The Best All-Round Angler — Ever?

People love lists: They want to know who was the best passer in the history of the NFL. The best pro basketball player. The best golfer. Car racer. The 100 best athletes. The ten women most likely to change the world. The richest men. On and on and on.

When I was writing FISHING PASSION: A lifelong love affair with angling, there was a heated discussion on "talk radio" as to who was the best running back in the NFL: Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, etc.

This got me wondering. Who was the best all-round fisherman in the history of fishing? After considerable thought and discussion with several knowledgeable anglers, I finally came up with Stu Apte. Remember I said all-round. The more I thought of it, the more I was convinced Stu would get my vote. Here's what I wrote in my chapter on Stu Apte:

"...If I were to pick one person as the world's best all-round angler in the history of fishing it would be Stu Apte in his prime. That's quite a statement, I know, but remember, I said all-round. There are many superb anglers in the world today but my balance swings toward Apte. There are more experienced Atlantic salmon fishermen than Stu, and certainly more successful permit anglers, or superior bass fishermen and better casters than he is, but I'm talking about all-round. Stu is just as proficient with a plug-casting rod or spinning tackle as he is with a fly rod. A number of famous anglers come to mind, but several lack the "big fish" experience and world record results that Stu has achieved throughout the years, while others fish only with a fly rod. Again, the keyword is "all-round..."

Several readers called and challenged my decision: "Yeah, Apte may be great. But the best in world? In the history of fishing?" "Yes, I know that's quite a statement. Any nominations?" I asked. " Well, Curt Gowdy said Ted Williams was one of the best fishermen…"

I told the caller that indeed Williams was a great all-round angler, because he did it all: Ted fished in Canada for Atlantic salmon, in the TVA for smallmouth, in Wisconsin for muskies, and, of course, the Keys for bonefish and tarpon. He also fished Mexico for permit, Costa Rica for sails, the Bahamas for bones, and as a matter of fact, he even caught a huge black marlin of more than 1,000 pounds at Cabo Blanco, Peru. Not many anglers have done that! But Ted didn't like the challenges of extremely light tackle as Stu did on occasion (i.e., landing a 95-pound sail on 4-lb. line), fish as many places for different species, and didn't set 40-some world records.

"I think that Ted was the best pure hitter in baseball, a glorious patriot, a superb all-round angler and a strong competitor," I told the caller, "but if it were possible to devise a mythical all-round tournament And both competed in their prime, my money is on Stu."

"What would a mythical all-round tournament consist of?" He asked. "I don't know exactly, but I suppose stream trout fishing for browns; lake fishing for largemouth; big-game fishing for marlin; flats fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit; fly fishing for billfish; jungle fishing for peacock bass, payara, arawana; muskie fishing in Canada, heavy trolling for marlin, etc. Different segments would require the use of plug casting, spinning, fly or trolling equipment."

Other callers suggested different anglers.

Lee Wulff was one of them. Everyone thinks of Lee as a world-class fly fisherman, which he was, of course, but back in the '40s he wrote many articles on spinning and plug casting techniques, and he loved to fish for bluefin tuna on light conventional tackle and I believe he even hooked giant tuna by casting.

Another caller said that Al McClane was another excellent all-round fisherman. True. I don't think there was ever an angler who had more knowledge in his head than McClane. But he disliked fishing competition.

What about Billy Pate, Winston Moore and other superb fly fishermen? Among the best in the history of angling. But I don't see them casting a Dardevle spoon, at a northern pike (although at one time, I know, Winston was a very good plug caster for bass).

Lefty Kreh? Maybe our best fishing communicator ever. No man has more practical fishing tips than Lefty. A superb caster too, and he's done it all. With all types of gear.

Del Brown? He's landed more permit than any other angler-make that more permit than any two or three anglers combined. And the permit is one of our most elusive species. But he has concentrated almost entirely on permit.

In his prime George Harvey and Englishman John Goddard are generally considered among the best trout fishermen ever. But I can't picture them casting to a sailfish or plugging for a muskie. Can you?

Billfishermen like Jo Jo Del Guercio, Lou Marron and Alfred Glassell and so many others were among the best ever in that category. But casting a No. 22 fly on a Montana stream?

Some suggested a few of captains who guide in the Keys. Ralph Delph is one who comes to mind quickly, but there are others. But again, they lack the rich, varied fishing experience that Stu gained through the years, although I'm sure that they, too, would learn quickly if given the opportunity. Remember, Apte flew for Pan-American Airways for years and fished many of the world's great waters.

Again I'm talking about all-round. Fly, spin, plug casting, trolling. Freshwater. Saltwater. Jungle. Alaska. New Zealand. Central America. Russia. Cuba.

Look, Stu caught a 996-pound black marlin and landed it in 18 minutes! He caught a 161- pound arapaima in Guyana on fly tackle (perhaps the largest freshwater fish ever landed on a fly) plus thousands of tarpon including several world records-and just about every important game fish. He was also one of the most successful Florida Keys guides. Stu invented fly patterns, knots, helped design rods and reels. Many things.

If the above-mentioned top-notch anglers were in an all-round fantasy fishing tournament my money would be on Stu. I may not win, but I like my chances.