Fishers of Men

Fishers of Men started out as three friends that wanted a change of pace, just something a little different. For years they had been attending church together and going fishing on opening day of trout season in North Carolina. They had heard stories of how good the fishing was in Cherokee, NC and so decided to try opening day there, which was one week before the rest of the state. So, in 2003, Jim Buchanan, Derek Stallings, and Matt Walker went to Cherokee for opening day of trout season and a tradition was started. When they returned and told their buddies about the trip, more guys wanted to participate. 

As it became an annual event that many guys anxiously awaited each year, some of them decided the group needed a name. Since almost all of the attendees were members of the same church, the Bible verse from Matthew 4:19, where Jesus called Peter and Andrew to be his disciples by saying “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,” came to mind. Thus, "The Fishers of Men Annual Trout Invitational" was born. Now, more than twenty years later, we are still going to Cherokee, NC on opening day. Different men have been a part of our fellowship and some old faces are still attending each year. We are now reaching the point that the fishers are experiencinig generational attendance! Despite some fishers that have moved away and can no longer attend, and others have gone home to be with the Lord, our group contines to grow through friends and family. Our accommodations for the trip have gone from one room cabins to some pretty spacious vacation homes. The trip is now started on the Thursday before opening day, rather than arriving less than 24 hours to the start of the day. There are so many changes that have happened throughout the years, the fishing styles, locations, and even the fishers themselves, but inspite of that, some things have become mainstays in our trips. We are still enjoying great fellowship with other men of like minds and faith. We are still attempting to show Jesus through our actions and deeds. And we are still looking forward to many more meetings of The Fishers of Men.

For any photo submissions of previous or current Fishers of Men activities, please send to photos@thefom.org