Masters of Vision

Interview

The primal feeling:

I just got comfortable with being a predator. Every single person is — whether the know it or not — a hunter and a fisherman. We’re all hardwired to it. And I just know that about myself. I become really engaged and interested in pursuing and catching fish — when it’s time to compete, I’m all business. It’s probably the most concise thing that I do in my life, because it’s so natural to me. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what it’s going to take. And when you put me on a boat, it’s like I’m transformed.

A sport that consumed him:

It’s been the most powerful thing in my life. People used to call me “nature boy” or “fish-man Frank.” You name it; they teased me about it. But that just fell off me like water because I’ve always known that I was transcending a lot of things in my relationship to this sport. I wish the rest of the world had a passion for doing something like I do — the world would be a better place if people had dreams they could really sink their teeth into.

And educated him:

The places and the situations it consistently put me in taught me a lot about myself. Life’s greatest reward is to be really dedicated. That’s what fishing continues to teach me. It doesn’t matter where I go or what I fish for — if I’m paying attention, there’s a lesson to be learned every single day. Sometimes every hour on the hour. And every single time, it’s not just about fishing. It transfers over into life. There’s a tremendous amount of adversity in both — but success is waiting right around the corner if you just approach it right.

Taking him to the top:

I just tried to remain true to what I’ve always been: a fisherman first, a guide second. All the other things I’ve done — tournaments, TV, etc. — those are just mediums through which I communicate the art of my craft. And being a fisherman is the lens through which I see the world. I can’t help but walk the earth with a couple of fishing rods with me. And I want to bring my friends — or a viewing audience — along for the journey. To me, it just seems really natural. I won’t stop until that feeling goes away.