LINCOLN WESTBY & WATER: ONE IN THE SAME

Lincoln Westby is known to be a legend on the water.  He has developed a deep respect and understanding of where he came from. In Lincoln’s early years, his father worked as a light-house keeper off the coast of Belize. When his mother went into labor, they traveled across thirty miles of open water in hope to make it to Belize City in time. In the midst of the travel, Lincoln Westby was born in a boat, instantly creating the special bond he would hold with the ocean. 

David, Lincoln’s younger brother, really jump started Lincoln’s interest in fly fishing. Both working at the same lodge - David as a guide and Lincoln as a cook - the two worked together to build a relationship and respect for the sport. Eventually Lincoln decided to hone in on the Permit, gaining the title of ‘grandfather of the Permit.’

WHY PERMIT?

Simply said, Permit are hard to catch. Permit are tricky and sneaky, requiring excellent fishing skills from the fisherman and guide. With unbelievable sight, hearing, smell, and intelligence, this fish can elude even the most seasoned and dedicated angler. One second you think you have them hooked, and the next they’re gone. 

Lincoln has dedicated his career to the Permit. To him, if a fisherman is going to be the best, they have to go after the best. Landing a Permit grants bragging rights for a fishman’s lifetime. With Lincoln’s guiding, his clients have landed over 2,000+ Permit. Taking a lot of work, dedication, and commitment, he has lived up to his legend status of being the ‘Permit Master.’

BLUE HORIZON LODGE: THE IDEA & THE CREATION

Lincoln’s wife, Pearline,was the encouraging force behind Lincoln's vision to establish Blue Horizon Fishing Lodge back in 1997. After Pearline discovered the perfectisland off the southern coast of Belize, they worked together to turn “scrub and mangrove” into something. Twice a day, the partners would deliver a boat full of sawdust, sand, or tires, to start building the body of land from the bottom up. With just their own two hands, Perline and Lincoln built an island full of hopes and visions to carry on to the future. 

THE DREAM: A GUIDE’S GUIDE

Blue Horizon is more than a lodge, but an idea. It’s about working together as a team and to share knowledge with those eager to learn. Coming from a place to make people happy, Blue Horizon is alive inside of people with a passion that will never die. Lincoln, being a guide’s guide, hopes to give people something to shoot for and to always be there when needed: being a guide on the flats, and being a guide in life.

CONSERVATION

The Blue Horizon team is full of passionate guides who care more about protecting the natural world around us than just about anything else. Lincoln has instilled the passion of conservation in each and every Blue Horizon team member. The theory is that even the little fish counts. There is a chain of events that are inevitable to happen. If there is harm done to something even so small, it will affect everything else around it. Simply said, everything is connected. It’s important to go into sports fishing out of love for the environment and to make sure it’s treated with care. 

LEGACY

The Junior Guide program at Blue Horizon Lodge is the crown jewel of Lincoln’s legacy. Beyond the photos of permit caught, proud guest testimonials, and building a successful business, the Junior Guide program has the ability to live on forever. The program is attended by the sons of guides who currently work for the lodge. The goal is to teach them everything they can, preparing them for not only the future of the lodge, but also the future of the flats. “It’s great that I’m doing something where I’ll be here forever, because I won’t die really. I’m going to go, but I won’t die… the people I train, they will be talking for the rest of their lives, and their children will be talking about it… And that’s the purpose [of life]: if you do good, you’re going to last forever.”