Rufus Wakeman has fished nearly everywhere in the sport fishing world, and on this episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast he joins Tom to tell some of those stories: chasing a billfish slam on fly, learning the history of FADs, or fish attracting devices, in Costa Rica, fly fishing for billfish in Guatemala, and a run-in with the Bolivian army that he was not sure he would walk away from.
Rufus Wakeman is a widely traveled figure in the sport fishing world, known for chasing billfish on fly, world records, and deep knowledge of fish attracting devices, or FADs.
His truck broke down on the side of a river and a group from the Bolivian army, including armed kids in a Jeep, approached while he and his group were carrying expensive gear, a moment he genuinely was not sure he would walk away from.
FADs are fish attracting devices, and Rufus explains their history and how they are changing sport fishing, drawing on firsthand experience with them in Costa Rica.
He has tried to catch a billfish slam on fly, along with targeting species like Nile perch, and has fly fished for billfish and sailfish in Guatemala, including techniques for hooking them and chasing world records.
Press play above, or find this episode of the Tom Rowland Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
If you are deeply into the sport fishing world, you have probably run into Rufus somewhere on the planet. He knows everybody and he is a remarkable storyteller, and I wanted to get him talking with as little interruption from me as possible.
The Bolivian army story is one of those moments where Rufus genuinely thought it might be the end, sitting there with a truck full of expensive gear and no way to leave. He tells it far better than I can summarize it here.
Between the billfish slam attempts on fly, the Nile perch, and his master's-level knowledge of fish attracting devices in Costa Rica, this conversation covers more ground than almost any other guest I have had on. It goes in every direction, and that is exactly why it works.
I did not have to say much in this one. Rufus talks a lot, and he tells a lot of great stories, and I mostly just let him go. Press play above to hear all of it.
Rufus Wakeman.
Rufus Wakeman is a widely traveled figure in the sport fishing world, known for billfish on fly, world record pursuits, and deep knowledge of fish attracting devices, or FADs.
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