Borracho Pescador

Lives Changed Forever

The chime of my iphone jolted me into consciousness.  I stared in disbelief at the screen, “Lauren, Zach, Lindsay and Judson, were in a head on car accident yesterday evening.  Unfortunately, Lauren is the only survivor.”  I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Incidents such as these happen to less fortunate individuals, strangers you don’t know. 

Friends

I met Zach through a mutual friend, Tommy Taylor, we bonded through our love of fly fishing the Texas Coast. Although our lives took different directions, we maintained our annual commitment to meet yearly every September in Port O’Connor Texas to fish the Borracho Pescador Fishing tournament, a two day red fishing tournament.   Eventually, Zack’s brother David joined too, and we entered two skiffs yearly into the fly division. 

Beating Rett's Syndrome

This September marked the 13th year for the tournament.  The pace at which the tournament has grown is meteoric.  Anglers from across the country coalesce in the fishing hamlet of P.O.C., to enjoy friendship, fellowship, and fundraise money for Rett’s syndrome. 

Borracho Pescador fielded over 350 anglers for this year's tournament. Ninety teams entered the fly fishing division, making it the largest fly fishing tournament in Texas and quite possibly the United States.  For one weekend in September, Borracho, as it is affectionately known, becomes the epicenter of fly fishing culture on the Texas coast.  It is a meeting place for guides, influencers, artists, and a plethora of mid 40 somethings, fully decked out in rope hats and the latest Howler Brother threads.  Zach used to say, “Are you guys ready to hang out with the coolest people on Earth?”  Most participants return year after year.  Many anglers end up on the waitlist.  It’s the hottest ticket in the Texas fly fishing scene. The atmosphere is one of family, with a healthy dose of competitive sibling rivalry. 

What started out as a small fishing tournament 13 years ago with a few college friends, has grown into one of the largest fishing tournaments in the country.  The brainchild of Kyle Wright and a handful of volunteers, Borracho Pescador 13 surpassed the $1,000,000 fundraising mark in the fight against Rett’s Syndrome, a genetic childhood disorder that mostly affects little girls. 

Rett’s can be described as a blend of muscular dystrophy, terrets, and cerebral palsy. Mix those together, and the result is a variety of debilitating symptoms. It’s a wretched disease.  The money raised from Borracho Pescador is helping to crack the code and find a cure.  It is a worthy cause, bringing hundreds of anglers to the coast every year.

Goodbye to a Friend

Shortly after sunrise we left the boat launch at Goose Island State Park for a pre fishing rendezvous with other anglers that knew Zack and his family. Tommy arranged for a special ceremony to honor our missing fishing partner.  Thirty anglers and a handful of guides gathered on a barrier island, a shoreline we have poled many times before, to pay homage to Zach, Lindsay, and Judson.  The moment was somber but beautiful.   We took turns digging a hole in the coastal sand.  The group erected a cross in their memory. We wrote final goodbye messages on pieces of paper and buried them at the base of the memorial.  A few words were said by Zach’s brother David. Tears were shed, and it was a fitting moment for a group of men who have grown close over the years. Zack would have liked it too.

We fired up the skiffs and went our separate ways. As I watched David cast at redfish and Tommy quietly pole our skiff down the mangrove studded shoreline, I reflected on the loss of Zach: his infectious personality, his grin, and his ability to never meet a stranger…a friend to all. He was the living embodiment of the spirit and vibe of the tournament.

The Borracho Pescador experience is about more than catching redfish or raising money for a charity.  It has morphed into a loose knit family.  A culture and fly fishing community which supports its own  when tragedies such as these occur.  Camaraderie such as this is a rare commodity, but for David, Lauren, and everybody else who had to say goodbye to Zach, Lindsay, and Judson, we all found it in each other and this unique gathering. 

Fly fishing is an amazing sport, and it has the power to change lives by bringing strangers together for a common cause.  This year as we closed B.P. 13 with hi-fives and goodbyes, I am reminded that unknowingly, for many of us, last year's goodbye was the last time we saw Zach.  I don’t know what triumph or tragedy this year will bring. Regardless, I will be looking forward to next September.