| Stuart “Stu” Apte was inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame on December
11, 2005. The induction ceremony also included Mr. John L. Morris
Founder of Bass Pro Shops, George Parker, the Hawaii charter captain, now 94,
who was the first to catch a 1,000 lb blue marlin using IGFA rules, and
fought to have the Pacific blue marlin recognized as a separate
species, Donald J. Tyson a lifelong angler and the Hall’s single largest
contributor, and Edward vom Hofe, angler and maker of fishing reels who
pioneered new drag systems in the early 1900s.
Stu has been a close and trusted friend as well as my mentor for over
twenty five years. I have been fortunate to have fished all over the
world with Stu. In Russia (in 1989 before the iron curtain was lifted),
Costa Rica, Panama, Canada (Gaspe’), Montana, Wyoming, and the Florida
Key’s. Stu has been singly responsible for my success in the Fly
Fishing industry. Thanks to Stu's introductions, I have met and fished with
many excellent anglers and also met more interesting people than I ever
thought possible.
As you would expect, Stu was most humble when receiving this huge
honor. As Andy Mill, (co-host of the event) put it, “The honorees as well as
the guests comprise a sector of the fishing world, a fraternity of
sensitive, loving people who care about one another and the future of the
fishing world”.
Dave Beshara
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