helm with Doc Watson” in the April/ May issue. Weighing priorities in life can sometimes get complicated, and reading about how Watson balances his work as a doctor and running his own beautiful sport-fisher really rang a bell. I am also a doctor, and I run my own boat as an owner/operator.

My father got me hooked on marlin fishing at age 9, catching my first blue marlin on Brothers Pride. Watching my father balance his time between work, family and fishing served as a great outline for myself. During summers and weekends, I mated for him, learning the basics as his boats grew over time; eventually, I started helping him run and maintain boats, giving me enough hours to get my 100-ton license. After 10 years of college, I joined my father in his orthodontic practice, where I still work full time. After he retired from boat ownership in the early 2000s, I started my journey with an old 36-foot Hatteras, then made the switch to custom boats, including a Ricky Gillikin, Blackwell, and, similar to Watson, I also owned a Winter, Hull No. 1, for a few years. I am not able to get out there as much as I would like, but when I do, it serves as a great break. As you mentioned in the article, there aren’t a tremendous number of owner/ operators out there, but we love sport fishing as much as anyone else on the water.

Dr. Neal Klar Via email