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S.L.A.M. Superfly Recap/Team Makes Historical Catch
2000-10-27 - Tournament Recap
An all flyfishing tournament where the anglers choose one fly pattern and try to catch a permit, tarpon, and a bonefish in one day - Friday, Sept. 8, 2000

Two years ago, the team of Jeffrey Cardenas and Capt. Tom Rowland defended their home water by winning the Seamaster Superfly Tournament and the Pro-Celebrity Division of the S.L.A.M. Tournament in Key West. After a hiatus, the two teamed up again this year to attempt to repeat the titles of the past.

Preceding the Redbone S.L.A.M. tournament is a one-day fly fishing only tournament of a very unique format. In this tournament, anglers and guides choose one fly pattern to attempt to catch all tournament species. In the S.L.A.M. tournament, the species sought after include the trio of gamefish known to flats anglers as the Grand Slam, permit, tarpon and bonefish. Anglers pursue the Grand Slam (all 3 species on fly in one day) wherever these fish are found and catching one slam in a lifetime is considered an accomplishment. Never in the history of tournament fishing has a one day slam been caught and certainly never on the same fly.

Cardenas and Rowland left the dock in the morning with the other competitors with the goal of winning the tournament.

"With the competition as good as it is in this event, we knew that we were going to have to have a very high score to win this tournament,” said Capt. Tom Rowland on Friday afternoon.
"Our plan was to catch at least 3 tarpon and 2 bonefish. If time was left then we both agreed that we would go for the slam”

Their plan could not have gone any smoother. By 10:00am Cardenas, owner of the Saltwater Angler, had landed 2 tarpon and was poised to catch another. At 11:00 the pair departed from the tarpon fishing grounds in search of a bonefish. Cardenas took two bonefish on fly by noon leaving 3 hours in the day to catch a permit on fly.

“3 Tarpon and 2 bonefish was a good score, but we both knew that it was possible to beat that. We wanted to try to get the slam which we were confident would win the tournament” said Rowland.
The permit did not come easy to this pair of anglers as no permit ever does. Catching a permit on fly is considered by some to be a lifetime achievement. The undisputed permit fly “king” is Del Brown of California who has tallied 470 permit on fly in his 25-year career.

After many shots, the time for lines out was coming quickly. Neither of the pair lost hope as they poled the flats ceaselessly to find the fish that might eat the fly. At 2:50 pm, 10 minutes before lines out, Rowland spotted a fish swimming towards them. Cardenas made a beautiful cast and the fish tailed on the fly and burned off the flat. At 2 minutes before 3 the fish was landed and recorded.
 
We were so happy, I felt like we had just won the World Series! exclaimed Rowland.
To the flyfishing world, this accomplishment is similar to winning a major series as no one has ever accomplished this feat before. At the awards ceremony, all the competitors were gracious and congratulatory as this accomplishment deserved.

“We were just glad to be involved in such a great event. I knew that a slam was possible, but to do it on a tournament day is simply terrific!”  said Rowland.

The team of Rowland, Cardenas and Maverick Boat Company Vice President David Kesar will compete in all the Redbone events this year.

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