Guy Harvey Magazine — Fall 2011

low res The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 FALL 2011 $6.95

The Art of the

T-Shirt

Conservation meets casual wear and becomes a force for good

Solving the Pacific Puzzle A high-tech approach to tracking billfish

COMPLETE ANGLER Gear, Destinations, Experts & Fisheries

A new journal published every issue in GHM. www.guyharveymagazine.com

1

Introducing Guy Harvey

®

Welcome to color.

For more information or for a retail location near you, please call 1-888-Maui Jim (1-888-628-4546) or visit us at mauijim.com

www. guyharveymagazine. com

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contentS

FALL 2011

DANCE TO THE DEATH The Yucatan’s Isla Mujeres, home to a massive annual sardine run and gathering of predators, is an emerging conservation success story.

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by shawn heinrichs

18 the art of the t–Shirt

36 Solving the Pacific Puzzle

Our man goes inside the operation at AFTCO, makers of Guy

Researchers are using new high-tech tools in a quest to preserve

Harvey T-shirts, and discovers that conservation, art, and fashion

some of the best big game fishing on the planet.

have melded into a powerful cultural force.

by NelsoN ehrhardt, Mark d. Fitchett,

by Fred Garth

Bruce Pohlot

28 BahamaS flatS This portfolio of the shallow-water action off Bimini Big Game Club will stir the souls of flats fishermen everywhere.

by Pat Ford

42 fiShing for WinningS in vegaS

What do marine conservation, sustainable seafood, aquaculture, and fishing gear all have in common? Vegas, baby. Vegas.

by Fred Garth

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aNd

Edited By CAPT. DAVE LEAR

52 CAROLINA LOVE FEST

Spawning redfish converge in North Carolina’s Neuse River,

50 DOCK BUZZ

where fishermen are getting bigger, healthier fish.

CA editor and long-time billfish advocate pushes congress to pass the Billfish Conservation Act of 2011.

by CaPT. Dave Lear

58 BACKLASH

by CaPT. Dave Lear

51 COmPLEAT ANGLER

To kick-off the inaugural issue of CA, we give a nod to Izaak Walton and the book that has inspired fisherman for nearly 400 years.

CA talks fishing with two of the greats, Bill Dance and Mark Sosin, about tactics, favorite baits, tournaments, and more.

by GHM STaff

60 ULTImATE PADDLE BOAT

Kayak fishing improves anglers’ stealth and access. Our expert

by GHM STaff

doles out nuts-and-bolts advice on rigging for success.

by Jerry mCBriDe Brand new to GHM, you can check out the Complete Angler each issue for access to experts, the latest in fishing gear, and the hottest fishing spots around.

Departments

8 10 11 68

guy talk The Art of Doing the Art

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guy HaRVEy RESEaRCH INStItutE Safety Zone

Guy talks about the art and effort behind his iconic

When sharks faced a growing threat in the Bahamas,

T-shirts.

the Guy Harvey Research Institute joined with others in supporting a bold, new initiative.

taCklEBoX Rips and raps from the GHM faithful.

guy oNlINE

by DaryL CarSOn

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MEEt tHE CHEF CREATIVE COMFORT FOOD

Get your pictures published on the GHM website

Chef John Zucker is wowing his Charleston, South

and learn how to score a free magazine.

Carolina, clientele with creative, sustainable, comfort food. You don’t want to miss these recipes.

HERoES IN CoNSERVatIoN Warrior Class

by Sue CuShman

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but these driven and talented individuals have made

laSt CaSt Fishing Moving Water

a profound impact on the oceans.

Editor-in-Chief Fred Garth discovers the hazards of

by greg JaCOSki

expanding his horizons.

There are movers and shakers in every arena of life,

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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Contributor’s profile

CREdits to:

PAt FoRd Pat Ford grew up in the New York-New Jersey area, fishing for most anything he could find. His talent for sports photography became apparent during his years as a journalism major at Notre Dame. He wrote his first article for Salt Water Sportsman magazine in 1969 and has continued to provide stories and photos to nearly every sport fishing publication ever since. He has traveled extensively and has held over a dozen IGFA Fly Rod World Records, ranging from a 196 lbs. tiger shark caught in Florida Bay to a 14.5 lbs. tigerfish caught in Zambia, Africa. For the last decade, Pat has been the chairman of the Golden Fly Invitational Tarpon Tournament, which is held annually in Islamorada. As a retired Miami trial attorney, he is a contributing editor to Fly Fishing in Salt Water and author of The Best Fly Fishing Trips Money Can Buy (Stackpole 2006). His next solo effort, Fly Fishing Day Dreams

Pat Ford

(SkyHorse Publishing 2011), will be in bookstores in October 2011. To see more of Pat’s work, check out his website: patfordphotos.com.

BiLL dANCE

Bill Dance

Considered the first superstar of professional bass fishing, Bill Dance has been an integral part of the sport for more than four decades. He first achieved notoriety on the tournament trail, winning seven of the first 17 events he entered.

Before his retirement in 1980, Dance was three times B.A.S.S Angler of the Year. In the eight years he qualified for the Bassmaster Classic, he earned 23 national bass titles. Dance’s biggest bass to-date is a largemouth that weighed 14 lbs. 1oz. Dance has written seven books on freshwater fishing and numerous magazine articles throughout his career. But his greatest fame has come in front of a television camera. “Bill Dance Outdoors” has aired more than 2,000 episodes since 1968. His companion show, “Bill Dance Saltwater,” runs three times weekly on The Outdoor Channel. In addition to earning the 1978 Congressional National Water Safety Award, Dance has been inducted into the Freshwater Hall of Fame, the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, and the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame.

WE RECYCLE: We’re proud that Guy Harvey Magazine is printed on recycled paper. However, using recycled paper is just the first step. Finding an environmentally-friendly printer is even more important. That’s why this magazine is printed at Publishers Press in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Publishers Press recycles more than 50 million pounds of paper and paper products each year, which saves 10 million gallons of oil, 35,000 trees, and 14 million gallons of water. Publishers Press also recycles more than 300,000 pounds of aluminum printing plates annually and no hazardous wastes are ever sent to a landfill, but are recycled and reused. The company is currently working toward certification by the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership.

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PuBLishER Lost Key Publishing Editor-in-Chief Fred D. Garth Managing Editor Daryl Carson Editor, Complete Angler Capt. Dave Lear Marketing director John Guidroz Circulation director Kat Dean VP of Advertising and Marketing Darren Shepard director of sales and Marketing Ashley Bringman director of Communications Marketing Sue Cushman outside sales Representative Dan Wilson Layout and design Emagination Unlimited Chris Bogan / Aaron Holck internet Gurus Zeekee Interactive Copy Editor Kerrie Allen Contributing Editors Tanya Burnett Kat Dean Dr. Guy Harvey Doug Perrine Danny Thornton Contributors Bill Dance Nelson Ehrhardt Mark D. Fitchett T. Patrick Ford Shawn Heinrichs Jerry McBride Capt. John McMurray Allison Nickell Mark Sosin Bruce Pohlot Jeff Rotman Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Guy Harvey Chad Henderson Bill Shedd Dr. Mahmood Shivji Steve Stock David Wilkinson GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE, Issue 6, Fall 2011.

GHM is published four times per year (quarterly) for $24.95 per year by Lost Key Publishing, LLC, 7166 Sharp Reef Road, Pensacola, Florida, 32507.

Periodicals postage pending at Pensacola, Florida, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Guy Harvey Magazine, PO Box 34075, Pensacola, FL, 32507. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without express written permission from Lost Key Publishing.

Occasionally, we may make all or part of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and/or services that may interest you.

guy talk

The ArT of Doing The ArT While I’d like the Guy Harvey name to be associated

I was invited by Ft. Lauderdale tackle store owner Scott

with a passion for the ocean environment and a legacy

Boyd to take my art to Florida in early 1986, it began to

of conservation and responsible fishing and scuba diving,

sell quite well.

it’s a reality that many people first associate my name

The art was now being seen by a much wider

with the T-shirts that display my artwork. As an artist, I

audience than I had at home in Jamaica. The idea of

count this as a real privilege. It is amazing to have such a

adding watercolor to the ink drawings was suggested by

passionate group of admirers and to have so many from

some collectors and so I began to experiment. It was

diverse backgrounds admire my work. It’s also been a

a natural and important progression for my work. The

great success for giving back to the ocean environment,

attention to detail and focus on scientific accuracy in my

as revenues from T-shirt sales fund so much of the work

pen and ink drawings became the foundation for realistic

done by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. This is

color paintings that struck a nerve among ocean lovers

fitting, too, because the art itself first grew out of my

and fishermen in particular. Just adding a touch of color

studies in marine biology.

added a new dimension to the art and a new level of

Early in my artistic career, I was heavily dependent

acceptance. By late 1986, I was introduced by Scott to

on detailed pen and ink work, which was derived from

Raleigh Werking, the owner of T-Shirts of Florida, and I

Guy Harvey

the need to do scientific illustrations for my university

began to do art for reproduction on apparel. Raleigh was,

is an internationally-acclaimed

research. At times, I would also venture into the realm

and still is, an avid world-record-holding light tackle angler

artist, fisherman, scientist, and

of oil painting to create underwater images, mostly of

and client of Scott’s. At first, I had some reservations

world traveler, who devotes

big game fish in the blue ocean. In the mid-1980s, while

about how well my art would reproduce on apparel, but

much of his time and money

still working on my PhD thesis, I began to dabble in the

Raleigh and his printing team explained the then-new

toward ocean conservation.

field of commercial art, trying to identify a “successful”

four-color process printing would reproduce the art

medium with which to work. The ink drawings I was

authentically.

doing were definitely a hit among fishermen, and when 8

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So we set out with six designs: blue marlin and

dolphin, tarpon, snook, dolphin, grand slam, and sailfish. At the 1987

Harvey T-shirts are produced by Bill Shedd and his team at AFTCO (see

Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show, every shirt printed was sold. We knew we were

article, page 20). With improvements in printing technology, we’ve been able

onto something. Immediately, Raleigh wanted more designs and more species,

to better reproduce each piece of artwork and maintain the integrity of each

including a series of “old man and the sea” images. The mix included inshore

color and design element. And with Bill’s commitment to conservation issues,

and offshore species of game fish, plus some marine mammals and birds, and I

it was easy to discuss the option of giving back a percentage of apparel sales to

had 30 images available the following year.

the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. These funds have been used in grants to

One of the challenges was to adapt my painting style to suit the vertical

many different research organizations working on game fish and their ecology.

17” X 14” format required for T-shirts. The featured fish had to be as big and

A case in point was the response to the Gulf oil spill last year where AFTCO,

as imposing as possible given the dimensions available, and the art was more

GHI, and our dealers reached out to our fan base with two unique T-shirt

of a vignette rather than a full painting. I was also asked to paint species that

designs and raised $500,000 in just four weeks. These funds served as grants

were regional favorites. Many of these I was not familiar with, such as redfish,

to study the effects of the oil spill on fish stocks in the Gulf of Mexico.

sea trout, cobia, and flounders for the Gulf and Southeast coasts. I also painted

Modern technology has enabled all my different styles and media to be

bluefish, striped bass, sharks, and tuna for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and

used in the production of art on apparel, from ink and watercolor to oil,

calico bass, yellowtail, white sea bass, and roosterfish for the California coast. I

acrylic, and photography. You might wonder with all this work completed after

even painted salmon species and largemouth bass.

25 years, do I still paint? Do I even need to paint, given the vast amount of

For me, the process was about much more than recreating an image in a

available work and today’s technology? The answer to both is, “Absolutely!”

studio. I began spending more time in the field researching these new species,

While painting is a business, and collectors of my original art are always asking

particularly those in the Pacific. My scientific training and the attention

for something new, it is also a passion. Styles are continuously evolving and

to detail learned from my pen and ink days paid tremendous dividends.

there are new challenges around every corner. And in each new opportunity, I

Capturing the nuances of each species and its habitat helps give each image an

have the chance to express a profound appreciation for the ocean and to help

authenticity and sense of place that can only be understood from first-hand

preserve its inhabitants.

experience and observation.

Through the years, business relationships have changed and today Guy

Fish responsibly, dive safely. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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TACKLEBOX

R E A D E R F E E D B AC K - E - m A i l S , S N A i l m A i l , T W i T T E R , FAC E B O O K , A N D C O C O N U T T E l E G R A P H

Get in Touch We welcome comments and recommendations from our esteemed readers anytime.

Thanks, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Passing It Along

his paintings.We love it so much, we bought another one.

The mag is awesome and I’m enjoying every page of

Even though these are not originals, they’re just as beautiful,

it. Thanks a lot and I sure will give my friend the other mag

and, for now, have definitely satisfied our desire to own GH

and maybe they’ll subscribe to it. Again thanks!

artwork.

Lee Tran via e-mail

Thanks so much, Howard and Joni KHani Pompano Beach, FL

Fan us on Facebook

Money Where Your Mouth Is Spectacular I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the

Follow us on Twitter

new issue of the GH Magazine! As usual, it was a great

@GuyHarveyMag

@

effort with spectacular photographs and very interesting

Send us an e-mail

reading. Chris and I are so excited to be a part of the

editor@ guyharveymagazine.com

magazine, even in some small part. I wish you lots of continued success.

Have a great day,

Write us a letter

wendi PeTerson, HEll’S BAy BOATWORKS

P.O. Box 34075 Pensacola, Florida 32507

via online

Corrections: Last issue, in “Bright Spots in our Seas,” we gave credit for Michael Patrick O’Neill’s stunning image of Editor’s Note: Guy Harvey received this letter from Triston D. We couldn’t say it any better,Triston.

Dear GHM: As you know, we recently purchased, and received, one of the beautiful limited addition Guy Harvey signed giclée prints, “Double Whammy”, advertised in the back of the Summer 2011 edition of the Guy Harvey Magazine.

We had it framed, and it hangs in our living room. We’ve always admired GH’s work, and dreamt of owning one of 10

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

several goliath grouper on a wreck (page 31) to Tanya Burnett. Apologies, Michael!

In the Spring 2011 issue, in Scott Kerrigan’s “Aqua Paparazzi” portfolio, the in-water photographer shown on page 52 was identified as “unknown.” The photographer is actually Tony Ludovico.

Guy Online

by JOHN GUIDROZ

Check out the new site at www.guyharveymagazine.com

Mags for Free That’s just not cool. To show everyone (that means your friends, also)

GHM Facebook — Picture of the Month

how incredibly awesome our magazine is, we have decided to offer

Do you have an awesome picture that is worthy of being published in

everyone a free test drive. All we ask is that you tell the world about us.

Guy Harvey Magazine? Well, here is your chance to show it off! Recently,

What?! Your friend is not a subscriber to Guy Harvey Magazine??!!

we started posting some of the awe-inspiring images from our magazine Here is how it works…

onto our Facebook page. Our fans have responded and told us that they

Go to HYPERLINK:

love this new feature. So, now it’s your turn!

http://guyharveymag.com

Step 1 — Take a killer picture that is Guy Harvey worthy.

and watch the video of Guy Harvey introducing the new magazine.

Step 2 — Upload and describe your picture at HYPERLINK:

Then, scroll down and do one of the following: http://facebook.com/guyharveymagazine -Tweet about Guy Harvey Magazine -Post on Facebook about Guy Harvey Magazine -Post on your blog about Guy Harvey Magazine After we verify that your link is live, you can get one free issue of Guy

Step 3 — If people like it, we post it. If people love it, we put it in the magazine.

We can’t wait to see what you can come up with.

Harvey Magazine. Existing subscribers can also cash-in and receive an additional issue tacked on to their current subscription. And, yes, you’re very welcome.

Be sure to check out Guy on Facebook

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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In its final stages, the baitball dwindles, and with their razor-sharp bills, the sailfish slice through what remains.

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Conservation’s rewards can be seen each year when predators gather off Isla Mujeres to meet the annual sardine run text and photos by Shawn Heinrichs

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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his is a struggle for survival. It’s raw and furious, a roiling battle between opposing ends of the food chain, with very different survival strategies. At one end is a mass of sardines seeking safety in numbers. At the other are apex predators, armed with speed and teeth. The drama plays out each year when massive schools of sardines follow nutrient-rich waters, driven south by winter storms in the northern Gulf of Mexico, to the Yucatan Peninsula. Drawing the sardines up from deeper water onto the continental shelf, currents lure the sardines into prime hunting grounds of dolphins, sailfish, and bonito.

The sardines aggregate in massive schools, using their sheer numbers as their primary form of defense. The predators, of course, rely on stealth, speed, and a surprising synergism. The first maneuver is made by the sailfish, as they isolate a mass of sardines from the rest of the school, forming a smaller and more manageable baitball, which becomes a whirling blur of scales. The sailfish then set upon the ball with an insatiable appetite. Working as a unit, the sailfish begin to drive the sardines up from below, maintaining the tightly-packed ball by vigilantly guarding the perimeter.

Other sailfish take position under the ball preventing the sardines from making a dash back to the safety of the larger school below. The scene is tightly controlled to maximize the sailfish’s chances of success. But, just as the perfect moment to attack approaches, the scene is shattered by a school of marauding bonito tuna.

Speedy as they may be, the sailfish are no match for the torpedo-like bonito. The bonito drive the whirling ball of sardines swiftly to the surface. The onslaught is relentless, and the ball shrinks rapidly. Dinner is disappearing fast, and the sailfish charge in to reclaim control of the ball. For a few moments, the bonito fight to regain position, but the razorsharp bills of the sailfish are daunting; one well-placed slice from the bill of a sailfish and it is game over for a bonito.

The bonito retreat.

Below, large numbers of sailfish gather again to maintain the floor, while around the ball, sailfish continue to circle.

When the ball approaches, they throw up their sails to block it. With the ball stabilized, sailfish take turns in the feast.

When it’s time to strike, the animal hoists its sail and sends ripples of flashing color down the length of its body, perhaps 14

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The sailfish employ cooperative hunting tactics and form a wall to block the retreat of the sardines while one sailfish moves in to feed.

to signal to their cohorts that it’s their turn to strike, or perhaps to mesmerize their prey. Launching a strike from below and charging through the wall of baitfish, they use their bills to strike and stun the sardines. Scales fly and the injured sardines are separated from the safety of the ball and quickly snatched up in the bills of the sailfish. Frigate birds patrol from above, and as the ball is pushed toward the surface, they dive in and snap up sardines in their beaks.

An occasional pelican joins them, but the birds are cautious.

There are serious occupational hazards involved with diving into a sea of sailing daggers. The assault continues and the dwindling sardines are picked apart from below, above, and all sides.

The fate of the sardines appears to be sealed, but again the hunt is interrupted. Picking up the tantalizing sound of swatting sailfish bills, a small pod of spotted dolphins cruise in to investigate the possibility of an easy meal. The interlopers circle the sardines a few times, looking for an opportunity to make their grab, and when the window opens, they dart in for a try. However, the sailfish far outnumber the dolphins, and having already relinquished control of the sardine ball once to bonito, the sailfish do not intend to let it go again.

After a few quick passes, the dolphins recognize this and move on.

Not long after the spotted dolphins depart, the orchestra of activity is shattered again, a testament to the many predators that patrol these waters. In this case, it’s a larger pod of rough-tooth dolphins, looking to replenish their energy stores on the calorie-rich sardines. They are also teaching a young dolphin in the pod to hunt. The dolphins crash in on the baitball. The sailfish, having worked for hours to stabilize the baitball, back down in deference to the larger and more powerful dolphins. The dolphins alone, however, are not enough to contain the baitball, and in the confusion, the sardines break and are on the run again.

The faster sailfish race after the baitball and surround it, barely containing them before the sardines attempt to dive for safety. This time the dolphins approach more slowly, deferring to the sailfish’s superior speed. This cross-species cooperation benefits both parties.

The sailfish operate the perimeter and the floor while frigate birds work at the surface, and the dolphins take control of the center of the ball. Working in unison, the dolphins roll, twist, and twirl through the sardines, snapping at the fish with their rough teeth, specially designed just for www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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this sort of task. With each pass, they snag fish, give them a quick chew, and swallow them down. In the confusion of the melee, some fish slip through the dolphins’ teeth and make a run for safety. The sailfish are waiting for this moment. The instant a sardine breaks from the group, a sailfish launches in lightning-fast and snaps the fish into its mouth. Once the dolphins and sailfish start working together, the sardines don’t stand a chance. One by one, they are picked off until only a dozen or so remain.

Exhausted,

injured,

and

overpowered

by

the

predators, the stragglers are driven to the surface. Now comes the finale, and in a flurry of action, the sailfish and dolphins pounce on the remaining sardines and finish them off. Silver scales shower down through the deep blue water and the predators disperse as quickly as they appeared.

One lone sardine somehow escapes the attention of the predators and feebly attempts to swim away. However, the injuries it has sustained from hours of dodging sailfish bills, bonito assaults, and the teeth of the dolphins prove too severe, and rolling over, it slowly drifts down into the blue abyss.

A New TreNd When I first began filming the sailfish baitballs several years ago, I caught a brief glimpse of a pod of unusual looking dolphins chasing sardines along with the sailfish. This piqued my interest, and ever since that moment, I have aspired to document dolphins and sailfish hunting in concert.

The following year, I was extremely fortunate when a small pod of spotted dolphins investigated me during a sailfish baitball. Though they made a brief pass through the ball, they seemed less interested in the sardines than they were in me. I have experienced lengthy encounters with spotted dolphins on many occasions in the Bahamas, but in these waters, they are typically shy and elusive. Even when observing from the boat, our crew noticed that when dolphins hit the baitballs, the sailfish would scatter and the action ended abruptly. Our captain, Rogelio, and the crew from Keen M International, who have worked these waters for more than 30 years, confirmed our observations. Never once had Rogelio seen sailfish and dolphins hunting together, and to his knowledge, no film crews who have worked with him have ever captured the behavior.

This season, however, my encounter with the dolphins was a different story. While the sailfish guarded the floor 16

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The speed of the sailfish as they feed is stunning as they race into to strike the sardines.

and perimeter, much like sharks in the sardine run, the rough tooth dolphins worked the inside of the baitball, constantly chasing and feeding on the sardines. When a dolphin managed to isolate a sardine, the sailfish would seize the opportunity and devour the sardine with unfathomable speed and precision. Both dolphins and sailfish worked to their strengths and relied on the other species to cover the gaps.

Given the degree of coordination the two

species exhibited in their hunting behavior, it appeared deliberate and natural to the animals involved. To the best of my knowledge, this symbiotic relationship has not been previously documented or scientifically described.

To witness this behavior off Isla Mujeres is also a testament to the conservation efforts being made in the area. Isla Mujeres, located in the northern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, is just a 30-minute ferry ride from Cancun.

Despite its proximity to this bustling city, the waters surrounding the island are rich with game fish, whale sharks, manta rays, and all sorts of other marine life. Perhaps more than anything else, it is the massive schools of sailfish chasing shoals of sardines that sets Isla Mujeres apart and attracts anglers from around the world.

Sadly, overfishing has impacted most commercially valuable large fish. Some scientists estimate that in the past 50 years, more than 90% of all large fish have been removed. Billfish have not been spared. However, the bill fishing community in Isla Mujeres had the foresight to recognize the economic and ecological importance of managing their seasonal sailfish stocks. Sport fishing boats operating out of Isla Mujeres operate on a catch-andrelease basis. However, even catch-and-release can result in significant losses when sailfish swallow J hooks and tear up their insides. In response, operators in Isla Mujeres are now adopting circle hooks, significantly reducing the potential for swallowed hooks snagging the gut. These policies, along with a concerted push by the community to shield the sailfish from exploitation by commercial fisheries, are creating a bright future for tourism that hinges upon the continued protection of the magnificent sailfish.

In each successive year, I have observed more and more sailfish predating on the sardines. Perhaps a variety of factors beyond our understanding is driving these observed increases. Or, maybe we are witnessing the exciting role a properly managed catch-and-release sport fishing industry can play in safeguarding valuable fish species. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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THE ART OF THE

SHIRT Forget the power suit, in today’s kick-back culture, it’s the t-shirt that reigns supreme, especially when it’s a canvas For conservation

by Fred garth

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y 11-year-old daughter came home from school recently

studying the Gulf of Mexico after the oil spill, tracking shark migrations,

wearing her favorite pink Guy Harvey T-shirt.

developing new ways to DNA-test seafood, tagging billfish and sharks,

“Daddy, there’s a girl in my class who has never heard of Guy Harvey,” she said. “What’s wrong with her?”

I laughed. “So did you tell her about Guy?”

and supporting dozens of other projects to help protect important and threatened oceanic species. And it all begins with a simple Hanes Beefy T. “We’re very fortunate to have a source of funding for the GHOF,”

She raised her eyebrow at me. “Of course I did, daddy!”

said Dr. Guy Harvey. “Without the sale of Guy Harvey apparel, we

The expression was eerily like her mother’s. Wonder where she

wouldn’t be able to accomplish the scientific research we’re doing. We

learned that?

Back in the old days, Guy’s popularity gained traction with the hard-

also fund many other independent scientists that are outside of the GHRI but are involved in essential studies of the marine environment.”

core, blood-and-guts fishing community. The art struck a nerve and the fish stains washed out easily enough. Now GH apparel is gathering steam with a wider demographic, including little girls who love pink and

a comFortable Fit Some people might consider it sappy, but loyalty and ethics are core

think fish stink. In fact, the fastest-growing fan base is school kids—from

principles within the Guy Harvey organization, starting at the top with

college on down to kindergarten.

Dr. Harvey. So when Guy went searching for a T-shirt supplier back in

“This is a brand that has crossed all ages and genders,” said Dick

2004, he looked for a company that shared his values and commitment

Nagel, vice president of sales and marketing at AFTCO, the company that

to the oceans. The search quickly led to the American Fishing and Tackle

makes Guy Harvey apparel. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Company (AFTCO) and President Bill Shedd. Shedd is not only an avid

That’s saying a lot. Nagel, a silver-tongued Missourian who’s lived in

sportsman but he’s spent most of his life working to protect the rights

California for 30 years, has been a marketer for the likes of Nike and

of fishermen, as well as the fish we catch. He was instrumental in getting

Ocean Pacific, both giants in brand merchandising.

longlines and gill nets banned from California waters—two initiatives that

“Normally, a product will appeal to a specific category such as older men or young women, but Guy’s shirts have crossed all boundaries.”

have had a major impact on allowing fish populations to flourish naturally.

“Before the gill net ban, fishermen were catching less than 2,000

I had to agree. I’ve seen it with my own kids.

white seabass annually in California,” Shedd said. “Now we’re back up to

“There’s no doubt that the quality of the art is the most significant

more than 10,000 each year (from a high of 60,000), so all indications are

factor,” Nagel said. “Guy’s an avid scuba diver and fisherman, so he studies his subjects in their natural habitat. He’s a scientist, so he

that the population is on the increase.”

Bill’s passion for the oceans is in his blood. His father, Milton Shedd,

knows their behaviors. And he’s a highly talented artist. It’s a perfect

co-founded SeaWorld in 1964 and was a marine conservationist before

combination that brings an accuracy and authenticity to the art.”

the term even existed. Milt Shedd started the Hubbs SeaWorld Institute

A flash of silver shimmered in my eyes as he spoke.

(HSWI) in 1963, named for Dr. Carl Hubbs, who was the world’s top

“Another major factor in the brand’s growth is its support of marine

ichthyologist at the time. The institute is thriving today with Bill Shedd as

conservation. A portion of every sale goes to help fund the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Young people identify with giving something back to the environment. It’s one of the reasons they’re our fastest growing customer base.”

the chairman of the board.

A lot of HSWI’s work has focused on building hatcheries and getting the fishing community involved in conservation efforts.

“We have a white seabass hatchery here in Southern California,”

In fact, the sale of Guy Harvey’s apparel is the largest source of

Shedd said, “and the local sport fishermen contribute thousands of

funding driving the vital conservation work at the GHOF as well as the

volunteer hours. We’re starting to do the same thing in Melbourne,

Guy Harvey Research Institute. While the GHOF funds research through

Florida, and have other projects in the pipeline, too. It’s really important

grants, the GHRI does extensive scientific research on its own, such as

to get fishermen involved because we’re the ones who use the resource

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Top: Milton Shedd and son Bill Shedd after a good day of tuna fishing, circa late 1970s.

Bottom:The impressive printing facility at Absolute Screenprint in Southern California.

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the most and have the greatest passion for keeping it healthy.”

In 1973, Milt Shedd and his wife Peggie bought AFTCO and the company prospered with their top-of-the-line roller guides and roller

not just because it’s a good business model. It also means there will be more resources to do the work that needs to be done on behalf of the oceans.”

tops for big game fishing rods. At some point, they’d saturated the market. Bill, who had been working under his father’s tutelage for more than 10 years, realized they needed to expand their product line.

“I thought about it for days and days and wondered what else we could make that fishermen needed. I finally had this idea to make fishing shorts. At the time, no one was making apparel focused on sport fishing.

Go West YounG Man When asked how much research he does online versus how much time he spends in libraries, humor writer PJ O’Rourke responded, “You mean they still have libraries?”

It’s true, anything can be found on the Internet these days, but there’s

So I considered it, I prayed about it, and before long we were making

also no substitute for an in-person research trip. So instead of digging

AFTCO fishing shorts. Today, they are still the most widely used fishing

into the Web, I hopped in the big metal tube and flew to the sunny shores

shorts in the world.”

of Southern California to see what this T-shirt thing was all about.

From shorts, AFTCO moved to shirts and other clothing products.

I linked up with Shedd on a Sunday afternoon and he immediately

Graphic artist Terry Simms preps artwork for printing (left). Simon Puril, Cody Shedd,Terry Simms, and Anne Holmes inspect a new shirt design (right).

These days, AFTCO still makes roller guides and roller tops, gaffs, Unibutt

took me kayak fishing in the Pacific Ocean. In a previous life, I’d spent a

handles, outrigger release clips, belts and harnesses, fishing gloves, and

good bit of time diving and spearfishing in California waters. This time,

other big game-oriented fishing products. But the T-shirt has become

Bill taught me how to catch calico bass in the kelp and the nuances of

king.

launching a kayak into the oncoming surf. It’s tricky, especially with fishing

After the Guy Harvey/AFTCO connection was cemented, the T-shirt sales tripled in the first two years. The growth continues and the apparel

for a big, fat, orange seal.

concept has expanded in all directions. Today, AFTCO offers Guy Harvey

A native California dude, Shedd is approaching 60 but has the

shoes, flip flops, hats, shorts, swim trunks, backpacks, jackets, performance

perpetual tan, dark, thick hair, and the physique of someone who has

fishing shirts, collegiate shirts, and the list goes on. The result has led to

enjoyed the West Coast playground his entire life. He played quarterback

more good conservation work by the GHOF.

in high school, he lives at the beach, he surfs, he paddleboards, he scuba

“It’s great to be in business with someone who shares the same

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rods, tackle, and my fear that a great white shark might mistake my kayak

dives, and he drives a Prius. He’s a living, breathing advertisement for the

passions and ideals,” Shedd said. “It has transcended business and

California good life. His shirts say Guy Harvey, but I’m surprised he didn’t

become part of our lifestyle. Sure, we want to sell more products, but

come up with the “Life is Good” clothing line.

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“The Prius gets me access to the carpool lane,” he said. “That’s the main reason I bought it.” Sure, and he’s modest, too.

He and Jill, his wife of 30-plus years, have four kids all living in

a T-shirt because of the different fibers, colored shirts, and the screenprinting process itself.

Magazines and newspapers combine just four-colors—black, blue,

California. In the early 2000s, their son Cody and their daughter

yellow, and magenta (pinkish)—to create a broad spectrum of colors. The

Christie stepped into AFTCO to keep the family tradition strong. Cody

same can be true with T-shirts. However, since moving to AFTCO, Guy

is a numbers guy, which comes in handy in his role as general manager.

Harvey shirts don’t use a four-color process anymore. The shirts that

Christie’s outgoing personality is a perfect fit for her role in sales. The

come out of AFTCO have between 9-14 colors and some have as many

legacy continues.

as 18.

My first stop Monday morning was a giant warehouse that reminded

“We want to make sure there’s an exact match to the art,” said

me of the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the guy is wheeling

designer Simon Purll. “That’s our primary goal. We might have five or six

the ark through an endless line of crates. But AFTCO’s boxes will not be

different blues in one design. Four-color process won’t cut it. It just can’t

lost forever. Several hundred thousand blank T-shirts await their turn to

achieve a prefect reproduction of Guy’s original art.”

enter the world of Guy Harvey art.

And that’s the challenge: take art from the canvas and put it on cloth

Daniel Santomin makes sure the colors are an exact match (left). Cody Shedd and Steve Restivo with a typical screen (right).

As the business has grown, inventory has spilled over into several

so that the two images are one and the same. That begins with scanning

other warehouses. After an exhaustive search, the Shedd/AFTCO team

the original art and modifying it so it will transfer to a T-shirt without

recently purchased a 117,000-square-foot facility to consolidate and

losing quality.

house the entire operation. It’s close enough to retain their valuable staff, many of whom have been at AFTCO for decades.

“We’re very fortunate to have good people who work hard and focus on making great products and providing excellent customer service.

We can ship 98% of any order within two to three days,” Shedd said.

“We might have to add more black to an outline or knock out some background scatter so that it translates to the shirt,” said graphic artist Terry Simms. “We spend hours and hours on the digital files of each T-shirt design to get them right.”

Design director Anne Holmes oversees the team as they move

“And those are custom orders. A store can order as few as six T-shirts.

forward with new designs. “Some of the original designs such as the

Another client might order 10,000.”

Grand Slam are still the most popular T-shirts,” Holmes said. “But we’re

Having been in the magazine business for some 25 years, I have some knowledge of the printing process. Putting ink on paper has similarities to printing on cloth, but it’s much harder to get an exact reproduction on

really expanding in our teen and kids divisions with new looks for kids that probably aren’t hard-core fishermen.”

I pointed out that my daughter sleeps in a pink Guy Harvey T-shirt www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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and only fishes when I make her go with me.

“Exactly,” Holmes said. “Fishermen love the shirts, but so does the general public.”

Once the digital file is complete, the AFTCO art department sizes the image and places the art on various background colors in the computer, representing different colored shirts. The final prep before heading to the printer is overseen by print specialist Daniel Santomin, who studies the colors like a scientist decoding DNA samples. He chooses colors that will print by using a white light box to get a solid starting point. Once they get to the printer and begin the sampling process, the colors they started with might change

based on differences in light, shirt color, base, etc.

“This is how we begin the quality control process and carry it through to the end product,” Daniel said.

I watched the art team in action in their comfy ergonomic chairs and air-conditioned offices. Like the many magazine designers I’ve worked with, their’s is a world of high-powered, big-screened Apple computers, color printers, graphics software, and impressive iTunes collections. And even though there were no calluses in sight, they were about to show me where the real dirty work of the T-shirt business went down—putting ink to cloth at the screen printers.

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The circle of life. A 14-ink press transforms a blank T-shirt into a work of art.

super cool Southern California’s mega T-shirt industry is a byproduct of being located in the center of the surfing universe. The area has spawned companies like Body Glove, Ocean Pacific, Quiksilver, O’Neil, and Rip Curl, as well as Kings of Cool Culture like Tony Hawk, Rob Machado, and Shaun White. Other places might have great surfing, but there is no argument that So-Cal is a teeming cheese fondue of ultimate hipness. That’s why the hottest decals and T-shirt designs have been born of the blonde, bronzed, beachiness that runs from San Diego to Santa Barbara. And I’m a Florida boy, so accepting that I’m a lower primate

of coolness comes hard.

With the best designs come top-of-theline screen printers, and AFTCO has tapped into the world’s top T-shirt printers. This is yet another reason the art on Guy Harvey T-shirts appears to jump off of the cotton. One of those standouts is Absolute Screenprint, run by locals Steve and Andrea Restivo. And this is no garage operation. Absolute is 60,000 square feet of raw T-shirt printing power.

As I walked around the warehouse among a hundred or so workers, I saw stacks of T-shirts for the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Oakley. A half a dozen 14-color presses churned out shirts while Daniel and Simon waited to see how their designs would turn out. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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I wanted to see the entire process from A to Z, staring with Anne and Terry scanning and modifying the original art, then moving to Daniel and

americana Like jazz, hamburgers, and gas-guzzling pickup trucks, T-shirts are part

Simon for further tweaking, and finally witnessing the printing process.

of Americana. First worn as an undergarment by Navy sailors, they soon

Now the rubber was meeting the road and Daniel seemed as nervous

became popular as daily attire in blazing hot, tropical climates. After

as a husband waiting for his wife to give birth. That surprised me,

World War II, tees were commonly worn by veterans with their uniform

considering AFTCO pumps out as many as 40 new designs a year. But

trousers. Then T-shirts rocketed into stardom in the early 1950s when

Daniel was in mental lockdown mode with his antennae fully extended.

Marlon Brando sported one in A Streetcar Named Desire and James Dean

Steve Restivo himself was on hand to squeeze some ink. He clearly knows his way around the rubber paddle. The testing process is all

followed in Rebel Without a Cause.

Since then, they’ve been drenched in all-American culture—from

manual: a man, a screen, a dab of ink, and a squeegee. Once they achieve

hippie tie-dyes protesting the Establishment in the 1960s to the

precision and approve the colors, it moves to the automated press where

ubiquitous Hard Rock Café tees that proved the power of wearable

they crank up the volume. Daniel and Simon nixed the first two shirts.

advertising. Today, it’s almost as common for a company to have a T-shirt

The pink wasn’t right on one and some blues were off by a shade or two

with their name emblazoned across it as it is to have a website and

Dabs of ink wait their turn to grace a T-shirt (left). New product ready for the store shelves (center).Workers fill custom orders (right). on the other. They pulled out the color wheel, made a few modifications, and ran shirts until they got it right. Finally, Daniel grinned.

Steve gave me the nickel tour of his facility, where they can do everything from creating original designs to attaching price tags to shirts.

One of my concerns was the screen washing process where they clean

For Guy Harvey, the transition from fine art to T-shirts was natural.

Tees were part of the fisherman’s core wardrobe and his art was a badge of honor, especially for men chasing blue-water billfish.

The difference then and the difference now is that Guy Harvey isn’t

the ink off the screens using various chemicals. It’s a concern of Steve’s,

into personal yachts and G5 jets. His passion is marine conservation.

too. The entire washing system is self-contained with zero discharge and

The sale of his T-shirts powers that commitment. In fact, it’s having a

they use only citrus-based solvents rather than toxic chemicals.

profound effect on our oceans because Guy’s voice has more reach than

“We recycle everything,” Steve said, “so there’s no waste. And

ever, now resonating in the halls of government. The movement toward

when we replace the old liquids in the washer, it all goes to a certified

more catch and release tournaments, circles hooks, shark-free marinas,

treatment facility.”

and fishery research has been strongly influenced by Guy Harvey’s and

In keeping with Guy Harvey’s conservation efforts, that was good news.

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telephone number.

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Bill Shedd’s vision for healthier, more prolific oceans. It’s pretty amazing what a T-shirt can do.

It’s pretty amazIng what a t-shIrt can do

Daniel Santomin shows off the final product.

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Bahamas Flats Photo Portfolio of Pat Ford 28

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The massive flats east of the Bimini Big Game Club are prime fly fishing territory.

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The incredible permit fishing in Bimini is a well-kept secret.

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Tiny but mighty, this is Pat’s favorite permit fly of all time.

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Capt Fred “Eagle Eyes” Rolle definitely deserves his nickname.

Fins in shallow water always deserve attention.

Pat’s complete arsenal of flies for the Bahamas flats.

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The best all-around flats fly outfit is a 9-weight rod and a top-of-the-line reel.

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Terrytrades Pat Gibson hisstalks camera a school for a fly of rod bonefish in theoff waters Southnear Bimini the Bimini Big Game Club.

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Vaughn Cochran sets up on a big bonefish.

Inches of water can hold such deep joy.

Wading for tailing bones at sunset.

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B

ig game anglers know that Central America’s Pacific coast is a hot-bed of activity.

It sustains world record recreational catch rates and

beckons anglers year after year to Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama for

fascinating dynamic in the eastern Pacific.

Global fishing pressure on marine species has created changes to which entire ecosystems are forced to adapt. Crosscontinental winds in this part of the Pacific force deep oxygen-poor water toward the surface, effectively compressing the viable fish

incredible billfish action. Of course, these die-

habitat into the upper layers of the ocean

hards are not alone. Along with recreational

(Fig. 1). As a result, large areas of the open

boats, commercial longliners also know this

ocean are stratified, allowing marlin and sailfish

stretch of ocean. The result has been a growing

to feed on concentrations of prey at different

competition for a finite resource. For those

times of the year. Understanding how predator

concerned with the survival and long-term

and prey species adapt to seasonal and natural

health of this important fishery, the central

changes in their habitat is critical for successful

question has become just how finite the

management. And the stakes are high.

resource might be and what needs to be done to protect it.

The value of the eastern Pacific’s billfish

There has been an 86% decrease in sailfish abundance and a corresponding 42% decrease in trophy size (Fig. 2) in the eastern

population is not hard to understand. Even

tropical Pacific Ocean. Even more than

setting aside intrinsic value to the natural

those numbers is the fact that local

world and focusing on raw economics yields

governments have not reacted with any

a compelling argument for conservation.

conservation programs to protect these

Research has shown that recreational fishing

valuable fish. Currently, the average number

yields a much more potent economic impact

of sailfish caught in daily sport fishing

per fish than commercial operations. A billfish,

trips in Guatemala and Costa Rica differ

caught and released, generates anywhere from

dramatically (Fig. 1). The difference in catch

$800 to $2,500 in tourism revenue, while a

rates between the two nations is the result

billfish caught by a longliner and brought to

of a greater number of commercial fishing

shore for human consumption only nets $60

operations carried out by coastal longliners in

to $100. Despite such a strong economic

Costa Rica than in Guatemala and has Costa

incentive to promote catch-and-release

Rican sportfishing operators understandably

fishing, there are few, if any, regional billfish

concerned. In the meantime, catches per

management strategies in place, and local enforcement is simply non-existent.

Complicating these issues is the simple fact

trip are historically sustained in Guatemala except during strong El Niño years when seasonal habitat compression along the

that billfish rarely stay put in one area. Their

Central American region does not fully

migratory nature means that even if regulations

develop due to weakening winds.

are in place in one locale, they are meaningless

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to the next, and researchers have discovered a

Each of these dynamics—billfish

in the remainder of the billfish’s range.

migration, seasonal habitat changes,

Therefore, a viable approach to protecting

commercial and recreational fishing

billfish must encompass an area larger than

pressure—adds a new layer of complexity

traditional management zones. The catch is

to effectively studying and managing billfish in

defining the region. Part of this process is

the eastern Pacific. It all adds up to a pressing

understanding why billfish move from one area

need for what researchers call ecosystem-

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Figure 1. Seasonal upwelling and ocean stratifications off Central America (upper right) and sailfish catch trends in Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Figure 2. Trends in relative sailfish population abundance and trophy size in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Figure 3. Electronic satellite logbook system with satellite antenna and Smartphone system (left), and ocean productivity and ocean circulation with encounters of sailfish documented with satellite logbook system off Guatemala.

Figure 4. Rechargeable satellite tag with detachable components to include accelerometer, earth’s geomagnetic detection unit, oceanographic data detection unit, and antenna and computer unit with high data storage capacity.

Figure 5. Portable, scientific hydroacoustic system to assess billfish prey biomass. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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based management (EBM) strategies. To tackle the issue, the Central

earth’s geomagnetic gradients to determine a fish’s location rather than

American Billfish Association (CABA) based in Miami, Florida, has joined

using extrapolations based on light levels and the earth’s inclination.

the University of Miami Billfish Science Research Initiative in studying the

Once a tag releases from a fish and reaches the surface, it uploads

region. What’s exciting about this partnership is the use of a brand new,

recorded data via satellite to the research team. Using solar energy to

integrated, and high-tech approach to data collection. It includes three

recharge its batteries, the tags have a lifespan of a full year. Enhanced

components: a satellite logbook system to help assess overall billfish

battery power and an extremely large storage capability allow the new

populations, a satellite tagging program to track billfish migrations, and a

tags to record variables of location, temperature, depth, acceleration, and

hydroacoustic monitoring program to track prey species billfish used for

angular velocities of the animal. Being able to record the acceleration of

food.

billfish is a unique concept that can help reveal feeding and reproductive behaviors in time and space and with respect to ocean conditions.

Technology To The Rescue The first step was to develop and deploy a satellite logbook system that collects sportfishing catch data on a real-time basis. This system effectively uses recreational anglers and boat crews to be the eyes of

Furthermore, these tags have the capability to record ambient oxygen levels, which is likely a key factor in how these animals are distributed in the three-dimensional, oxygen-deprived, eastern Pacific Ocean.

The third and final component of the project consists of scientific

researchers every time they’re on the water. The system allows them to

hydroacoustic surveys to map the location and abundance of the

log location and time-stamped encounters with billfish and with other

billfish food supply. Specifically, this soundwave-based technology

important species such as tunas and mahi-mahi, as well as observation of

helps researchers understand the seasonal shifts of the abundance and

dolphins and longline gear encountered at sea.

distribution of the billfish prey species that attract these apex predators

The system uses a waterproof Smartphone device with a touch

to the Central American region. With the assistance of digital, real-time

screen. This links wirelessly to a satellite antenna via Bluetooth (Fig. 3).

oceanographic maps, and information from the aforementioned projects,

This unique satellite antenna immediately sends out real-time information

the investigators select specific areas of the ocean where prey species

on the location of the vessel and billfish encounters to a server at the

are most likely found. When the data is collected and combined with

University of Miami. The handheld device allows the boat crew to move

information gained from satellite logbooks and satellite tags, it paints a

freely throughout the vessel and log any encounter, and record specific

highly detailed picture of billfish habitat, movements, food supply, feeding,

characterizations such as caught-and-released fish, bites, and raises (fish

and even spawning behaviors.

visually seen around a sport vessel). The crew can also record types of fishing gear used, such as fly, bait, or lure.

This highly detailed and real-time information gives researchers

The unique skills and technology that have come together in this CABA/University of Miami team is providing the researchers and fishery managers with the information they need for effective conservation

exactly what they need to determine the relative abundance and

measures. And the best news is, it’s just the beginning. NOAA recently

distribution of billfish. They can also compare this data with known ocean

granted a multi-year population dynamics fellowship to one graduate

conditions taken from other satellite sources: things like temperature,

student to specialize in billfish population dynamics while a second PhD

sea level, ocean currents and fronts, chlorophyll production, and dissolved

student has been recruited with CABA funds for the same purpose. With

oxygen. This kind of integrated information approach has never before

these educational efforts, the University of Miami Billfish Science Research

been used in the monitoring, assessment, or forecasting of any fishery—

Initiative looks to not only move forward with conservation measures,

let alone billfish.

but to develop a new group of scientists responsible for preserving these

The second element in this research project is a satellite tagging

fish and their ocean in the future.

component that will give scientists specific information about billfish behavior, travel patterns, and habitat use. Cutting-edge technological advances by satellite tag developer and manufacturer Desert Star Systems have made these tags far more affordable than in the recent past. Instead of nearly $4,000 per tag, researchers are spending about $1,500 for each unit, greatly increasing the amount of data that can be collected. These new Desert Star Systems tags also log fish movements in time and space with far higher precision than traditional satellite tag models. Using technology employed by the U.S. Navy submarines, the tags use the 40

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The CABA/UM research team is open to cooperative efforts with other research institutions and individuals interested in advancing knowledge of billfish in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Anyone interested in further information and collaboration can contact the University of Miami Billfish Science Research Initiative, Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt (nehrhardt@rsmas.miami.edu) at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Ph: (305) 421-4741.

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Fishing For Winnings in Vegas A curious, AquAtic vibe is Alive And well in the desert

BY Fred GArth

I first rolled through Las Vegas in 1976 when the

meat, but the truth is,Vegas has become even more

food was cheap, blackjack was $2 a hand, and The Strip

of a grandiose destination, a glittering carnival of eye

consisted of a smattering of moderately cheesy hotels.

candy, and home to some of the planet’s most fantastical

I was just a college kid from Alabama in a beat up Chevy and barely enough money to spring for the $2.99 prime rib dinners they used to lure in impressionable wayfarers. It worked.

This past July, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) hosted its annual trade show in Vegas and, I must point

shows and delectable restaurants. They’ve grown up from Wayne Newton’s crooning and Don Rickles’ insults to full on Cirque de Soleil extravaganzas, a spectacular theatrical production of The Lion King, and the world’s best acts from U2 to Blue Man Group.

And, finally, the City of Flashing Lights is the undisputed champion

something out here, the town has changed just a wee bit. I booked a

of the consumer and trade show universe. Every convention worth its

room at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and felt like Jed Clampett

feather boa eventually lands in Vegas. I find this both weird and comical

stumbling into Beverly Hills. The Mandalay Bay complex houses 26

because the world’s glitziest town is the last place you want to be

restaurants, a humongous cement pond with an authentic sandy beach, a

working. It has perfected every possible distraction from hard labor

1.6 million gallon aquarium, a lazy river, a ritzy shopping mall, and a private

known to man. It tugs you in every direction except toward your paying

“toptional” pool area. Oh yeah, there’s a casino, too.

job. This is a place that teases and tempts even the most moral and

When I first came to Sin City, the fountains at Caesar’s Place were considered an attraction. Crowds of gawkers gathered to watch.

Now, the waterspouts have been trumped by a plethora of amazing

diligent humans. It’s where you don’t want to keep your business cards handy.

Or, perhaps the distractions make Vegas the perfect place to host a

ostentatiousness from the faux Italian village at the Venetian to replicas of

convention and I’m still just a naïve kid from the Deep South longing for a

the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Sphinx, and New York’s skyline.

cheap meal.

Where else can you get Egypt,Venice, Paris, and the Big Apple within

Unless you elect to move there or spend a month or so on a

a few city blocks? Only in Vegas, my friend. Add to that a few tongue-

perpetual tour, there’s no way to experience all of Las Vegas in a single

swallowing roller coasters, a zip line that runs over the top of Main Street,

stay. You just have to pick and choose which shows, restaurants, and

an elaborate network of monorails, escalators, pedestrian overpasses, and

attractions you want to take in and where you prefer losing money.

an army of taxis, buses, limos, and water gondolas, and you’ve just begun

Since Guy Harvey Magazine has everything to do with water and marine

to scratch the surface.

conservation, I focused on that genre, starting with the world’s biggest

Do I miss the Vegas of old? Well, I’ve always been a sucker for cheap 42

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fishing show.

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43

Above: Bird’s eye view of the show floor. Below: Fishing machines: the Hobie and Diablo kayaks.

ICAST The first thing I realized when I strolled around the show floor was how many companies make fishing lures. I guess it makes sense, but this being my first ICAST, it just never occurred to me. Sure, you have your big guys like Rapala and Yo-Zuri but there are a boat-load of mom and pop lure makers showing their wares.

ICAST also tilts a bit toward the freshwater

kayaks and can push them along as far as 20 miles on a single charge. But they also have an

fisherman. Big saltwater names like Penn and

outboard that is equivalent to a 10 horsepower

Shimano were well represented, but there were

that is causing some waves among the gasoline

also tons of lake and river folks who know

burners. I’m still working on my ultimate green

more about bass and muskie than tuna and

boat with quad Torqeedos and solar panels to

marlin. Not that there’s anything wrong with

run the whole machine.

that. The American Sportfishing Association

Overall ICAST was incredibly impressive.

sponsors the event and claims to be moving

It’s a trade show so it’s generally not open

more into the saltwater realm. Sounds good

to the public. But if you ever get a chance to

to me. And I noticed a few other media

represent a fishing company, it’s worth a walk

companies that key in on the salt life.

about. ICAST 2012 is in Orlando.

Kayaks were also quite prevalent and, as we all know, kayak fishing is booming. Hobie is a big dog in the hunt but I also liked the Diablo built out of Texas. Speaking of kayaks, one of my favorite companies, Torqeedo, was also on hand with their nifty electric outboard engines.

Torqeedo has a compact unit that retrofits on 44

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Chef Moonen.

Cioppino – a favorite at rm seafood.

The downstairs restaurant.

rm seafood

RM: Well, mainly because it’s the right thing

region, so I believe the future for the Gulf is

to do for the planet. And, we don’t have to

very promising.

Of the more than two dozen restaurants in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, only

compromise quality. The customer still gets

one serves 100% sustainable seafood. Not

a healthy, delicious meal. We have some

GHM: Do you think aquaculture is the answer

that the others are bad—I liked all that I

incredible shellfish—clams, oysters, mussels,

to our seafood needs in the future?

sampled and I even enjoyed the cuisine at the

and scallops—some from the East and West

RM: It’s absolutely a huge part of the

House of Blues twice. Despite my skepticism,

Coasts and also the Gulf of Mexico that are

equation. Right now, around half the seafood

authentic jambalaya is easy to find in Vegas.

all sustainable. Wild caught salmon, halibut,

we consume is farmed, and that number is

And fortunately, so is responsible seafood. In

lobster, king crab, Dungeness crab—all

growing. We can actually get farm-grown

fact, Chef Rick Moonen, owner of rm seafood

incredibly delicious and all sustainable.

caviar and game fish like pompano and cobia.

It’s not just catfish and tilapia anymore. And

in the MB Resort, is one of the planet’s most respected sustainable seafood chefs and is a

GHM: You mentioned the Gulf of Mexico.

the real beauty is that you don’t even need

recognized expert in the field. Moonen works

Did the oil spill affect what you buy?

to be near the ocean. A new company, Blue

with leading authorities such as the Monterey

RM: After the spill, we just didn’t know

Oasis Pure Shrimp Farm, just north of Las

Bay Aquarium and has been on numerous

what to expect and I think the future is still

Vegas, has just started producing farmed

television programs (including Iron Chef)

uncertain. But from all indications, the Gulf

shrimp. Years ago, we would have never

touting the virtues of eating seafood that does

has come through really well. It is a massive

thought of growing shrimp in the desert, but

not deplete or damage our marine resources.

body of water with a tremendous flow and an

these guys are doing it very successfully, and

As the ever-diligent journalist, I tracked

amazing amount of nutrients. That’s why it has

they recycle their water and their waste so it’s

always been such an incredible fishery.

all done in a very responsible way. For us, it

Chef Rick down at his restaurant to ask him a

means we can buy local shrimp that we might

few questions.

GHM: You visited Destin, Florida, along the

have imported from another country before.

GHM: Is it harder or easier to find sustainable

Gulf Coast recently. How did that go?

seafood than it used to be?

RM: It was impressive. The commercial

GHM: What’s the future of sustainable

RM: It’s about the same. I’ve been doing

fishermen, for the most part, are acting

seafood?

this for a long time and we’ve been serving

responsibly and seem to have a genuine

RM: I believe the future is very bright.

sustainable seafood here since we opened

concern for the resource. There’s such an

Certainly, we have some major issues like

the restaurant eight years ago. It’s something

abundance of great seafood in the Gulf—

longlining and some of the big commercial

you really have to stay on top of because

red snapper, cobia, grouper, tuna—and it’s

fishing fleets, but there are a lot of bright,

some species have come back and others are

imperative that those fish stocks are managed

hard-working people focused on sustainable

coming under more pressure.

in a sustainable way. I’m optimistic because

seafood issues. We’ve made great strides

the stakeholders down there are very engaged

on many fronts and I believe we’ll continue

GHM: What is the genesis of your

in the process. Plus, there’s a tremendous

to have more and more sustainable seafood

commitment to sustainable seafood?

amount of aquaculture developing in that

choices. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

45

One of Shark Reef ’s two walk-through tunnels.

the feast

warm. In fact, our server, David Silva, offered

and have even been scuba diving in The Living

the perfect blend of prompt, yet non-intrusive,

Seas, Epcot’s 5.7 million gallon aquarium. Shark

complete until I sampled the fine cuisine. That’s

service and catered to our every need. Many

Reef may not be as huge as some aquariums,

the kind of hard-hitting journalist I am. Anything

thanks to Chef Rick and his staff for creating a

but given Guy Harvey’s monumental efforts to

for the story. That evening I returned with a

gorgeous and modern restaurant that serves

save sharks from being annihilated across the

healthy appetite and a gorgeous blonde. Yep, fair-

sustainable seafood that is also délicieux!

planet, it’s great to see an aquarium focused on

My visit with Chef Rick would not have been

haired beauties are in abundance in Vegas. Of

the ocean’s apex predator. It’s also very well-

course, this hot blonde is also my wife.

conceived. Not only are the displays intriguing,

While my honey feasted on sustainable

the walk-in shipwreck surrounded by the big

sushi, I went big and ordered the Pacific halibut

shark tank is super cool. However, one of the

with scallops and clams. Ou la la! We topped

most impressive aspects is the educational

our meal off with a perfectly chilled Pinot Gris

and conservation focus at Shark Reef. Backlit

from France and some sparkling water from

displays highlighted key facts about sharks from

Italy. Tres bien! As I mentioned earlier, I was

their plight in the shark fin trade to what sharks

introduced to Vegas in the ‘70s with all-you-can-

like to eat (hint: it’s not people). It’s almost as if Guy Harvey himself consulted with the creators.

eat buffets (they still have those) and cheap steak (not so much). Sitting in rm seafood, dining on fine cuisine that is also sustainable, was an

shark reef In addition to rm seafood, one of the main

In all, Shark Reef has more than 2,000 animals including piranha, jellyfish, a rare

experience I can only describe as fantastique.

reasons we booked at the Mandalay Bay was

golden crocodile, and an impressive collection

For some reason I speak French when I eat

because of its world of water. In addition to the

of lionfish. Once inside, you forget you’re

fabulous food.

fab pools at the resort, they have Shark Reef, a

surrounded by desert, and it’s easy to meld

1.6 million gallon aquarium. I’ve toured a bunch

into the cool blueness of the undersea world.

of aquariums, from San Diego to New Orleans,

The main shark tank has toothy sand tiger

The restaurant is outfitted with lots of stainless steel and the staff was friendly and 46

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

The cool pool at Le Rêve.

Education is a big part of the Shark Reef experience.

sharks, sawfish, reef sharks, and a nice variety

by Sally Oyer,Vegas concierge extraordinaire,

as well as coupons galore. They make their

of rays. It’s also available to MB guests who

to see Le Rêve (French for “The Dream”),

money on commissions from the places they

want to scuba dive in the 22-foot-deep shark

another water-intensive show, at the Winn

book for visitors so, as they love to say in Vegas,

tank. The price tag is a bit high ($650), but it’s

Resort. Simply put, it was mind blowing. It’s not

“everybody wins.”

a three-hour event and a chance to mingle

a Cirque show but it’s very much Cirque-esque.

with sharks who are not interested in winning

The performers are amazing, the costumes are

your money. Overall, the aquarium has 100

wild, and the round theater doesn’t have a bad

sharks encompassing 14 species. There are two

seat in the house. The pool in the middle is

extraordinary, I wouldn’t say that this town is a

awesome walk-through tunnels giving a diver’s

sometimes a stage for the actors/acrobats to

beacon of conservation. When they talk green,

view without getting wet. The admission of

perform incredible antics and sometimes a deep

they’re referring to cash money. However, it’s

$18 for adults and $12 for kids is well worth it,

enough pond for them to plummet 70 feet from

amazing that the marine conservation message

especially when you compare it to other Vegas

the domed ceiling and plunge into the roiling

is permeating our culture so effectively that it’s

attractions. Can you say $150 for zip lining?

waters. Tickets are fairly affordable (as low as

reached a place that sucks down megawatts

$120 each) and if you go, prepare to laugh while

like predators feeding on a bait ball. Shark

also being amazed.

aquariums, sustainable seafood, farmed shrimp,

Le RÊve One absolute highlight of a Vegas holiday is going to a big show. Some of the city’s highest rated are the Cirque de Soleil shows including

DeaL in The DeseRT While the Vegas experience can be

and who-knows-what’s-next are making a new TRaveL Tip

kind of green imprint in the desert.

Even if you’ve been to Vegas and know

The Beatles and the iconic O that has been

your way around, using a concierge service is

Also a big shout out for Rosalind Terlitzky, Melissa

playing for more than a decade. O is famous

a good idea. These are real people who know

Eichelberger, David Silva, Ken Langdon, David

for its water elements and I was amazed when

the town, what’s hot, and what’s not. Many of

Gonzalez, and Ashley Farkas for their assistance in

I saw it back in 2001. I wouldn’t have minded a

them don’t charge a fee and can get discounts

making my rm seafood/Mandalay Bay experience

repeat performance. However, we were steered

on show tickets, restaurants, and attractions,

one of the best ever. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

47

Alligator · Amberjack · Blue Crab · Bluefish · Clams · Flounder · Golden Tilefish · Grouper King Mackerel · Mahi Mahi · Mullet · Oysters · Pompano · Rock Shrimp · Scallops · Sheepshead · Shrimp Snapper · Spanish Mackerel · Spiny Lobster · Stone Crab Claws · Swordfish · Tilapia · Yellowfin Tuna

Florida Gulf seafood is rigorously tested in state food safety laboratories. For information visit MyFloridaGulfSafe.com.

volume 1, issue 1 fall 2011

Carolina reds • bill dance & mark sosin • ultimate kayaks • billfish bill

paSS tHe BIllFISH BIll Unless you’ve spent your summer vacation chillin’ in Antarctica, you’ve been inundated with news about the current political climate in Washington. Democrats are pointing fingers at Republicans and vice versa.

The president is walking a tight rope and the Tea Partiers are stirring the

by capt. dave lear trickle-down impact on local jobs and economies is huge. So passage of the law would have repercussions far beyond our own borders.

Billfish are primarily taken as by-catch in non-U.S. commercial tuna and swordfish fisheries. The by-catch is harvested and sold internationally, with the United States as the largest importer. For

pot. Poll numbers for politicos are about as low as a limbo pole at a drunken beach party. Yet, in

nearly two decades, the U.S. has had a ban on

spite of all this rancor, there is at least one ray of

the sale of Atlantic-caught billfish. But the same

bi-partisan hope—the Billfish Conservation Act of

protection doesn’t extend to those harvested in

2011.

the Pacific. This loophole creates a blatant black

Introduced by Senator David Vitter (R-LA)

market for the protected Atlantic species, since

and Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL) with 11

enforcement is nearly impossible.

co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, this

A ban would have little impact on the

important piece of legislation would significantly

commercial fishing industry. Billfish account for

help restore declining numbers of billfish. If

just 0.07 percent of the total annual revenue from

passed, the law would prohibit the sale of all billfish

commercial harvest in the United States. Besides,

(marlin, sailfish, and spearfish) in the United States.

there are numerous sustainable—and better

It would still allow for traditional fisheries within

tasting—alternatives for restaurants and retailers

Hawaii and the Pacific Insular area. Swordfish

to offer instead of billfish. In fact, based on ethical

would not be included in the ban.

sensibility, a long-running PR campaign (“No

“Several billfish species are in serious decline

Marlin on the Menu”), and sporadic supplies, most

according to a recent global assessment by

responsible establishments have already quit selling

the International Union for the Conservation

billfish.

of Nature,” says Rob Kramer, president of the

“The Billfish Conservation Act of 2011 makes it

International Game Fish Association and a

clear that the future of billfish is not for sale,” says

proponent of the bill. “This is a wonderful step by

Ken Hinman, president of the National Coalition

Congress to recover billfish and create new jobs in

of Marine Conservation, another group supporting

the sportfishing and marine economy.” The IUCN assessment concluded

the bill. “Hats off to Congressman Jeff Miller, Senator David Vitter, and the

that blue and white marlin are now threatened, and striped marlin is nearly

bi-partisan co-sponsors of this legislation for making sure there will always

threatened with extinction.

be plenty of billfish in the sea, for this and future generations of anglers.”

Regarded as royalty among the marine species, billfish are apex

Still, passage is not guaranteed. Nothing in Washington ever is. That’s

predators that play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy ocean ecosystem.

why all of us citizens need to pick up the phone or start banging out those

They are the ultimate catch for recreational anglers, with a healthy release

emails. Urge your senators and representatives to support the Billfish

the overwhelming result. The sport creates thousands of jobs in the

Conservation Act of 2011.

marine industry and generates billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. In developing nations like Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala, this renewable resource is a major portion of each country’s gross national product. The 50

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

Do it for the fish! Do it for the jobs and the economy. Do it because Congress needs all the positive vibes it can muster.

Let’s get ’er done.

On the cover: A Guy Harvey fan (hint: see T-shirt) casts into a massive, churning school of redfish. Photo by Chris Hart

tHe compleat angler

by GHM StaFF

Not much stands up to the test of time. Americans live in the same

books written by Charles Dickens,

house an average of only seven years. When a television fritzes out, we buy

Jules Verne, Washington Irving, and

a new one. We change cell phones more often than underwear, and most of

many more. There was once a resort

us have a graveyard of old fishing reels, poles, and lures that are more likely

in Bimini called The Compleat Angler

to rust than get repaired.

where Hemingway frequented and

So in our throw-away society, it’s amazing, especially in this age of

there is still a hotel on the River

iPads and digital publishing, that a book about fishing has stood the test of

Thames in England called Macdonald

time. Of course, calling The Compleat Angler a fishing book is like calling the

Compleat Angler Hotel (nothing to do with Big Macs). The name is simply legendary.

Even though the first edition of Walton’s book was published 358 years ago in 1653, many of his

Izaak Walton

statements are as true now as the day they were written. Here are a few of our favorites: “Angling may be said to be so like the mathematics that it can never be fully learnt.”

“As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler.”

“And for winter fly-fishing it is as useful as an almanac out of date.”

“Angling is an art worthy the knowledge and patience of a wise man.”

“You will find angling to be like the virtue of humility, which has a calmness Image Courtesy J.N. Bartfield Galleries, New York City Constitution an old piece of paper. Written by Izaak Walton in England in

of spirit and a world of other blessings attending upon it.”

“No man can lose what he never had.”

the 1600s, The Compleat Angler is THE fishing book. It’s the quintessential volume on the subject.

For this reason, we’ve named our new fishing-only section in Guy Harvey

“We may say of angling as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries: ‘Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did;’ and

Magazine after the world’s most respected fishing book (with an updated

so, (if I might be judge,) God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent

spelling, of course). Our goal is to represent the name with respect and

recreation than angling.”

do it justice. Not that it needs more notoriety. Walton and The Compleat Angler’s fame is already steeped in our history. His name has popped up in

“This dish of meat is too good for any but anglers, or very honest men.” www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

51

The Neuse River plays host

52

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

as big redfish

gather to

spawn

Text and photos by Capt. Dave Lear

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

53

side from the quaint village of Oriental, there’s nothing particularly romantic about North Carolina’s Neuse River. The brackish water and surrounding marsh isn’t exactly the ideal setting for a romance novel. The beach is not easily accessible for moonlit walks. And the odds of finding a pair of bathtubs from a Cialis commercial are about a billion to one.

Yet every year, from August until early fall, these fertile waters are the scene of one giant love fest. Big bull redfish gather here to spawn, and the ritual not only provides a special sportfishing opportunity, it’s also a showcase for good fisheries management.

“This is really a great success story,” Capt. George Beckwith told me as he anchored his 23 Parker center console last September in the middle of the broad river basin. “When I first started guiding in 1994, we only caught the little bitty guys and the great big fish. There

“Starting in August, these fish spawn on

was a missing link of young adults. But now

the full and new moons,” she explained. “One

four years until

we’re regularly catching those fish that are

female can potentially spawn 10 to 20 times

they grow to more than

spawning for the first time and that’s great to

per season. The males attract females by

30 inches, then they’ll move

see. North Carolina has finally done it right by

drumming, and release milt when they match

offshore. If the full moon is late

protecting these future generations.”

up, so that’s a lot of eggs being fertilized. We’re

in September, they’ll bug out right after

Beckwith makes that statement with

now seeing a huge amount of young adults in

that. I tagged a 30-inch fish a couple years ago

obvious pride. Besides running his successful

the 30- to 40-inch range. The regulations that

and it traveled from the river through the ICW

guide business, he is married to Anna Beckwith,

are in effect are working and these fish are

to Morehead City. It made 24 miles in 14 days

who is an at-large member of the North

now making it to adulthood.” The bag limit for

before it was recaptured. By October, the big

Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission. The

redfish in North Carolina is one fish, 18 to 27

fish will be out along the Outer Banks.”

two met when she was doing her graduate

inches, per person.

work in Biologic Oceanography at North

54

for three to

“The Neuse River is 28 parts per million

The Neuse River has very little current, so Beckwith depends on the wind to move water

Carolina State University. She joined us on

salt to fresh, so it’s a brackish estuary,” George

and the fish. He anchors near shoals, starts

the boat and gave me the background on this

added. “This is really the factory for North

chumming, and lets the fish come to him. There

unique fishery.

Carolina’s redfish. The juveniles will stay inside

are times, however, when the reds will corral

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

menhaden on the surface, frothing the water

the Owen Upton redfish rig. Named for the

fresh-caught mullet. Menhaden cut in half is

white while feeding. During those conditions,

long-time local guide and avid conservationist,

another option. He cuts the tails off those

it’s possible to cast bucktail jigs into the melee.

this unique set-up was designed to prevent

to add more scent to the water. Beckwith

Beckwith has also witnessed times where the

gut-hooking. Using a short section of

normally fishes up to six rods at a time.

big bulls will chase small flounder to the top

100-pound fluorocarbon leader, the rig uses a

where they’ll skip like Frisbees in an attempt to

snelled Mustad or Eagle Claw circle hook up

easily manage to get to,” he advises. “I tell my

escape. The reds will also lay up in very calm

to 14/0 in size. The small rigs incorporate a

clients if the rod bounces or moves, pick it up

water on top of shallow bars, barely moving

two-ounce egg sinker, while the larger ones

and start winding. Don’t set the hook! I don’t

with dorsal fins or tails exposed, which requires

bump up to three ounces. The leader length is

like to put too much pressure on these fish.

a stealthy approach. But the anchor-and-chum

three to five inches long, but always less than

They wear out soon enough.” The fight time

method is the most productive, by far.

six. Rigging beads (the color doesn’t matter)

on the 20-pound tackle is typically less than 10

lock everything in place, with the line doubled

minutes, ensuring healthy releases.

“It ain’t pretty fishing, but it works,” he says.

“The bigger fish will be in deeper water.”

between the sinker and the crimps.

Beckwith’s typical arsenal is 20-pound

“It’s really a hard concept for people to

“You don’t want to fish more than you can

“These fish grow relatively fast until they reach 40 inches,” Anna adds. “After that they

class spinning rods loaded with 300 yards of

grasp at first,” Beckwith explains. “But the

grow from 1/8 to 1/4 inch per year. Anything

monofilament or braid with four to six pounds

weight actually drags the hook to the corner

over 45 inches long is going to weigh 15 to

of set drag. Using a Bimini twist, he ties on

of the mouth. The amount of gut-hooked fish

20 pounds and by the time they reach those

up to six feet of 60- or 80-pound wind-on leader to protect against chafing from other lines or fish. The final

is less than four percent since I started using this rig.”

For bait, Beckwith

piece of terminal tackle is

uses chunks of

lengths, they can be 20 to 30 years old.

Age studies have determined that redfish can live to 60 years old, so it’s very important to quickly fight and properly release these big spawners.”

Named for a local Neuse River guide, these Owen Upton redfish rigs help eliminate gut-hooking.

www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

55

During our afternoon outing, we caught and released seven giant drum topping 36 inches. I scored my personal best, a monster pushing 50 inches and 50 pounds. Two other guide boats fishing nearby tallied 25 and 36 reds apiece with multiple anglers.

“We average 10 fish per trip during the peak spawning season,” he says. “A good day is where everyone on the boat catches a couple citations apiece. A North Carolina citation red is one 40 inches or longer. It’s not unusual to land 30 fish, and the best I know of is 62 on a trip. But when you’re talking about fish of this size that pull as hard as they do, it’s all good. Especially when you know they’re going to be here year after year. As long as we continue to protect them.”

To book your own Neuse River Love Fest for giant red drum, contact Capt. George Beckwith at (252) 671-3474 or visit downeastguideservice.com.

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Thanks to successful conservation efforts, more redfish are making it to adulthood and anglers are seeing much greater numbers of fish between 30 and 40 inches. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

57

Mark Sosin and Bill Dance reflect on the sport they’ve helped define.

by GHM Staff

CA: What’s the toughest fish you ever caught and Why? MS: One of the toughest fish I ever caught was a 53-pound, 6-ounce yellowfin (Allison) tuna in Bermuda from an anchored boat on a 10-weight fly rod. Until then, no one ever talked about dead drifting a fly in a chum slick.

I figured it out in desperation when the tuna kept refusing my offering. The battle raged for over an hour and the fish totally stripped all the line off the reel right down to the knot on the arbor twice.

BD: We filmed a television show in Destin, Florida, and I managed to catch two, 10-pound sheepshead during that taping. What is amazing to me is how light those fish bite. You really have to concentrate to catch ‘em. We titled that show “Light Biters, Big Fighters.” You have to focus or you’ll miss a sheepshead bite. They

An award-winning writer, photographer, radio personality, and television producer, Mark sosin has been covering sport fishing for decades. He is the author of 30 books and his popular television show, Mark Sosin’s Saltwater Journal, is in its 27th season. He is enshrined in several honorary halls, including the International game Fish Association.

are the toughest little fish I’ve ever tried to catch. But then again, any fish can be tough at certain times.

CA: Who is your favorite fishing partner?

MS: My father was my favorite fishing partner.

He helped me catch my first fish when I was three years old and instilled in me a love for the sport. Dad was patient and understanding as I learned to fish and kept taking me with him whenever he could. In the process, not only did he teach me to fish, but proved to me that fishing embodied skill rather than luck.

BD: My grand-daddy got me interested in fishing. He taught me a lot in those early days, sitting on the creek bank beside him in middle Tennessee. He’d tell me how to read the currents, the transitional zones, and eddy waters, what fish do. He was the most instrumental of all in getting me started in this

Widely recognized as bass fishing’s first superstar, Bill Dance won 23 national bass tournament titles before retiring from competition in 1980. He’s written seven books on the sport and starred on the Bill Dance Outdoors television show, filming more than 2,000 episodes since 1968. Dance has also been honored by several angling organizations, including the IgFA. 58

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GuyHarveyMagazine. com www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

great sport.

CA: WHAT Is YOUr BIggesT LIke Or DIsLIke ABOUT FIsHIng TOUrnAMenTs? MS: In my mind, fishing always encompassed

a personal challenge between the fish and me.

spinnerbait with a no. 5 silver Colorado blade.

BD: Any place you fish can be a challenge and

The ultimate experience is sight fishing, spotting

Why? That weight and blade size is the most

that’s the truth. The sport itself is a challenge.

a fish before you cast and getting it to eat your

universal. Black holds its identity better than

I don’t care how determined you are. When

bait. Then, it’s a one-on-one game. My only

any other color in a variety of conditions. The

you compete against Mother nature and her

tournament experience has been in celebrity

silver finish on the blade reflects better than

creatures, you’re not going to win every time.

events for charity, yet it became obvious that

any rainbow color. And a Colorado blade

There will be days you’re on top and days

tournaments tend to bring out some of the

has more water resistance and tremendous

you lose. And that’s where the real challenge

worst traits in people if they feel they have a

vibration, so you can work it slower and

comes in.

chance to win.

effectively throughout the entirety of the

BD: Tournaments opened a lot of doors

water column.

for me. They helped me become a better

CA: WHAT Is THe BIggesT IssUe FACIng fisheries?

fisherman. I learned to fish different types of

CA: WHere Is THe MOsT CHALLengIng

MS: There are actually two major issues

water and was introduced to many different

pLACe YOU ever FIsHeD?

facing sport fishing. The first centers on getting

techniques. I wouldn’t be where I am now

MS: several situations come to mind for my

young people involved in it. The youth of today

if I hadn’t spent those 14 years competing in

most challenging trip. But I would have to pick

spend more time playing video games and

tournaments. But toward the end, my anxiety

one in particular with a captain out of Tumaco,

chasing other pursuits than they do thinking of

level was so high and I was going so hard,

Columbia, in the pacific. We were fishing

outdoor recreation and going fishing. We need

traveling all over, that I finally gave them up.

aboard his 52-foot boat powered by twin

to find a way to encourage more young people

Ford, six-cylinder tractor engines. I had fished

to become fishermen. At the same time, it’s

CA: IF YOU OnLY HAD One LUre Or FLY

with this captain before off Costa rica and he

imperative to protect and manage fish stocks

TO Use THe resT OF YOUr LIFe, WHAT

was impressive. In Columbia, however, he had

on a worldwide basis. Without fish to catch,

WOULD IT Be AnD WHY?

discovered drugs along with his deckhand. We

few people will take up the sport and those

MS: If I were limited to one lure for the rest

had one meal a day and were “lost” for two

already committed may look for alternative

of my life, it would be a white, lead-headed

days. Finally, faced with torrential rains, we

avocations.

bucktail jig. To me, this is the universal lure

decided to go in at night. The captain and mate

BD: Our river systems, the tributaries, and

and I have taken more species on it than I can

were both sound asleep below and I brought

ox-bow lakes are absolutely infested with Asian

count, from bonefish to sailfish. I may or may

the boat in from 35 miles offshore in driving

carp, and these invasive fish keep spreading.

not hang a plastic worm on the bucktail’s hook.

rain with whole mahogany trees floating in the

They have no predation other than catfish and

The bucktail is completely versatile and can

water. Finally, we made it into the harbor and

cormorants, and they occupy so much available

be fished from the surface to the bottom with

anchored. An Indian picked me up in a true

water they’re displacing our native fish. It’s

equal success.

dugout canoe and raced for shore with me

ruining our freshwater fishing and the situation

BD: My go-to bait under any adverse

paddling in the bow. If you’ve never been in a

is only going to get worse until something is

conditions would be a 3/8-ounce black

dugout, it’s a ride you’ll never forget.

done about it.

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59

ULTIMATE Paddle Boat Expert advice on how to rig your

Text and photos by Jerry McBride

kayak for maximum fish-itude.

I’m not a gadget guy. My kayaks generally reflect a simpler-is-better philosophy: two rods, paddle, seat, life jacket with whistle (required by law), anchor, and a bag of 3-inch plastic shrimp. To me, the beauty of kayaking is the simplicity. However, simplicity has its limits. Simple kayaking taken to the extreme is just extremely painful. The key to successfully rigging a kayak for fishing is finding the sweet spot between necessities and niceties.

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Kayaks are small, but they can produce big results, like this healthy speckled trout (left). Anglers can also maximize fishing time by using a cart (right) for quick and effortless launching.

In or out?

The choice of boat is obviously the first con-

nIce Wheels I’m pretty sure kayaks have gotten heavier as I’ve

My fishing day may consist of 12 hours in the saddle, so I’m picky about what I sit on, and don’t

sideration. Two lines of kayaks have evolved from

gotten older, because hoisting them over my head

mind paying for it. Inflatable seats are comfortable

the skin-covered, individually sculpted hulls that

isn’t as much fun as it used to be. Unless you back

and relatively inexpensive, but in my experience,

transported Arctic hunters a millennium ago: the Sit

right down to the water or have a partner share the

their air bladders often enjoy a limited life span. My

Inside Kayak (SINK) and the Sit On Top (SOT).

load, a kayak cart takes the weight off your shoulders

preference goes toward an adjustable high-back seat

and speeds launching and loading. Pull the boat off

with a zippered storage pocket, a 2-inch-thick foam

traditional SINK cockpit, equipped with a splash-

your vehicle, pop it on the cart, and load it up like a

cushion and saltwater-grade hardware, such as those

proof spray skirt, offers lower-body protection

wheelbarrow. Seats, paddles, cooler, anchor, tackle—

offered by Surf to Summit. They’ll set you back $125

from the elements. Because the paddler is virtually

it all wheels down to the water in one trip, which

to $200, but quality seats are accompanied by a

seated on the floor, a low center of gravity enhances

also minimizes exposure to the dawn and dusk bug

lifetime warranty.

stability.

bite. Utilizing a wheeled cart also prevents the goug-

Long associated with cold-water use, the

Southern anglers overwhelmingly prefer the Sit On Top version, especially for wade-fishing, which is popular on Florida grass flats and a recognized

These seats fit virtually any kayak, but may require

ing incurred from dragging a thin plastic hull over

the installation of plastic or stainless anchor points in

rough terrain.

the cockpit and tank well to secure them in position.

There are a number of universal strap-on carts

If you have a nearby storage hatch that provides

religion among Texas fishermen. The reason:

on the market. However, Hobie’s Plug-In Cart

interior access, installation is simple and requires

slipping over low SOT gunnels is far easier than the

personifies simplicity. Slip it into the scuppers under

nothing more than a drill, screwdriver, and wrench.

contorted gymnastics necessary to access the hatch-

the tank well, and you’re ready to roll. Light, compact,

Spend the extra buck on stainless bolts, nuts, and

like SINK cockpit. Waders can opt for a canoe-like

no straps. The bad news: it only fits a Hobie.

large backing washers. Lacking access to mounting the washers and nuts from the inside, use a rivet gun

open SINK, but these lack scuppers, making them questionable for use in choppy conditions. The

calloused KayaKers

to lock the anchors in place. These, or additional anchor points, are also handy for attaching paddle

raised SOT deck allows for self-draining scuppers,

A few select kayaks feature raised mesh chairs,

which keep water from accumulating on the deck

but standard seats generally leave a lot to be desired

and rod leashes to the hull if you kayak offshore or in

and swamping the kayak. And in the event of a

in terms of comfort. Some manufacturers don’t

rough conditions.

rollover, no bilge pump is required to clear water

include a seat, period. Either way, unless your paddle

Your hands might also appreciate a little padding.

from the cockpit of the sealed SOT hull. Flip it over,

sessions are very short, your butt is likely to demand

Foam Yakgrips ($14.95, www.cascadecreek.com) are

crawl back in, and go fishing.

an upgraded seat in short order.

cheap insurance against blisters and hand fatigue.

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61

Protect thyself

com), Ram (www.ram-mount.com) and Driftmaster

exception when the pompano invade my trout flats

Gear gets wet aboard a kayak, and salt water

(www.driftmaster.com) produce most of the holders

in the winter. A small Styrofoam box inside the front

devours metal and electronics. Store cell phones and

on the market. The contours of your kayak and avail-

hatch, or secured by bungee cords behind the seat,

cameras in watertight cases or plastic storage bags.

able deck space may determine which you choose.

easily ices lunch, drinks, and a couple pomps.

Waterproof cameras are even better. Spray fishing

Positioning them can be a tricky proposition—think

reels internally and externally with water-displacing,

before you drill.

anti-corrosion protectants, and perform routine maintenance on a regular basis.

If the holders simply serve as rod storage, place-

Offshore anglers transporting a cobia, amberjack, grouper, or kingfish back to the beach face a tougher task. Strap a center console fish box onto

ment isn’t critical; stick them where they won’t inter-

your kayak, stuff it with fish and ice, and you’ll need

fere with casting or paddling. If you intend to troll,

a snorkel and periscope. Shaped to fit the curvature

more than boaters. Polarized sunglasses, nylon

however, place them in front of the cockpit so you

of a kayak, soft-sided fish bags from Kingfish Koffin or

wading pants, long-sleeve shirts, and wide-brim hats

can see the rod tips subtly bend if you snag a weed.

Surf to Summit feature an inch of insulation, yet slide

should complement the lavish use of sunscreen in

Holders need to be mounted far enough forward so

easily inside most front hatches or bungee to the

the summer. Light, breathable waders over layered

that they don’t interfere with paddling, but not so far

rear deck without adding unmanageable weight or

clothing deflect winter waves and wind.

forward you can’t reach them.

dangerously threatening your center of gravity.

hold It doWn

bases, which come in various shapes and sizes. Large

Kayakers are also exposed to the elements far

Rod holders require the mounting of permanent

no anchor clanKers

Modern kayaks intended for anglers typically

square or rectangular bases may not be compatible

feature a pair of molded rod holders behind the

with the limited flat spaces available within the con-

compact, 1.5-pound folding anchor seems like the

seat. These are perfectly adequate for most grass

fines of a kayak cockpit. Gunnel mounts especially

perfect tool for the job. But I have two problems

flats snook, trout, redfish, and pompano expeditions,

dictate the use of narrow rectangular or diamond

with it. Folded up, it clanks around on the deck, the

especially for waders. The last thing kayakers should

bases. Backing plates or large washers are manda-

sound undoubtedly transmitting through the hull.

do is add weight, clutter, and prep time by clamping

tory; a big offshore fish striking at 50 mph might

Worse, if you have to deploy it in a hurry with one

on extraneous gear. The exception comes if you

otherwise rip a holder out of a thin-plastic hull. As

hand, it may not grab something solid before that big

troll. Outward-angled rod holders emulate big-boat

always, stainless hardware is essential.

snook drags your kayak into the mangrove roots or

outriggers, spreading the rod tips and greatly reducing crossover tangles on turns. Although they may be sold under a variety of names, Scotty (www.scotty.

Given a kayak’s weight and space limitations, the

dock pilings. Depending on the depth and bottom

cool It I’m mostly a catch-and-release guy, but I make an

composition, I prefer a tall, flexible stick anchor, such as the 7-foot Stick It Anchor Pin, or a lead-filled

You may not need all these accessories, but each can make a significant difference in how well your kayak functions as a fishing platform: (top, left-to-right) digital camera, depth finder, padded oar handles, properly sized mounting hardware, soft-sided fish bag, rod holders, proper footwear, anti-corrosion protection for reels, paddle, tube anchor, kayak cart, and custom seat.

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Cutout

copper or aluminum tube anchor with bendable wire

Kayak fishing can provide access to hard-to-reach shallow waters

grappling legs. They’re cheap, easy to make, store

and a stealthy approach for fish that are normally skittish.

silently, and hold bottom flawlessly.

lIve BaIt deBate Two dedicated kayak livewell systems have come on the market in recent years that keep larger baits such as sardines or mullet happier than the traditional 5-gallon bucket fitted with an air stone. The advantage of either is that they prevent the buildup of heat and waste products by circulating fresh water through the tank.

Shimano offers a soft livewell bag that fits virtually any kayak. Hobie’s hard-plastic model is designed specifically to overlay Hobie drain holes to draw and dump water through the scuppers. The overflow is height-adjustable and regulates the amount of water in the tank. Vertical rod holders attach to either model.

Now, let me play devil’s advocate and lay out the downside to kayak fishing with live bait. First, there’s the time factor. Why spend what is often the most productive hour of fishing collecting bait instead? Fish are least wary in the low-light hours of early morning and readily susceptible to artificial lures, which also enjoy the benefit of prospecting immensely more water.

Second, combine the weight of a cast net with a livewell full of water at eight pounds per gallon, and the kayak is now crowded, top-heavy, and slow.

Worst of all, consider the noise. Aeration systems are fine in 10-foot depths or offshore. But in two feet of water, where stealthy kayaks excel, electric noise (this goes for trolling motors and sonars, as well) radiates through the hull and announces that all is not well in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood.

fInal thought A well-appointed kayak can provide transportation, stealth, and all the tools necessary for a productive, successful day on the water. Accessorize with care and you’ll fish as smart as you feel. www.

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63

www.guyharveyjewelry.com

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GUY HARVEY JEWELRY

STAR FISH VISIONS

Make a difference this year. A percentage of every jewelry sale is given to the GH Ocean Foundation.

Prices starting at $49.95

Offering Guy Harvey sunglass holders, dog collars, key chains, lanyards, hat & visor holders, luggage tags & totes!

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New micro-lot coffees fresh roasted locally and delivered to your door! Register online today for 20% off- code: Guy Harvey.

Entertain with Guy Harvey glassware! These leadfree glasses are great for everyday use. Sold as a set of 2.

www.flashsales.com FLASH SALES

Check out Guy Harvey underwater cameras, as well as other hot items at low Flash Sales prices.

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HEROES IN CONSERVATION

WARRIOR CLASS

By GREG JACOSKI

The driving force behind the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is a group of passionate professionals that turn conservation science into real-world success stories. Some call them the board of directors. We like to think of them as conservation’s gladiators. This issue we feature Jim Harvey.

Top tier marine conservation research and innovative educational programs are the keystones of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF). However, these fundamentals are only as useful as the people

Management District. Both have been a tremendous asset in GHOF’s efforts to push for marine conservation.

As Harvey moved from the public to private sector, his experience

they inspire and the changes they enact. That is, if research findings never

with water management benefitted him even more. Acting as a lobbyist

reach the general public and lawmakers that can effect change, then the

on behalf of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, he helped obtain

data is basically worthless.

government funding to re-train displaced fishers into aquaculture. Harvey

To help promote the GHOF to lawmakers and to further the mission

liked the concept so much he became directly involved in aquaculture

of marine conservation within the Florida State Legislature, the GHOF

when he helped organize the management group for South Florida

relies on Co-Chairman Jim Harvey. Harvey, no relation to Guy Harvey,

Aquaculture (SFA). As chairman and CEO of SFA, he helped to develop

has a diverse but interconnected background that spans the worlds of

a successful and environmentally-friendly seabass hatchery at the edge of

politics, business, and marine conservation.

the Florida Everglades.

Harvey has been the co-chair of the GHOF Board of Directors

South Florida Aquaculture produces a hybrid seabass known as

since its inception in 2008, and was vital in the non-profit organization’s

Everglades Seabass that is sold to restaurants and distributors all over

establishment. An urban planner by training, he has served under four

Florida and as far away as New York. The facility has the capability

governors at two of Florida’s largest water management districts. Being

of producing 350,000 pounds of seabass annually. This takes loads of

responsible for these districts, Harvey demonstrated his ability to not

pressure off local fish stocks, allowing those natural populations to thrive.

only grasp complicated environmental issues, but also manage large

And, as with all of Harvey’s ventures, this was accomplished in the most

groups of people involved in very complex projects.

environmentally sustainable way possible.

These district managers take on vital importance in a state as “water-

In this case, SFA has a much lower rate of water consumption than

centric” as Florida. Harvey’s districts included the environmentally

most fish hatcheries. By harnessing the natural water flow from Lake

critical and important Everglades region. He gained first-hand knowledge

Okeechobee to Florida Bay, these Everglades Seabass are raised in the

of aquatic and marine ecosystems and an understanding of how

equivalent of a mountain stream. And the small amount of water that is

legislators perceive these areas while serving in the South Florida Water

used gets replaced, and the discharged water is higher quality than when

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it was first used. Not only does SFA ease the pressure on natural fish stocks, but they also act as a filter for Everglades’ ground water. Harvey’s ability to run a profitable and environmentally beneficial business speaks volumes about his passion and character.

Harvey continues leveraging his experience as a lobbyist on the nonprofit side as well to do the conservation work that he enjoys most. He has a governmental appointment to the Save the Manatee Committee, and as chairman on the Florida Conservation Association, he was integral in creating a constitutional amendment to end net fishing in Florida. Harvey has been just as beneficial in guiding the GHOF through the maze that is the state government.

In addition to providing the GHOF with the tools necessary to implement legislative changes based off its research findings, Harvey most recently led the push to get the Guy Harvey “Catch Me…Release Me” specialty license plate approved by the state. The proceeds from the sale of this plate benefit the GHOF and will provide the organization with a steady source of funding for the near future. He is also one of the first people to review scientific proposals submitted to the Foundation, and gives great insight into the direction of the group’s research efforts.

When he is not pounding the podium in Tallahassee, fighting for marine conservation, Harvey enjoys boating over to the Bahamas with his wife and their three children. The pristine environment of the islands only reinforces his desire to maintain Florida’s unique marine ecosystem. www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com

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guy harvey research institute

SAFETY ZONE

By Daryl Carson

Guy and company throw their weight behind total shark protection in the Bahamas.

The Guy Harvey Research Institute is well regarded for its lab work,

incredible opportunity to advance important shark conservation efforts,”

such as using DNA technologies to aid marine conservation, and for its

says Dr. Shivji. “Because of the involvement of the Bahamian public and

field work, such as shark migration studies. Soon, it may also become

great foresight of the Bahamian government, the future for sharks and for

known for some nifty PR work. During the past year, GHRI assisted

the entire marine ecosystem of these unique islands looks brighter than

the Pew Environment Group and the Bahamas National Trust in their

ever.”

campaign that in July helped bring about a total ban on commercial shark

The Bahamas’ action is part of a worldwide trend in shark protection

fishing in Bahamas’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This ban covers an

and a natural progression for an island nation that has long-valued

area of more than 240,000 miles and will help protect some 40 species of

protecting its marine species. Large marine protected areas (MPAs) that

sharks.

restrict all fishing operations were put in place nearly two decades ago

The need for greater protection for Bahamas sharks was realized in

around the Bahamas and have helped preserve diverse shark populations

2010, when media reports identified an Andros-based seafood company

that are among the healthiest in the world. In fact, scuba divers flock

that was exploring the idea of exporting shark fins to Hong Kong. The

to the Bahamas year-round to participate in interactive shark diving

response from conservation groups was almost immediate, and a number

experiences featuring trained shark wranglers. The result is both

of well-known shark advocates added their support and campaigned

increased appreciation of sharks and a nearly $80 million boost to the

for the cause. This included Guy Harvey, Pierre-Yves Cousteau, and Jim

economy.

Toomey, creator of the Sherman’s Lagoon comics. In the end, the ban on

“The Bahamas’ prohibition on longline fishing gear 20 years ago

commercial shark fishing in the EEZ included a prohibition on the import

protected the marine resources of The Bahamas and ensured that our

or export of any shark products. The latter measure aims specifically at

shark populations would remain healthy,” said Eric Carey, executive

fishing operations seeking to exploit shark populations for the lucrative

director of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). “But there were no

Asian shark fin market.

specific laws in The Bahamas for sharks, the crown jewels of ocean health.

The protection campaign included a petition drive, advertisements, a special logo and poster designed by Guy Harvey, and “field work”

The new regulations…ensure that that sharks can continue to thrive for generations in our waters, one of the world’s best places to see sharks.”

to press the flesh among Bahamian residents. In addition to meeting with top government officials, including various ministers, and making presentations to the public about the need for shark conservation, Dr.

The need for greater protection for Bahamas

Harvey and GHRI’s director, Dr. Mahmood Shivji, visited the C.V. Bethel

sharks was realized in 2010, when media reports

and St. Andrew’s schools in Nassau where they were able to address

identified an Andros-based seafood company that

students and faculty and raise awareness for the need for greater shark protections.

“When this issue surfaced more than a year ago, we saw it as an 70

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was exploring the idea of exporting shark fins to Hong Kong.

Dr. Guy Harvey (center, back) and Dr. Mahmood Shivji (right, back) meet with Bahamian school children as part of a campaign to protect sharks from commercial fishing.The kids hold up a poster specially designed by Guy for the campaign. Photo by George Schellenger. www. GuyHarveyMagazine. com

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guy harvey research institute

New Digs for gHri

By Daryl Carson

Construction on a new $40 million facility promises greater opportunities for much needed coral reef research.

The Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) is getting a new, high-

space, but a high-tech research facility that will allow GHRI scientists to

tech home, and with it, a boost in research opportunities and capabilities.

tackle new types of research not previously possible.” Although research

Officially dubbed the Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems

on open ocean sharks and billfish will continue, GHRI will be expanding

Science (CoE CRES) Research Facility, the new $40 million property at

its activities to include work on reef fish such as grouper and snapper, and

Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center will complete

increasing its research on sharks associated with coral reefs.

construction by the end of the year and will house multiple research

Funding for the project came from a $15 million 2010 grant by

projects and organizations focused on the study and conservation of

the U.S. Department of Commerce to Nova Southeastern University

coral reefs worldwide. It will be the only research facility in the nation

(NSU), which then more than matched those funds to complete the new

dedicated entirely to coral reef ecosystem science.

state-of-the art facility. The 86,000-square-foot CoE CRES is located

Coral reefs play a major ecological role in the oceans, promoting

at NSU’s Oceanographic Center and its National Coral Reef Institute

biodiversity, as well as providing food, recreation, and coastal protection.

(NCRI) on the ocean side of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Economically, reefs make a huge contribution, as well. In south Florida

A LEED-certified building designed to withstand coastal storm surges

alone, a NOAA and Broward County study indicates coral reefs generate

and hurricanes, it will be a high-performing, environmentally sustainable

over $6 billion annually for the region and support more than 71,000 jobs.

building and will house offices, laboratories, collaboration, research

The challenge is protecting these unique environments from pollution,

training, and fieldwork staging.

overfishing, and climate change.

Research at the CoE CRES will focus on sustaining and restoring increasingly threatened coral reef environments by conducting both fundamental research and seeking management and conservation solutions to pressing coral reef issues. This will include studying climate impacts, mapping reef systems, investigating deep-sea coral reefs, exploring molecular biology and conservation genetics, and even studying ocean and costal hydrodynamics.

The GHRI will occupy the third floor in the building and have nearly three times the space as in its current digs on the Oceanographic Center campus. “GHRI’s conservation research has been expanding at a rapid pace and we’re bursting at the seams currently,” says Dr. Mahmood Shivji, director of the GHRI. “With the new building we’re not just getting more 72

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The entire third floor of this new research facility at Nova Southeastern University will be dedicated to GHRI, giving it three times its current space and expanded capabilities for studying coral reef ecosystems. Photo by Nova Southeastern University.

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73

MEET THE CHEF

CREATIVE COMFORT FOOD

by SUE CUShMAN

PHOTOS AlliSoN NiCkEll

The Cru Café, a locals’ and foodie favorite in Charleston, South Carolina, can be found in an 18th century, single-family style home on Pinckney Street. The setting is classic yet inviting, just like the fare. Cru Café along with Cru Catering offer the best in upscale, comfort food—think mac ’n cheese with crawfish—along with a wine list tailored to the varied menu and rich desserts.

“When it comes to food, I like to play the field,” says chef and owner John Zucker. “That’s what makes the combination of a catering business and a restaurant perfect for me—I can’t be loyal to just one genre.”

The food from Cru is probably best described as “eclectic modern American Cuisine,” so-called because of the Italian, Asian, Southern, Southwestern, and Caribbean influences that are so evident in Zucker’s style. “One of my favorite things about being a chef,” he says, “is working directly with

Chef John Zucker–Chef and Owner, Cru Café

people—sitting down one-on-one to create a custom menu that is interesting and innovative.”

The chef is also a big fan of sustainable seafood and a firm believer in its culinary and

Zucker’s background is what makes his

environmental benefits. Zucker is an honorary partner of The South Carolina Aquarium’s

expertise so valuable to would-be restaurateurs

Sustainable Seafood Initiative. The program is designed to promote the use of local and sustainable

and restaurant-goers alike. Zucker has 25 years

seafood in South Carolina’s restaurants. It helps ensure that consumers have fish for the future by

experience in the hospitality industry. The top

educating participating chefs about sustainable seafood issues and promoting local seafood products.

graduate of his class from the Cordon Bleu in

It also works to educate the public and encourages consumers to dine at partner restaurants.

Paris, he’s also studied under Wolfgang Puck at

The program is guided by an interdisciplinary and diverse steering committee, ensuring that it

Spago in Las Vegas, where he adopted Puck’s

balances the needs of the environment with the world population’s need for seafood. Chef Zucker

rigid standards, “Do it right and use the best

adheres to these guidelines and it reflects in the dishes he serves. Zucker’s fish are less than 24

possible ingredients.”

hours old when they arrive in his kitchen, thanks to a relationship with a local seafood supplier. The results are divine.

Former executive chef for Sonoma Café and Wine Bar in Charleston, today Zucker is one of the most sought-after restaurant consultants in the Southeast. He returned to Charleston 10 years ago

It’s a motto that has helped Cru Café and Cru Catering win acclaim, both for the sustainable food they serve, and the menus they create.

to open Cru Catering, a full-service, customized catering company, and opened Cru Café, featuring upscale comfort food, eight years ago.

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Check out Cru Café online at crucafe .com

Four Cheese Macaroni iNiTiAl PREP 2 qt

Heavy Cream (reduced in half)

1 lb

Pasta (we use orecchiette)

1 cup

Pepper Jack (hand-grated)

1 cup

Aged Cheddar (hand-grated)

1 cup

Fontina (hand-grated)

1 cup

Mozzarella Cheese (hand-grated)

¼ cup

Olive Oil

FoR FiNAl CookiNG ½ cup

Pepper Jack (hand-grated)

½ cup

Aged Cheddar (hand-grated)

½ cup

Fontina (hand-grated)

½ cup

Mozzarella Cheese (hand-grated)

2 cups

Crawfish Tails

prevent sticking. Set aside. Grate all the

Set aside off the heat or on a very low heat

Salt and pepper

cheeses by hand, keeping them separate. It is

to keep warm. Add together in a big mixing

important to grate all the cheese by hand. Pre-

bowl the rest of the cheese, pasta, crawfish, and

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Reduce cream

bought grated cheese tends to have corn starch

cheese sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and

in half in a medium size sauce pan. Cook the

added to the cheese. This will change the

mix very well without breaking up the pasta.

pasta in salted water “el dente.” Cool down

texture of your final product. When the cream

Add the final ingredients to a casserole pan and

rapidly in cold water, and then drain all excess

is reduced, whisk in the cheeses, (all one-cup

then bake at 375 degrees until lightly brown

water. Coat the pasta lightly in olive oil to

cheeses), under a low heat until fully melted.

on top. www. GuyHarveyMagazine. com

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Thai Seafood Risotto (Serves four) Making the Risotto

1 ea

Julienne Red Pepper

cooked risotto on a sheet tray and spread it

1 ea

Box Risotto (usually a one-pound

1 ea

Julienne Poblano Pepper

out to cool down. Place in the refrigerator

box)

1T

Chiffonade Thai Basil

until cool.

1 ea

Whole White Onion, finely diced

½t

Fish Sauce

2 cups

White Wine

¼ cup

Unsalted Butter

pan or a risotto sauté pan. Place all the

Chicken Stock (this may vary

½t

Chopped Thyme

seafood on a plate and season thoroughly with

depending on the risotto)

1T

Hot Sauce (or cayenne)

salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the already

1 ¼ qt ¼ cup

Olive Oil

hot sauté pan. Add the shallots and garlic, and Over medium-high, heat a large sauce pan.

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Heat over medium high heat a large sauté

sauté until translucent. Add all your seafood

Seafood

Add the oil to the hot pan and then the diced

and sear until half cooked. Remove the seafood

12 ea

Mussels

onions. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add

from the pan and place on another plate. Add

4 ea

U-10 Scallops

the risotto and continue to sauté, STIRRING

your tomato, julienne peppers, and risotto to

1 lb

Seafood (tuna, grouper, salmon, etc.),

CONSTANTLY with a wooden spoon, until

the pan. Stir in, with a wooden spoon, ¼ cup

cut into ¼-inch cubes

the risotto becomes slightly translucent. Add

of chicken stock. Always continue to stir the

8 ea

21-26 Shrimp

the white wine and continue stirring until the

risotto. Then slowly add the coconut milk, soy

¼ cup

Olive Oil

wine has been absorbed by the risotto. VERY

sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, and more chicken

1 cup

Chicken Stock (or fish stock, or

IMPORTANT, always stir your risotto to help

stock. Add the seafood, continuing to stir. Last,

shrimp stock, this can vary)

bring out the natural starches and creamy

add the basil, thyme, and butter, continuing

2T

Chopped Shallots

consistency of the rice. Add the chicken stock

to stir. Add more stock if needed to create

1T

Chopped Garlic

one cup at a time, continuing to stir. Always

a creamy consistency. All this happens with

2T

Coconut Milk

wait until the risotto has absorbed the stock

a hot pan. The risotto should still be slightly

2T

Soy Sauce

before you add more. Continue this process

“el dente.” Arrange the seafood around the

1 ea

Chopped Tomato (prefer Concasse)

until the rice is “el dente”. Place the almost-

risotto in four large bowls.

www. GuyHarveyMagazine. com

You made your reputation on quality. So did we.

When you started in this industry, your enthusiasm and style set you apart from a crowded field. You didn’t follow the fads, you set the trends. Innovation and quality became your hallmark. Your patrons began sharing the name of “their best-kept secret” with their closest friends, and your reputation grew along with your business.

You’ve earned the admiration, perhaps even the envy, of your peers.

This is what you’ve worked for.

The good name, the loyal following, the reputation for quality. You have no intention of jeopardizing it.

Cheap substitutes? In your creations?

You want no part of that game.

For you, quality matters.

Always has, always will. And that means Florida Gulf seafood. There’s just no substitute for the real deal.

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last cast

fishing moving water For me, fishing is kind of like playing the guitar.

into the snowmelt. This is an art form at which, after

After 30 years of picking and grinning, I’ve finally

years of practice, you can become average. It’s the

achieved mediocrity. I’m a better fisherman, thank

difference between playing Sweet Home Alabama on a

goodness; and as much as I fish, you’d think I’d be an

beat up six-string and sliding a bow across a cello in

expert. But in fishing, as with musical instruments,

the Boston Philharmonic.

there’s always room to learn—another song to

Nevertheless, I met up with my buddy Chris, who

attempt or another species to pursue. Even the

chucked his life in Houston for the fresh, mountain

pros are on a constant vision quest to absorb more

air. He informed me that the Rockies have two

wisdom.

seasons—winter and July. That was particularly true

My wife used to wonder about the humongous,

this past winter, because it snowed like Christmas

gravitational pull fishing seems to have on me. One

almost every day in May. The snowpack was at

day, I explained to her that fishing is about being one

record highs (despite global warming) and the melt

with nature. It’s about the primal hunt for food, the

was long overdue. When the sun finally heated up,

Fred Garth

camaraderie of old friends, and the triumph of man

the rivers quickly swelled to scary levels.

For the past 25 years, Fred D.

over beast. And, of course, the really, really cold beer.

Garth’s articles have appeared in

She finally got it.

numerous books, magazines, and

In my own fishing journey, I’ve wetted a line in

Case in point, there’s a river called Oh Be Joyful near Crested Butte, Colorado, where families go to picnic and let their dogs run wild. In June, four dogs

newspapers around the world.

oceans all over the world. This summer, I found

were washed down the ripping rapids and never

His most recent novel, A Good

myself upstream in the Colorado Rockies learning

recovered.

Day to Live, is available online

about water that runs. And here I must digress. I’m a

and in select bookstores.

saltwater guy. I once had a 50-pound amberjack pull

has turned into a real mountain man. He’s acquired

(www.agooddaytolive.com)

me over the side of a boat. I’ve battled jack crevalle

so many toys—mountain bikes, dirt bikes, snowshoes,

on light tackle until the tendons in my arm felt like

snow skis, river kayaks—that he had to build an extra

week-old spaghetti. Simply put, I love the epic battle

garage to keep it all. Our plan was to float the East

with monster fish. So the prospect of fishing for

River in his new, blue, double-man, inflatable kayak.

brook trout, brown trout, and rainbows was more

It’s more of a boat than a kayak, but I could tell that

about the nuances of nicely presenting a fly on

we’d stay plenty wet. We put in on some calm water,

moving water rather than having a knock-out fight.

but the river had an angry flow. I wondered how

While there’s certainly artistry in saltwater fishing, it’s nothing like dropping a fly on a roiling river. There are bushes hanging along the banks that

www. GuyHarveyMagazine. com

experienced Chris was in running pissed-off rivers.

“So how many times have your floated the East River?” I asked as I shimmied out to the bow.

will snag fly lures like Velcro. You have to contend

He stepped in and pushed away from the bank.

with rocks, strainers, rapids, eddies, holes, log jams,

“This is it,” Chris said casually. “This is the first time.”

and beaver dams, and try to catch fish without falling 78

In just two years since his move from Texas, Chris

I quickly considered throwing myself overboard

Chris Kopf fishes the calm waters of the East River near Crested Butte, Colorado. Photo by Shelby Kopf.

and claiming to wrench my shoulder out of joint, but there was no

my breath and fight through the branches. At the last moment, we both

turning back. It’s not really good form to wimp out after we’d spent two

gained enough footing on the rocks to push the boat through a narrow

hours loading the truck with gear, strapping down the kayak, and driving

passage next to the bank. With calamity narrowly averted, we flopped on

to the launch.

shore to let our hearts slip back down our throats.

I glanced back to notice a devilish grin on his face. “Great,” I said.

“And what’s the highest level you’ve ever seen the river?”

We were shaken, but there was more river to fish, so we climbed back in the kayak and headed downstream. On my very next cast,

“This is it,” he said again. “This is the highest.”

I snagged a large branch. Chris spun the boat into an eddy so we

My shoulder was beginning to ache.

could retrieve the lure. Not more than 15 seconds later, a massive

As it turned out, Chris wielded a paddle quite well for a former

Cottonwood crashed down across the river about 50 feet downstream.

flatlander. He steered while I fished. I caught a few nice brown trout,

If I hadn’t caught that bush, that tree probably would have crushed us and

improved my roll cast, and only snagged seven or eight bushes. Then it

Chris’ new, blue boat. I didn’t tell Chris, but I think I peed myself.

happened. I learned firsthand about strainers.

We pulled the kayak onto the bank and portaged past the fallen tree.

As we came around a sharp bend—two fresh virgins on the East

The swollen river had eaten away the embankment and caused the tree

River—a large Cottonwood tree with a tangled mess of limbs had fallen

to tip over. A few more were on the verge of going, too. The moral of

almost all the way across the river. The branches jutted through the

the story is big water carries many dangers on and off the river.

water and into the rocky bottom like prison bars. The trunk lay about

Some fishing trips end with high fives, success, and cold beverages.

chest-high off the water. There was no going around or over and the last

Others end as ours did, when you’re shivering, wet, freaked out, but

thing we wanted was to be sucked under. Strainers, so named because

happy to be alive. We loaded up the truck, got home, dried off, and

the water strains through log jams and fallen trees, are a river-runner’s

decided not to tell our wives we had almost died twice within five

worst nightmare. Many a kayaker has died because the force of the

minutes.

water pushes them against the strainer with such magnitude that they cannot escape and they quickly drown.

Chris yelled, “Grab your paddle!” just before I heard a big splash.

Not good. I turned around to see he’d fallen out of the boat. When I tried to help him climb back in, I went head first into the drink. Double not good. As the river sucked us toward the tree, I prepared to hold

A few days later Chris asked me if I wanted to try hitting the East River again.

“It’s still got high water, but it’s a little more manageable,” he said unconvincingly.

“Aw man, I’d love to,” I said, “but I promised my wife I’d learn a few Bob Denver songs on the guitar. Rocky Mountain High is almost there.” www. GuyHarveyMagazine. com

79

Guy Harvey OriGinal artwOrk Guy Harvey’s fame began with his incredible, original artwork. Now Guy Harvey Magazine is offering a limited collection of Guy’s originals, signed of course, and shipped with an Official Certificate of Authenticity. Some of the art is quite large, fitting for a living room wall, such as Dorado Quickstep (larger than 5’ by 4’), that is featured on the cover of this magazine. The buyer of this painting will also receive a picture-box-framed, signed copy of Guy Harvey Magazine to accompany the artwork. Inquiries for this original art: contact Kat Dean at 888-275-2856 or kat@GuyHarveyMagazine.com.

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80

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By

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Learn more about Guy Harvey and the Guy Harvey coastal lifestyle when you visit our new website. Here you’ll find the entire line of Guy Harvey T-shirts and sportswear — men’s, ladies and youth — plus an up-to-date directory that will help you locate the Guy Harvey sportswear dealer nearest you.