The nonprofit organization Cast Hope of San Diego gives imperfect children the gift of spending time outdoors by providing free water fishing. The program aims to help children achieve success and develop life skills, establish positive relationships with adult mentors, instill a love of nature and lay the foundation for the future of fishing.
Cast Hope will host its annual Hawaiian-style casino fundraiser on Friday, August 5 at The Dana in Mission Bay. Guests will be treated to an evening of fun table games, food, Par Avon music and dancing in the tropical scenery of Mission Bay.
Conway Bowman, a fisherman and boatman for Encinitas, serves as regional manager for Southern California at Cast Hope. A native of San Diego, Bowman always used to fish, he loved to do it with his father John.
He was given the gift of being outdoors at an early age – from the age of six to his early teens, Bowman’s father took him to Idaho in the summer to experience mountain walking, and his dad patiently taught him to fly. fish. Conway said his dad had given him a long leash during those years so that he was able to run, explore and experience adventures.
“It has really influenced me throughout my life, taking risks and accepting failures and appreciating successes,” he said.
He knows that many children are not so lucky with this type of experience, which inspires him in Cast Hope and sharing his passion and skills.
Bowman really got interested in saltwater fishing when he was in his 20s and bought a small 16-foot aluminum boat that he took to the ocean. While his dad warned him not to leave the pier, he took the chance and learned many lessons: “Being in a little boat in the big ocean, you guess pretty quickly.”
Bowman realized that the Mako shark was a really great fly rod and began fly-fishing a beautiful fish – considered by some to be the pioneer of this sporting way of targeting the Mako.
He was given a larger boat, a US Coast Guard captain’s license, and began to be a guide, taking people on Makos hunting around the world. Always catch and release, uses burr-free hooks and never holds a fish.
His experience has resulted in a 15-year television career hosting fishing and travel shows for ESPN, Sportsman Channel and the World Fishing Network. While he was grateful for the time he spent on TV and the opportunities it gave him to see the world, he now enjoys being close to home with his wife Michelle and sons Max and Jackson.
Bowman joined Cast Hope about three years ago when he was approached by founder Ryan Johnston. Johnston founded Cast Hope 11 years ago in Chico and thought San Diego would be a great place to open up a new market by combining chapters in Lake Tahoe, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
The program takes children and their guardians fishing as many times as they want, providing all the equipment, gear and guide. Guides such as Bowman teach them the basics of fishing, how to cast a line, tie a knot, or hook into a position to catch a fish.
They go on trips to the city’s lakes and reservoirs and the fish-rich Mission Bay.
“When we take them out … they pick them up very quickly,” Bowman said. “Once they are successful in catching a fish, the smile on their face is amazing.”
It is important to Bowman that they talk about protecting, catching, and releasing fish, and the correct way to handle the fish carefully. Bowman said excursions are about more than just fishing.
“Fishing is the key that opens the door to many other things,” said Bowman, adding that his goal is for them to go away with a greater appreciation of the environment, where our water comes from, how the ocean works, and how everything is connected in nature. “These kids are our next ambassadors for our outside world … it doesn’t matter if they fish or not, as long as they understand and are introduced to the natural world, they can be the greatest environmental stewards along the way.”
Tossing the fishing rod is also a tricky way for kids to grasp the values of patience, perseverance, decision-making, and self-confidence.
Part of the Cast Hope program is that the mentor and child must complete two days of volunteering (such as habitat cleaning and restoration) and participate in the learning day learning topics such as fish biology or water conservation. If they stick to the program for a year and meet the requirements, Cast Hope will buy all the equipment they need to fish.
Through Cast Hope, Bowman experiences the importance of mentoring youth. His father died in 2020 and he is reminded daily of the lessons he taught him fly fishing, resilience and love.
“My dad was a great mentor to so many children, he was a teacher, and he touched so many lives,” said Bowman of his father, who was a teacher at a San Diego high school for 40 years. “It definitely redirects through me. He is definitely the reason why I do this… his legacy with me is sharing knowledge and helping children. ”
Tickets for the Hawaii Casino overnight fundraiser cost $ 150 and are available at casthope.org/events. Donations can also be made on the website. For more information, please send an email to conwayxbowman@gmail.com
