We’re gutted. No clever words, no punk rock defiance,….. just plain, unvarnished heartbreak.
On July 16th, our friend, our brother, our fellow fish-chaser Justin left us. He fought hard, like he always did, and when it was time, he was surrounded by family and love.
Because we are who we are, chaotic, fish-obsessed, and unwilling to let a good photo go to waste, we’re posting the last shot we have of Justin doing what he loved: catching fish, laughing with friends, existing in the strange, beautiful margins where life and water meet.
Here he is, holding a freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) caught on a rattle-trap. Classic Justin move……. taking the overlooked, the underdog of the fish world, and holding it like it was a trophy. That’s who he was. He saw beauty in every scale, every oddball species, every weird little corner of this planet.
Justin wasn’t just a part of IFITSWIMS. He was its heart. The guy who could shift from talking prog metal and vintage tackle to debating conservation policy without missing a beat. The guy who could make you laugh until your ribs hurt and then say something so profound it stopped you in your tracks.
We’ll miss him at the water’s edge. We’ll miss his voice on the podcast. We’ll miss his laugh in our group texts. But more than anything, we’ll miss the way he made this messy little community feel like home.
Rest easy, Justin. Wherever you are, may the bite be endless and the hooks always set clean.