Charles “Chuck” Brodzki, known to generations of friends, clients and fellow anglers as the “Rear Admiral,” or simply “RA,” passed away on Aug. 29, 2026, in Bozeman, Montana. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1954, Chuck lived an accomplished, eclectic and wonderfully unconventional life.
He was a Wharton graduate, attorney, educator, record-setting tournament angler, professional fishing guide, racehorse owner, storyteller and humorist. Above all, he was a remarkably loyal friend.
The son of Holocaust survivors Ludwik and Pola Brodzki, Chuck grew up with his sisters, Bella and Gayle, in Fort Lauderdale. Chuck began fishing at a very early age, beginning a passion that would ultimately shape the course of his life.
Chuck attended St. Andrew’s High School and went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated from the Wharton School. He later earned his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and returned to Fort Lauderdale to enter private practice.
Ever since he was one of the owners of the racehorse named Run For The Honey, winner of 18 races, Chuck became a devoted racetrack enthusiast and was almost as happy following horses as he was fishing.
But the water was never far from Chuck’s thoughts.
He became an exceptionally accomplished fly fisherman and tournament angler. His long record included major honors in the Miami MET, Don Hawley Tarpon Fly Tournament, Gold Cup Tarpon Fly Tournament, Golden Fly Tarpon Tournament, Redbone and numerous other competitions.
Chuck was a longtime member of the Rod & Reel Club of Miami, where he earned numerous honors and its Master Angler Achievement Badge. Among his proudest achievements was earning Miami MET Master Angler. He also held two IGFA world records and three Florida state records on fly tackle.
In 1996, Chuck made the decision that would define the next chapter of his life: he left the practice of law and became a full-time professional fishing guide.
For nearly three decades, Chuck followed the seasons and the fish. Summers were spent in Bozeman, guiding anglers on Montana’s rivers. Winters brought him to Islamorada and Florida Bay, where he specialized in fly fishing and particularly loved pursuing tarpon at night.
A trip with Chuck was a performance. When a client hooked a monster tarpon or challenging trout, RA became part guide, part coach, part play-by-play announcer and part comedian. His clients were always fair game for his irreverent commentary, and newcomers could expect to be initiated into Chuck’s world as “googans.”
His fishing reports became legendary. They weren’t merely accounts of what was biting; they were elaborate stories filled with exaggeration, humor and affectionate abuse of his clients and friends.
For all his own fishing accomplishments, Chuck took enormous pleasure in watching other people catch fish, particularly beginners. He understood that a great day on the water was measured not simply by the fish caught, but by the laughter, friendship and stories that came home with you.
Yet behind the larger-than-life Rear Admiral persona was an extraordinarily thoughtful man. Chuck loved sending cards and personal notes. He remembered birthdays and celebrated his friends’ accomplishments.
His friendships weren’t casual. Some began during childhood in Melrose Park and lasted the rest of his life. Others were forged at St. Andrews, Wharton, UM, the legal community, on Montana rivers, in the Florida Keys and through countless days spent together on the water.
Chuck could also be wonderfully mischievous. Friends knew that whenever he had done something he probably shouldn’t have, his familiar defense was likely to follow:
“You think I want to be like this?”
Chuck leaves his sisters, Bella and Gayle, along with an extended family of lifelong friends, fellow anglers, clients and fishing companions whose lives were made considerably more interesting — and usually more entertaining — because they knew him.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
