Turn "what-ifs" into dreams come true.
Stu Apte was one of the original pioneers of landing big tarpon with a little fly and light tackle -- 10 and 12 weight rods. He was a Pan Am pilot for many years, a pretty favorable position if your true passion is casting for game fish in the most world's most beautiful destinations. Stu would bid to pilot specific flights to take advantage of a favorable tide. Eventually, he took a furlough from Pan Am, and became the an extraordinary Florida Keys fishing guide.
I met Stu about four years ago. He runs a group out of his Golfito Sailfish Rancho in Costa Rica every year. Someone backed out at the last second, and I was lucky enough to slide into the spot. Stu taught me how to land these 90-100 lb. sailfish down-and-dirty, really banging on them and pulling them to the boat in a matter of minutes. He has a reputation for doing that: sharing his techniques and know-how with anyone who wanted to learn. The man cares that much about fishing.
Last year, he decided to start his own tournament, which ran out of the Rancho in early February. Stu's a purist: he wants you to cast the fly, the boat has to be in neutral, and a catch only counts when someone bills the fish - everything to make it as sporting as possible and keep it to its fly-fishing roots. For me personally, that's the only way to go. I went down there with Kyle Holt, a terrific Colorado trout guide I've been fishing with for years.
We had three days of practice and three days of tournament fishing. The practice days were integral; we hadn't seen a billfish in awhile, so it took a few days to find out how hard you could pull on 'em, and more importantly, how to set the hooks. The weather conditions were superb, though they would not hold up for the commencement of competition.
We'd cruise out of the Golfo Dulce at about 6:15 every morning, with lines in at 7:30 and out at 3:30. There were fourteen teams of two, each with its own IGFA certified observer onboard.
The first day was incredibly slow. We were sort of off by ourselves, well away from the majority of the other teams, so between that and the weather, the radio reception was spotty. I caught one sail, the only one we saw all day. Heading back in, we figured our chances to be pretty grim. But as we got close to the Rancho, we realized from the radio that everyone had had a rough day.
Day Two was fairly cloudy. Once again, we stayed away from the bulk of the fleet, looking for sails. It was a bit choppy, and as far as the rest of teams went, it was again a pretty slow day. But I released one while Kyle billed two, and at the end of the day, we found ourselves atop the teams division.
Day Three and we hit upon the perfect conditions: currents swirling on the surface, damp light and cobalt blue water. We figured if we could double our point total, we might be looking good for the win. Sailfish count for 100 points, while marlin score big with 500. A few anglers had hooked up on a few blues, but no one had really threatened to bill one.
Kyle and I each released two sails, bringing our three-day team total to eight, enough to claim first place in the teams division. One angler released five to claim the angler division, and Kyle and I took second and third, respectively.
The tournament concluded with a buffet dinner, awards ceremony, and all-around celebration back at the Rancho. Kyle and I couldn't have been happier. On the way down there, we had both half-joked, "What if we won this thing?" Now here we were, in this beautiful place, accepting a trophy from one of the greatest fisherman to ever stalk the water.
We can't wait to defend it come next winter.
-Baker Bishop
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