Stu 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, while laid off from Pan Am. Through the years, Stu 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 Stu was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame. In 2003 Stu 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. Stu 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 December 11th, 2005.
As a natural extension of this passion for fly fishing he has written many articles for Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield to name a few, as well as his book Stu Apte’s Fishing In The Florida Keys, and was also Angling Editor of Sea & Rudder, a national boating magazine. He was contributing editor to Fly Fishing in Salt Waters magazine doing the back page, “Down and Dirty” with Stu Apte. Currently he is field editor for Shallow Water Angler, doing the back page column, “Stu Apte on Fishing” and has just completed his autobiography.
You can explore the world of Stu Apte in his books and videos available in our online store.