A Letter from the Founder
By Steve brown
GUANAJAN GUIDE FRIENDS, RANKIN AND ARCHIE, HIGH FIVE OVER STEVE BROWN, FOUNDER OF F4C AND OWNER OF FLY FISH GUANAJA, AS HE RELEASES A PERMIT IN THE FARAWAY CAYES. PHOTO BY SHANNON VANDIVIER.
The river has taught me to listen, you will learn from it too. The river knows everything, one can learn everything from it. You have already learned from the river that it is good to strive downwards, to sink, to seek the depths.
—Herman Hesse, Siddartha
Fish for Change is a way of life. People have been fishing for change for a long time. There are many anglers and organizations that use fishing as a platform for change, we are one of them, and there is infinite demand for more.
Our story is written in the stars and reflected in water.Rivers led me to the sea. Guiding in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River started the inevitable flow to the Caribbean. Thirst for adventure and a strong client base landed us in a saltwater fly-fishing destination yet to be developed. Guanaja, Honduras was our destiny and little did we know the profound impact to follow. We came for the fish, and the local people inspired us to stay. Unknowingly, we created the best jobs in the history of Guanaja and were Fishing for Change upon arrival.
A few of our first guests noticed local people struggling with poverty, health care, and education. Jeff Runnfeldt fell in love with the children of Guanaja and helped develop the local school with computer labs, music studio, additional classrooms, and still to this day, 13 years later, pays the annual tuition of many local children to attend.
Matt Narowcki noticed the desperate need for a hospital in Guanaja and built one through Food for the Poor and Fish for Change. 10,000 islanders lived without healthcare for centuries. Babies born at sea trying to get the mainland, teenagers bleeding to death from non-fatal accidents, children with diseases that can’t be treated, all unimaginable and heartbreaking challenges in Guanaja.
—Herman Hesse, Siddartha
Fish for Change is a way of life. People have been fishing for change for a long time. There are many anglers and organizations that use fishing as a platform for change, we are one of them, and there is infinite demand for more.
Our story is written in the stars and reflected in water.Rivers led me to the sea. Guiding in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River started the inevitable flow to the Caribbean. Thirst for adventure and a strong client base landed us in a saltwater fly-fishing destination yet to be developed. Guanaja, Honduras was our destiny and little did we know the profound impact to follow. We came for the fish, and the local people inspired us to stay. Unknowingly, we created the best jobs in the history of Guanaja and were Fishing for Change upon arrival.
A few of our first guests noticed local people struggling with poverty, health care, and education. Jeff Runnfeldt fell in love with the children of Guanaja and helped develop the local school with computer labs, music studio, additional classrooms, and still to this day, 13 years later, pays the annual tuition of many local children to attend.
Matt Narowcki noticed the desperate need for a hospital in Guanaja and built one through Food for the Poor and Fish for Change. 10,000 islanders lived without healthcare for centuries. Babies born at sea trying to get the mainland, teenagers bleeding to death from non-fatal accidents, children with diseases that can’t be treated, all unimaginable and heartbreaking challenges in Guanaja.
From ancient times wise ones and sages have often lived near water.
When they live near water they catch fish, catch human beings, and catch the way.For long these have been genuine activities in water. Furthermore, there is catching catching, being caught by catching, and being caught by the way.
—Eihei Dogen Zenji,
Mountains and Waters Sutra
When they live near water they catch fish, catch human beings, and catch the way.For long these have been genuine activities in water. Furthermore, there is catching catching, being caught by catching, and being caught by the way.
—Eihei Dogen Zenji,
Mountains and Waters Sutra
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Photos by Rixon Media.
Most destination anglers enjoy wild fisheries withoutengaging in philanthropy. Bigger, better, and more fish is the goal and success is reflected in a gratuity to a guide who already has the best job in the village.Matt and Jeff are Fish for Change heroes who’ve exemplified power to create real change through fly fishing.
During our third year in operation, Noah Thompson and I created the student program in Guanaja. I taught school in between guiding seasons in Colorado and bringing students to Guanaja was a goal from the beginning.
I took Noah down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River when he was seven years old and we became brothers. By the time he was twelve I had already started Fly Fish Guanaja and got permission from his parents to bring him to Guanaja by himself. He planted our first mangroves, picked up our first bag of trash, and caught the first permit in the student program. Thenext year he brought his friends, then his little brother, and the program grew each season with the mangrove forest that had been decimated during Hurricane Mitch in 1998. An organic leadership program developed and the student program quickly became our favorite part of the season.
Noah connected us with film-maker Shannon Vandivier and he made our first student program video pro bono. At the end of the film one our students Hagen Patterson is quoted, “Lets do our part, Let’s FISH FOR CHANGE.” The phrase hit us like a lightening bolt and we glimpsed into our destiny. We finally had a term to refer to our impact in Guanaja, and wanted to carry this message to the world.
During our third year in operation, Noah Thompson and I created the student program in Guanaja. I taught school in between guiding seasons in Colorado and bringing students to Guanaja was a goal from the beginning.
I took Noah down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River when he was seven years old and we became brothers. By the time he was twelve I had already started Fly Fish Guanaja and got permission from his parents to bring him to Guanaja by himself. He planted our first mangroves, picked up our first bag of trash, and caught the first permit in the student program. Thenext year he brought his friends, then his little brother, and the program grew each season with the mangrove forest that had been decimated during Hurricane Mitch in 1998. An organic leadership program developed and the student program quickly became our favorite part of the season.
Noah connected us with film-maker Shannon Vandivier and he made our first student program video pro bono. At the end of the film one our students Hagen Patterson is quoted, “Lets do our part, Let’s FISH FOR CHANGE.” The phrase hit us like a lightening bolt and we glimpsed into our destiny. We finally had a term to refer to our impact in Guanaja, and wanted to carry this message to the world.
Jack Gillenwater propogates mangrove seedlings in a larger effort to restore Guanaja’s impacted mangrove forests. Photo by Knox Kronenberg.
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Cayes and producing the film Beyond the Horizon with Shannon Vandivier and his company Cold Collaborative. We showed up at the symposium with the first Fish for Change booth ran by Noah, Hagen Patterson, and Kendall Whitt, all representing the future of the fly-fishing industry. We inevitably attracted Jeff Harkavy’s daughter, Heather, to our booth, and ultimately our family. Heather is a flower child of fly-fishing and conservation, and was just getting out of college. Her unparalleled enthusiasm and heart for helping others swept us off our feet and we bonded forever. She quickly inspired us to become an official organization and created a job for herself. While many other professionals in the industry offered her job opportunities out of college, she chose to work with us and create something new. Her bravery was infectious and we all took the leap. We raised funds for her job and developed into a 501C3 with our Fish for Change heroes as our first board members. |
Students consistently reported our program to be “the best experience of their lives” and we wanted to open the opportunity to a more diverse group of students. Since Heather’s leadership, we’ve created programs in four different countries and provide scholarships to nearly half our students. We developed authentic initiatives in each country and students learn to fly-fish while engaging in service work.
Students consistently reported our program to be “the best experience of their lives” and we wanted to open the opportunity to a more diverse group of students. Since Heather’s leadership, we’ve created programs in four different countries and provide scholarships to nearly half our students. We developed authentic initiatives in each country and students learn to fly-fish while engaging in service work.
Fish for Change is a refocus on who, how, and why we are fly-fishing. Wild fisheries are one of Earth’s greatest treasures, previously available to only those with time and money.
Today’s youth are facing unprecedented challenges, they are disconnected from each other, family, the natural world, and spirituality. Technology, development and social media isolate us while fly fishing connects us.
The future is bright and it’s time for everyone to get involved. Fish for Change is all inclusive and collaborative. Be inspired, make a difference, and catch the way.
Students consistently reported our program to be “the best experience of their lives” and we wanted to open the opportunity to a more diverse group of students. Since Heather’s leadership, we’ve created programs in four different countries and provide scholarships to nearly half our students. We developed authentic initiatives in each country and students learn to fly-fish while engaging in service work.
Fish for Change is a refocus on who, how, and why we are fly-fishing. Wild fisheries are one of Earth’s greatest treasures, previously available to only those with time and money.
Today’s youth are facing unprecedented challenges, they are disconnected from each other, family, the natural world, and spirituality. Technology, development and social media isolate us while fly fishing connects us.
The future is bright and it’s time for everyone to get involved. Fish for Change is all inclusive and collaborative. Be inspired, make a difference, and catch the way.