Can fishing help the soul and be the fly that ties us? It was year 2005 when a case worker entered the hospital room of 16 year old Jonathan Nitsch, who at the time was enduring multiple sessions of chemotherapy in a tough battle against cancer. When informed of his eligibility as a Make-a-Wish recipient, and told that he had the choice to be granted one wish, it was clear to this young man what he wanted to do.
Spending a good amount of time living on an island while his father took a job in Bermuda, Jonathan developed a love for the ocean that laid just footsteps from his back door. Priding himself on entering into this new sport on his own accord and doing all he could to absorb as much knowledge as possible, Jonathan frequented local fishing docks, and spoke with fishermen whenever he could. A lot of of his inspiration he tells us came from watching Jose Wejebe on the Spanish Fly television show.
Without hesitation, Jonathan replied to the figure at the foot of his bed and said “I learned how to fish by watching The Spanish Fly and had always wished that I could fish with the man who shared my respect of marine life.” It was not long after that Jonathan willed himself to strength and was now climbing aboard the Spanish Fly to fish with Jose Wejebe and friend Stevie Impalameni in Key West, Fl.
Recently, the team at the Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation made contact with the now 26 year old Jonathan Nitsch. Inviting him back to Key West to be reunited with Stevie Impalameni for a couple days of fishing and filming, Jonathan shared with us what it meant to him to receive his wish at a time when he truly felt he was at the end of his rope and in the darkest of places.
Stay tuned to hear more about Jonathan Nitsch’s return trip to the Keys and his inspirational story. In the meantime here are some pictures from our days on the water.
