Martin Arostegui: Doctor of Record

by Steve Kantner

January / February 2022  Issue 57

Dr. Martin Arostegui stands alone in the pantheon of angling world-record holders.

“Marty’s accomplishments are nothing short of amazing,” said Mike Leech, former International Game Fish Association president and ambassador-at-large. “Not only has he set far more IGFA world records than any angler in history, many of his records are, in themselves, seemingly impossible. Such as huge sharks on light tackle, including fly rod. Perhaps his greatest feat is catching all the world’s billfish species on fly tackle, including the extremely rare swordfish on a fly.”

Arostegui has set more than 400 world records, about half of them with a fly rod, with roughly half of the fly records being saltwater species. (Arostegui also notes that all of his fly records came on flies he personally tied.)

The retired physician from Coral Gables, Florida, has also been a tireless advocate for conservation, most notably through his advocacy for rules changes allowing no-kill measuring devices and his emphatic endorsement of circle hooks. He also has presented seminars on Everglades ecology and written articles in English- and Spanish-language fishing journals.

And he’ll tell you without a hint of irony that he’s just as proud of his 1-pound pink chalceus world record from Brazil’s Unini River as his tippet-record 385-pound lemon shark caught with Capt. Ralph Delph off of Key West.

“Big fish represent only half the picture,” Arostegui said. “I consider all fish important—always have. Each plays a role in the aquatic environment. I realize that most anglers prefer catching large, beautiful game fish. It’s only natural. I always found all species important. Each presents a challenge, no matter how small or undesirable some seem to certain anglers.”