A Rising Star in the World of Fly Casting
Home to snook, tarpon, redfish and a host of other gamefish, Sanibel Island is known as a top Florida fly fishing destination. It is also the home of the well-known Sanibel Fly Fishers. On February 8, the club hosted a fly casting tournament, or “Games” as the organizers insist. The organizers are national-level tournament casters Walt Hoover, Ed Matuzek, and Epic ambassador Joe Mahler. The tournament was preceded by ten weekly training workshops, and with a top prize of an Epic 890Ti Titanium fly rod, it is no surprise that 32 seasoned casters took part.
This year, the top spot was claimed by a 13-year-old named Elias. As the overall winner of “The Eight-Weight Game,” that includes accuracy and distance, he also made the second longest cast of 101 feet. The youngest member of SFF is not new to the sport. Since the age of seven, he has practiced his casting and put those skills to use throughout Southwest Florida and the Everglades. For his eighth birthday, he told his mentor and friend Joe Mahler that he would like to catch his first tarpon on a fly. While a tall order at that age, the two jumped in a canoe and Elias caught a 32” beauty- unassisted. Since that day, he has built an impressive log of catches, all the while perfecting his cast. His passion for fly fishing appears to be contagious. His mother used to just bring him to casting lessons, but in five years, Elizabeth has become an accomplished angler and caster as well.
Following the Sanibel games, Elias traveled to Long Beach, CA to compete in the ACA Western Championships where he won his division in two events and placed in all eight events in which he participated. His dedication to the sport caught the eye of ACA President & U.S. Casting Team Coach Chris Korich. Says Korich “13 yr-old Florida angler Elias is clearly the most promising young caster I’ve seen across America. At the American Casting Association's recent mid-winter training session and Western Championships, he demonstrated an ability to learn quickly and perform under pressure, with plenty of World champions watching closely, including Steve Rajeff, Henry Mittel and Whitney Gould. His relaxed mechanics and keen eye at presenting a fly on target quickly is rare at any age.”
The always humble Elias said of his success,” It’s a privilege to be part of the SWFL fly fishing community. A big thanks to Joe, Chris and the many others who are helping me along the way.” When not casting and fishing, Elias spends his time fly tying, canoeing, adventuring in the Florida Everglades and studying its rich history.
