Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. So goes the old Chinese proverb. It has more ramifications than just the literal sense. However, in a very literal application, it has a profound influence. I live in a part of the world that enjoys all the bounties that the sea has to offer. A good portion of the population here enjoy the fruits of the harbor and the gulf. Conversely, a great number of those folk who enjoy the fishing for sustenance and sport in my part of the world, owe their own abilities, at least in part to one local man.
Fish'n Frank has been a local landmark in Charlotte County Florida for as far back as I can remember. To walk through the door at his bait and tackle shop on US 41, was to walk in the footsteps of thousands of anglers before you. Indeed, the hardwood floors were so worn, that in places, there were grooves for pathways through the aisles of assorted rods, tackle, bait freezers and Polaroids of assorted anglers who had walked these halls before you that littered the store. It was so crammed with assorted fishing trinkets that hung off the walls and from random hooks in the ceiling, that at times one felt compelled to duck their head for a fear of getting their hair snagged in a random piece of tackle that might be hanging from a fixed location. And there in the middle of it, at a chest high counter that was so aged, that most of the lacquer had worn completely off, was where you could usually find Frank dispensing some bit of assistance or random advice to an aspiring fisherman.
It would be entirely safe to assume, that since Frank opened his shop in 1985, hundreds of thousands of people have passed through his doors seeking bait, lures, line, and especially random pieces of advice about where to catch the big one. This is where Frank always shined. You could always count on Frank to know, not just where the fish were biting today, but why. The ins and outs of tide movements, the location of the moon, rain fall, pollutants in the water source, and why hopping on your left leg while humming the Star Spangled Banner while you cast your line might beget more fish. If there is a secret to it, Frank knows it. And he was always willing to share it with his customers.
Early in the morning in late May, the local landmark that is Fish'n Frank's tackle shop burned entirely to the ground, along with everything that Frank and his crew and his family have worked to build. Sure, it was modest, but it was his, neigh it was OURS! Because Frank had one of the few places that a person could go, where he could learn how to fish. If teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime, then indeed, it can be reasoned that Frank has gone far and above his responsibility as a member of a community to help feed countless people. And in a couple of hours, all of that he worked for was gone. For those of us who understand where the fish are biting, and why, and know how to tie the correct knot on our hooks and lures, and know which bait to use and why, NOW is the time to repay that debt to a man who taught us to feed ourselves.
PHOTO By Matthew Butcosk Twisted Chassis Photography
I am already astounded by the outreach from my community to get Frank back open as soon as possible. But every bit we can do is going to help right now. I don't have a lot to give, but I, like many, have a debt to this man. I am asking my community now, to reach out, and repay a man who has helped us all to fish, eat and enjoy the wonderful bounty that Mother Nature has put here for us.
As of the writing of this blog, the best way to find out how to help is probably to visit the Facebook page dedicated to helping this Man. You can find the link here: Help Rebuild Fish'n Frank
