Legend

Jim C. Chapralis

I must sadly share with all of you that my good friend and mentor, Jim C. Chapralis, passed away this past Saturday night after a long bout with cancer. Sally, his wife of thirty plus years, has asked that people not send flowers but instead, if they prefer, make a donation to the American Cancer Society or their favorite charity.

If you want to send a card of condolence, her mailing address is:

3518 Davis
Skokie, IL 60203

Jim and I went back dozens of years together (1968) fishing together many times and eventually I became a VP in his company. Jim was the first person to start an international fishing division in a specialized travel agency. I remember Roman Hupalowski at Safari Outfitters who took a chance with this fledgling writer, who wanted to change the face of fishing. During his time there, he became the IGFA rep for Illinois. For 10 years he put places and camps on the map- Casa Mar, Parismina & Bahia Pez Vela in Costa Rica, Club Pacifico in Panama and Sneidern's houseboat adventures in Colombia. He sent thousands of anglers there.

After Safari Outfitters, he started PanAngling and devoted most of his time to being the editor and publisher of the “PanAngler”, the first un-biased newsletter on international fishing. He wrote several books about it and long distance casting. His first was “PanAngling’s World Guide to Fly Fishing” (1988) which I helped edit, then came “Fishing Escapes” (1998; “Fishing Passion: A Lifelong Love Affair with Angling” (2002), “Master Your Fly Casting And Have Fun Doing It” (2006). His latest book was just released “Le Shack – A Very Special Place”. This is a wonderful book of short stories, some which I participated.

He will be missed, but his wit, generosity and humor will never be forgotten.

__________________
Al Schaefer
"Legend"