THE TALON STORY

Talon Marine started as a hobby of sorts for its owner, Gary Armington, who relocated with his family from Ohio to Florida back in 1980. Armington started designing his first boat in 1978 while a senior at Illinois State College. The hobby soon became serious and Gary's parents, Lil and Bill Armington, provided the necessary start up capital to keep research and development afloat. After considerable testing and fine tuning, Armington introduced his first creation, the Talon 21 in 1982, and Talon Marine began operations with a handful of employees.

Three years later, in 1985, Armington felt the time was right to introduce a second boat to his line and enlisted the talent of Robert Wilkens, formerly a design engineer with Chris Craft to help him design and csontruct the Talon 18. Wilkens obliged and followed the project through to completion, and then suggested they go to the Miami International Boat Show that February. That was the beginning of the roller coaster ride, and it hasn't stopped yet. Armington and Wilkens continue to set new desing standards with their line of contemporary high end, open water modified tunnels.

The highly successful Talon 25 debuted in 1987, with much fan fare. Powerboat Magazine tested it at over 100 MPH, and then to top it off, Don Johnson drove it off into the sunset on the last episode of Miami Vice. "People still call up and ask us to build the the Miami Vice boat," Wilkens says.

With the introduction of the Talon 25, Armington began getting more involved in offshore powerboat racing and successfully campaigned a factory sponsored stock class race boat #S-26. The lucky #26 was carried over a few years later by Armington to grace the side of his largest, most radical design to date, the Talon 37, with which Armington blew away his competition at the "World" in Key West that November, and came home with the checkered flag.

Today, the Talon 37 continutes its winning tradition competing in modified class and capturing both the 1998 APBA National title (OUT-OF-BOUNDS M-55), as well as the 1998 Pacific Offshore Championship (GONE AGAIN-JELLY BELLY M-7).

Talon Marine recently introduced a pleasure version of the AWESOME Talon 37 featuring a spacious cockpit with seating for six, plus an aft cabin for that occasional "over nighter". The Talon 37 "Sport" is built on a custom order basis and is available either with outboards or stern drive power.

Now, Talon Marine is at it again, but this time they are rewriting the rules for flats boat design with the introduction of their revolutionary F-16. It is quite possibly the driest, softest riding 16 to 20 ft. light tackle boat ever built. And, it's fast, of course! It features a 8 ft. 6 in. beam with super wide gunwales, and more usable deck space than most any 20 footer on the market today.

The Talon F-16 blends the aestheticly appealing look of a traditional "rounded bow" deck design with an advanced high tech air-entrapment hull. The results are remarkable. The fit and finish are the best the industry has to offer with a deck plan that is clean, simple, practical, and functional.

Serious and discriminating flats anglers and guides will find the F-16 to be the consumate flats fishing platform, and wonder why no one has built such a boat before.

During the week of September 2, rigging continued on the hull with the addition of the Lenco trim tabs and the JL Marine Systems, Inc. Power-Pole. On Friday, the 7th, Gary Armington, seen in the pictures below, began laying down the gelcoat on the cap mold, and the cap was built that day and into the next. It takes time! Once the cap is cured and popped from the mold, rigging on it will begin. Perhaps by September 14, the cap will be mated to the hull, and the boat will be completed soon afterward.

And, here it it! The finished product. My Talon F-16! It was delivered on September 26, 2001. I've been around boats all of my life, and I've never been at the helm, or aboard, a fishing skiff that is so well mannered, so stable, so roomy, so dry, so well laid out, or with such a soft ride. If you are in the area, and are interested in a Talon, contact me about taking a ride on my boat. You'll be amazed!

TRIP INFORMATION [Site Index] [Highlights] [Capt. Butch Profile] [About the Boat] [Kayak Fishing] [Customer Fishing Testimonials] [Booking Tips] [Weekend Policy] [Great Rates] [What to Expect] [Cheap Accomodations] [Send Email] [What to Bring] [Directions to the Ramp]

WHAT WE CATCH [Snook Fishing] [Fishing Redfish] [Tarpon Fishing] [Trout Fishing] [Jack Crevelle Fishing] [Chasing Tripletail] [Customer Tales]

THE CAPTAIN TELLS ALL [Florida Fishing Reports] [Fishing Reports Archives] [TV Quality Video Clips] [Articles] [Newsletters] [Hurricane Fund] [Angler of the Month] [Angler of the Year Awards] [Manatee Zones] [Sell Your Gear Here!] [Tackle Service Center] [Shop the BarHopp'R Tackle Shop!] [Hot Links to Cool Sites] [Send Email] [Back to Home]

LOCAL DESTINATIONS! [Fishing Sanibel Island] [Fishing Captiva Island] [Fishing Pine Island] [Fishing Sarasota]

OTHER FUN STUFF TO DO! [Shelling & Sightseeing Trips] [Dolphin/Manatee Watch Trips] [Lunch & Bar Hopping Trips]