Marlin August/September 2019

• While there’s no question I love fishing here in the United States, the allure of international travel runs as strong and deep as the Gulf Stream on a bluebird day. The anticipation of the unknown, combined with the fact that blue marlin seem to love those exotic tropical locales nearly as much as we do, is a powerful, nearly intoxicating combination. Think about it: How many times do you repack your gear prior to a trip, making sure not to overlook a critical piece of the puzzle, or lie awake at night in anticipation of what’s to come the next day. Happens to me all the time, and it’s part of the beauty of marlin fishing—the passion that fuels the fire. In this issue, we celebrate that spirit by…

IN MEMORY OF JAN BOONE IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT WE announce the death of Bluewater Yacht Sales president, Jan Boone, on May 29, after a courageous battle with cancer. This devastating loss to her family, friends and coworkers also has jolted the close-knit boating industry. Jan graduated with a degree in business from UNC-Greensboro, and in 1983 she embarked on a noteworthy career at Hatteras Yachts in High Point, North Carolina, moving with the company to its New Bern facility in the late 1990s. She worked her way through numerous aspects of the company’s operations, taking on roles in marketing, customer service, personnel management and a progression of sales-related positions. Jan’s tenacity and dedication to the company and its customers earned her an appointment as vice president of…

PERFECT TIMING Harry Hindmarsh captured this image aboard his 48-foot Viking, Brain Storm. “I usually drive and shoot from the helm, but for this sail, my son, Hunter, took the wheel so I could snap a few from the cockpit.” Angler and Brain Storm co-owner Stephen Smith released this fish on a day that began with tuna and mahi but ended with white marlin and sailfish. LOCATION Hindmarsh and Smith were fishing the tip of the Norfolk Canyon off Virginia Beach, Virginia, on a squally, overcast day.…

Players BILL ROYSTER • In 1991, Bill Royster took a six-month sabbatical, which ended up stretching into three years. He fished his way down the Pacific coast to Costa Rica, where he released an 800-pound blue marlin off Herradura Bay, as well as hundreds of sailfish. During the trip, he fell in love with the natural beauty of the Central American nation as well as its friendly people. As the owner of general engineering and development companies in California, he turned his attention to building what would eventually become the Los Sueños Resort and Marina. Since the turn of the millennium, the resort has become one of the world’s top destinations for those with billfish on the brain. When he’s not at work, Royster enjoys spending time aboard his 80-foot…

What’s your favorite kind of fishing? Marlin first, then sailfish. Both on dead bait. When did you catch your first billfish? I was fishing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 1974 and caught a striped marlin. I was down there with some friends, renting a boat. This was before the Cabo marina was even built. We had a great time and it was a wonderful week. I didn’t catch my first blue marlin until 1991 when I got to Costa Rica, though—plus we were releasing 10 to 15 sailfish a day, even back then. I thought I’d arrived in fishing heaven. How has Los Sueños impacted the worldwide fishing community? When I first came to Costa Rica, there was no infrastructure for boats. Fortunately, I had an 80-foot long-range boat…

GRUNDÉNS The Deckhand long-sleeve fishing shirt is designed with warm weather in mind. It is constructed using CoolCore, a chemical-free cooling fabric that uses the body’s own moisture to cool the garment as you perspire, wicking away moisture. Other features include four-way stretch for comfort and a UPF 30 protection rating. HUK [a] The Huk Icon X Camo Hoodie is a state-of-the-art performance shirt with a built-in hood to shade the back of the head. It features Huk’s Internal Cooling Element technology, which is engineered at the fiber level to cause an endothermic reaction with moisture, causing your body temperature to drop in minutes. SALTLIFE [b] The Camo Fusion SLX UVapor performance shirt features three all-purpose pockets on the back with elastic openings to secure small items like gloves within…