Merritt Island’s Mid-Century Fish Camp on the Barge Canal
Under the shadow of the Christa McAuliffe Bridge on the Barge Canal cutting thru Merritt Island is the ruins of the once active Tingley’s Fish Camp. Once a busy fishing camp for wandering anglers, this waterfront camp was rented to the Tingley family (Dave and Ann Tingley) from the Canaveral Port Commission in 1958. The fish camp was known merely as the Barge Canal Fish Camp before that.
Growing up on Merritt Island Captain Richard Bradley knew the Tingley’s and attended church with their family into the 1990’s. Ann Tingley was a devote Christian and member of the First Baptist Church of Merritt Island. Dave Tingley (her husband) was an avid fisherman and personally ran the fish camp and was seldom seen at church services as he’d be tending the store and counting shrimp as bait to the many anglers that would either boat or drive in.
Dave Tingley died in 1978, and it seemed the heart & soul of Tingley’s Fish Camp passed with him as it never regained it’s former stature afterward. Dave’s wife Ann attempted to manage the place for twenty more years, but the challenges of business and the dwindling boat traffic on the barge canal drained most of the revenue from the old Florida style business where weekly fish fries and a waterfront restaurant kept things busy. Manatee zones slowed boating traffic, and large modern marinas and restaurants took business away from the small business, and its quaint location.
Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
Modern Marinas like the Harbortown Marina with millions of dollars of investment capital and facilities slowly eroded on the Tingley’s. With the hour-long commute across Merritt Island, many boaters preferred to launch closer to their favorite area so they could reach their Banana River or Indian River lagoon fishing spot a bit quicker. As time lingered less and less traffic forced the closure of Tingley’s Fish Camp and it was sold a few years ago before the recession and never developed as a condominium community. The remains look like a ghost town overrun by rodents and stray cats with docks and wharves in disrepair and memories that are fading to a generation of Islanders that are almost as rare to find.
Points of Interest on the Barge Canal
If you are traveling east to west along the barge canal, you will immediately notice various boatyards and junky looking marine scrap yards on the south side. Further, into the waterway, you’ll discover Harbortown Marina also on the south side. Traveling farther west is the Sea Ray boat factory immediately east of the State Road 3 drawbridge. Harbortown Marina provides dockage and food that’s liked by many locals.
Passing under the SR3 bridge you see the ruins of the once popular Tingley’s Fish Camp where weekly mullet fries and dining where commonplace into the 1960’s. Once a popular fishing destination, this has become a ghost town as the Manatee Zone speed restrictions prohibited the business from flourishing.
Captain Richard Bradley
Charter Fishing Captain/Guide
Being a husband and father to three incredible women my life overflows with joy. As a lifelong resident and third generation Floridian, my passion is not only my family but the outdoors. It has been a great pleasure to take my family, friends, and customers on fishing excursions on Florida's east coast where I grew up for over five decades.
I love sharing my experiences and writing about my knowledge of where I live and often mix in my opinions and journeys. Please feel free to comment on my writings and express your views and experiences as well. [Captain Richard]
My first time at Tingleys was in 1970. My dads best friend Chuck Baker had a boat and took us trout fishing. We bought live shrimp and fished in Sykes creek. There were no limits back then on trout, and when I came with a full 5ft stringer of trout. My mom was speechless,that is until time to scale them. The place was cool for an eight year old. It had a boat ramp and fuel dock. Live shrimp and crab tanks. They were very nice people to everyone that stopped in. I later in life worked next door at the Sea Ray boat factory. Early eighties and what a difference. We would drop in for a quick lunch and the place was not very busy. When they did catfish fish fries,it was busy. But our area waterways were changing. Our once glassy and sheltered barge canal was changed to no wake. So no more water skiing, and no more stopping in for a quick bite or beers. Tingleys fish camp will always remind me of old Fl. where family run businesses survived from our local waterways.
Thanks for the memories, Andre… We shared that waterway together in our childhood.
That was my first real job. Dave hired me as a kid to dip shrimp, pump gas,park boats, oh yea, and clean restrooms. I was 12 and thank Dave and mrs. tingley( played the organ music for the Friday night fish fry).for lifetime memories.
My parents very good friends of Dave and Ann. Fred Parrish and Pat Parrish. I grew up at Tingleys and loved every minute of it.
Too many Tingley stories for here. I’ll never forget that rainy morning when I watched planes crash into the World Trade Center in the bait shop. Paul, Big Larry, and I sat there glued to the TV. It seems like a lot changed that morning. Rest in peace, Paul.
I didn’t know it was still open when 9-11 happened Dale. But I’m absolutely sure that you and I did stuff around there. Probably up to no good. 🙂
My grandparents Howard and Connie Gresham managed Trails End Trailer park that was on the north side of the Barge Canal (Tropical Trail). My grandfather was a fireman and the lure of Florida fishing brought him and my grandmother to Florida from Georgia in the 50s. My parents joined them in 1966 and Tingleys was always part of every fishing trip we had. My grandfather got me into fishing at the age of 2 and to this day I still remember the smell of the bait shop as we pulled our boat along side to pick up bait and our staple, two fried egg sandwiches. Some small talk,3 dozen shrimp, a few extra trout touts and we were on our way. Like mentioned in prior post, those were the days of gin clear water and heavy stringers of trout.
My grandfather knew the owner well and I still remember sometimes we’d slip out and take a drive up to Tingleys on the weekend. He’d have his one Budweiser beer while I would have the best grilled hamburger on the planet.
Oh what I give for one more fishing trip with Granddaddy and a fried egg sandwich from my favorite bait camp! 🙂
Thank You Danny, that was from the heart. Granddads like that are priceless.
I am a Tingley!! My Grandpa Dave (died before my birth) & Nan (Ann) made that place into a local hot spot in it’s day. That was my home for so many years. Best place ever for a kid to grow up; learned how to work hard & get “fish on.” thanks for this memory!
I know your Mom well, I’m so glad you found this article. Thanks for the comment, if you have any more thoughts and history, please feel free to add them.
Tingley’s was a favorite spot for us, our boat and our kids. Favorite memories : trying to get the little goats to get out of our big Oldsmobile sedan, and on another day, my husband arriving home in the boat without the dog — having left him at Tingleys. Jett was waiting patiently on the dock when my husband got back there to pick him up. All the Sunday patrons were waiting, too, to see how long it took my husband to realize he had left the dog. It is one of those places in that lives in the sweet times of our younger days on this island.
Great memories, thanks.
I lived at Tingley Fish Camp for several months in 1975. My best friend and I both quit college in Iowa for a year and moved to Florida. We lived right at Tingley’s in an old school bus that had been renovated into a little mini home! We loved Dave and we loved the Friday night fish fries. The shower house used to freak us out with all the spiders 🕷 but just sitting there in the beautiful morning sun looking across the street at the beach was worth it! I saw my first manatee come up out of the water right in front of my feet dangling in the water! I also fished there and caught a stingray! I have the most fondest memories of Tingley’s! I’m so glad I found a picture of the old place! I’m gonna frame it for my wall in memory!
Thanks for sharing… Memories only live when we share them.
I lived in a subdivision off of state road 3 called King’s Park. I was the adventurous type as a kid. My most vivid, cherished memory of my childhood in Merritt island is of riding my ten speed bike with fishing pole in tow to Tingley’s at ten years old. An impossible trip for kids now I’m afraid.
I remember my relief at finally arriving to the barge canal bridge, going over the bridge and hanging a right to turn into that downhill ride to stop at a brick grill area near the water.
I recall the smell of salt water and fish as I made my way across the wooden dock, down to the bait area.
Everyone was friendly, smiling, welcoming, hospitable and warm.
After getting bait I went down to a little beach rocky area next to the bridge columns. I sunk my line with no bobber down beside the deep concrete wall and caught sheephead and sailor’s choice all day.
Blue skies, orange groves, fishing, exploring, Merritt island in the 70’s was magic.
Thanks for sharing Scott, it was truly a magical place and time.
Can you still camp at tingles or is it totally closed for camping.
Sadly, Tingley’s has been replaced by condominiums.
Luis/ Tony Vazquez, we grew up fishing the Indian River, shooting ducks and camping on the dregg islands. Bought my first outboard Evinrude, a 5.5 from Dave. We ran the river like two free kids, caught fish from the end of Merritt Island to eight mile hole.
What can I say? It was a GREAT Time!!
I miss Tingley’s stopped in with my Dad many years! He loved the smoked mullet. We used to get out bait there all the time. It was nice to be able to just pull up to the dock from the canal. I sure do miss it!
One of Brevard Counties landmarks gone and soon forgotten. Thanks for sharing.