EDITOR’S LETTER
The worldwide fishing community reeled with several losses since our previous issue; among them, Capt. Chris Sheeder, who lost his fight with pancreatic cancer in early January. Chris was well-known not just for his fishing prowess, but also his likable, self-deprecating personality. While he had released over 25,000 billfish in a career that took him from Hawaii to Midway Island, the Canary Islands and eventually Central America, it was never about him; it was always about his team and his anglers.
I first met Chris many years ago in Guatemala, shortly after Jim Turner opened Casa Vieja Lodge, and we immediately hit it off. Over drinks at the bar one night, he told the story of fishing off Midway with his younger brother, Mike, another notable captain in the Guatemala fishery. They’d hooked a huge mako shark, and in the process of trying to bring the beast aboard their small boat, the shark went crazy, nearly sinking it in the process. “I’ll never do that again,” he said. Another time, they hooked and lost a giant marlin they estimated at over 1,500 pounds, which Chris simply called “the one.”
But it was his time in Guatemala where Chris really moved into his own as one of the sport’s top captains. He soon became a favorite of the Casa Vieja charter fleet, not just for the number of bites he was producing, but even more for his personality: laid-back, unassuming, and passionate to the core. “We’re in the dream-fulfillment business,” he’d say, and making those dreams come true is what kept his clients coming back, season after season. His loss is profound, and it is truly heartfelt by the legions of friends and clients fortunate enough to fish with him, me included.
The Billfish Foundation was hit hard in early 2021 as well, with the death of two-term board chairman Jack Duval, as well as standout Gulf Coast conservationist and longtime member Steve Levi. Frank Murray also died in January, leaving a legacy of innovation and friendship among those who knew him.
But instead of turning this into an obituary column, our goal should be to celebrate those who are making significant impacts in the fishing community while they are still with us rather than eulogizing their accomplishments once they’re gone. In the coming year, you’ll see more features on the people who comprise the rich fabric of offshore fishing that binds us all together. Let’s tell those stories and enjoy those lives today, especially since tomorrow is never guaranteed.