"My Life in Fishing is a poignant reminder of what true legends are made of." - Andy Mill, Olympian, five-time Gold Cup Champion, and author of A Passion for Tarpon
Stu Apte is one of the most recognized and storied figures in saltwater fishing - in all of fishing - and a larger-than-life legend in the sport. He has held, or still holds, over six dozen IGFA world records for various species, gear, line, and tippet. In My Life in Fishing, as only the most accomplished captain and guide can, he shares his tips and insights gleaned from this lifelong pursuit for any and every species, including especially giant tarpon. These are his favorite personal stories, about world records, and winds, and tides, and patterns, and flies, but also about the remarkable people who have fished their way through his life. There are stories and glimpses that you won't find in other history books - an amusing episode with Harry and Bess Truman on board Stu's skiff, an impromptu side-of-the-road meeting with baseball hall-of-famer Ted Williams that led to a forty-year friendship, and an afternoon of drinking Cuban mojitos aboard Pilar with Earnest Hemingway that includes Hemingway's own mojito recipe. My Life in Fishing is more than a collection of engaging stories and fly fishing pointers; it is a glimpse of the development and evolution of the sport, and of saltwater fly fishing at its highest level, through the eyes and anecdotes of the only man who can tell the stories. My Life in Fishing is a seminal work to be treasured by everyone who shares his passion for the sport and the stories that surround it.
"I don't believe anyone has equaled his achievements as a tarpon fisherman: he caught world-record fish, he guided others to world records, and he established the ways it would always be done. Others have caught bigger tarpon in the years since, strictly as anglers, guided by others who found the fish. Apte mastered all parts of the puzzle, from exploration and boatsmanship to the moment of landing. That stands alone." - Thomas McGuane, author of The Longest Silence, from the Foreword "Witty, instructive, and engaging, this master of rod and reel is an angler's angler, and My Life in Fishing is the equivalent of a day in the flats on a school of permit."
- Tom Brokaw, former NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor, host of Buccaneers & Bones
"If stories of angling challenges send your pulse into overdrive as they do mine, My Life in Fishing is a must read!"
- Sandy Moret, Founder, Florida Keys Fly Fishing School and Florida Keys Outfitters
Stu Apte was a fighter pilot in the Navy during the Korean conflict. He then spent the next 34 years flying for Pan Am, while pursuing his 'Reel Passion of Fishing.' He began fly fishing in the mid-1940s and began guiding anglers in the mid-1950s, in the Florida Keys after being laid off from Pan Am. Through the years, Apte has held more than 44 saltwater light tackle and fly rod World Records, including the two longest standing saltwater fly rod records. A 58-pound dolphin caught in 1964 and a 136-pound Pacific Sailfish caught in 1965, both on 12-pound tippet. The Stu Apte Tarpon Fly and Stu Apte Improved Blood Knot are standard items. The Stu Apte Tarpon Fly has also had the distinction of being featured on a United States postage stamp in 1991.In 1969 Apte was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was the recipient of the prestigious Ted Williams Award, and in 2004 for the fifth-year in a row, was the Pro Celebrity Grand Champion of the Backbone Tournament. He had the distinction of joining Ted Williams, Curt Gowdy, Ernest Hemingway, Izaak Walton and Zane Grey to name just a few, when he was inducted into the International Game Fish Association [IGFA] Hall of Fame on December 11, 2005. As a natural extension of his passion for fly fishing, he has written many articles for Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield, as well as his own book, Stu Apte s Fishing In The Florida Keys. Apte has also been Angling Editor of Sea & Rudder, a national boating magazine. He was a contributing editor to Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine, and penned the back-page column, 'Down and Dirty with Stu Apte.' Currently he is field editor for Shallow Water Angler and writes its back-page column, 'Stu Apte on Fishing.' In addition to his writing, Apte has appeared on numerous television programs as an expert fisher.Whenever he is not traveling and leading seminars, Apte resides in the Florida Keys with his wife, Jeannine, where he writes, photographs, and fishes.
