Q&A with Conservation Captain Eworth Garbutt

Punta Gorda, Belize

The pandemic has affected all of us in many ways. How has your life changed in the last year?

I lost at least 95 percent of my business. But I always see a little silver lining. This gave us the thing we always look for: time. I went down to my hometown of Punta Negra and did some farming and spent time fishing with the kids, showing them more than I had been able to before.

How do you encourage marine conservation as a guide and business owner?

We have to lead by example. As a business owner, when it comes time to make a decision, don’t do it based on short-term gain because the long-term gains go parallel with what is good for the environment. Take care of what takes care of you. It’s that simple.

You’ve done a lot of work to ban gill-net fishing in your area—why is this so important?

It’s hard to come to a ban, but I knew I would never stop. I’ve seen first-hand the damage that they cause, but I’ve also had the privilege to see fish that are now extinct because of the gill nets. It’s almost like I’m prehistoric to say that I was there when something was plenty, and now it’s completely gone. And that was because of those gill nets. As much as it’s been devastating, we will always reflect on 2020 as the year that we banned gill nets. And to be the only country in the world to have a gill-net ban, I’m even more proud to be a Belizean.

What was it like to transition from being a guide for various lodges to opening a business of your own with your brothers?

Owning our own lodge, especially working with my brothers, was a dream come true. If I had done it myself, it would’ve been sweet, but something about having to do it together was a special connection and a way to share what we love to do. It meant everything to us.

What is your favorite memory of being on the water?

At 10 years old, me and my little cousin went out and set a line on a homemade rig that I made myself. The next morning we saw the buoys diving down, so we knew we had a big one. It was an intense fight for 15 minutes before I even saw a glimpse of it, but after I saw it and it saw me, it was all over. I had just enough time to tell my cousin to put the hook on the edge of the boat so if the fish carried me underwater, the hook wouldn’t keep trailing. Two-thirds of my body was in the water, and my cousin was holding me by my feet. Two little guys of only 90 pounds, and we tried to pull this 200-pound Goliath of a grouper into the boat! Of course we weren’t successful, so we towed it home. It was the first time in my life I had the perfect excuse to be late for school.

What is your go-to permit fly?

I have one of my own, but it’s a secret! My other favorite right now has got to be that olive Camo Crab. It’s by SS Flies.

Photo courtesy of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures