You go through the orders of meetings and conference calls. You wait and wait, a confirmation biting the nails. Will I or will I not? Because I can see it. The palm trees, an array of dancing heat waves rising from the sand. An illusion of adventure, wanderlust, a new pathway in what you love to do most. The fight. The fish. They pull your lines taut and fill you with cravings to want more. All that anticipation pulses your blood and boils down to one simple email. An itinerary. Departure dates, arrival times and the unknown expedition ahead. It’s your confirmation. Guatemala.

What transpires is a journey into peoples’ lives and the characters discovering about what they love most in this world; that is fishing. They travel around the world. They take hours upon hours, days to weeks to months of their lives to reach the furthest shoreline to cast a line, throw a leader, and let the water speak about its’ darkest kept secrets. These individuals are fishing. They do it for an occupation. They do it for recreation. They do it alone, with colleagues and family members, sharing in the thrill of the catch. This is passion.

And with Grundens’ new release of a warm-water recreational clothing line, whose tradition weighs in the dense northern waters of commercial cold-water fishing, I head south with them first to the evanescent blue waters off Guatemala to participate in the annual Billfish Invitational Tournament, whose goal is to educate the growing community about the ocean’s rich economic resources off Guatemala. We’re talking about catch-and-release bill-fishing. Giant black and blue marlin and sailfish being the two geese that lay the region’s golden eggs.

Hosted by Pacific Fins Resort in Iztapa, Guatemala, a cast of fishermen embark to share with people how much they appreciate the sea and its resources, for the sake of thrill or occupation, and the need to promote a sustainable industry for the local and global economy. Without fish, there is no sea. Without fish, there is no fisherman. For more visit Grundens’ Guatemala gallery.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

The dry dock in Iztapa provides numerous jobs for the local economy.

Grundens’ Campaign Pt II – Norway coming soon…