Shawn Kimbro, Alliance Board Member, and I joined the Alliance at the same time in 2017. In these last 8 years, I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know Shawn better, usually while we’re out fishing the rivers and streams of the Chesapeake Bay. Shawn espouses conservation in every way – through his presentations to thousands of people at fishing clubs around the region, through the writing of all three of his books, and especially on the water when he’s out fishing the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. In recognition of Shawn’s contributions to conservation efforts within local recreational fisheries, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources named him as the 2025 Sport Fisheries Achievement Award recipient!

The award ceremony on October 14th was well-attended by his friends and colleagues from the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), members of the Sport Fisheries Advisory Committee, and a whole bunch of Shawn’s fishing buddies. I caught up with Shawn after the award ceremony, and wanted to learn more about this award and his thoughts related to what it means to him, and the state of our recreational fishing in Maryland.

Shawn Kimbro gives remarks to the audience during the award ceremony for the 2025 Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award. Photo Credit: MD Department of Natural Resources

Shawn Kimbro gives remarks to the audience during the award ceremony for the 2025 Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award. Photo Credit: MD Department of Natural Resources

Kate: Tell our audience more about this award and why it is important to recreational fishing in Maryland.

Shawn: I feel like it’s more of a longstanding impact award, which is why I’m humbled and honored to be mentioned with names like Joe Brooks, Lefty Kreh, Dr. Ken Lewis, and others. I first heard about the Maryland Sports Fisheries Achievement Award from my friend John Neely, who was working with the governor’s Sports Fish Advisory Committee on creating it at about the same time I joined his project of putting together the Maryland Fly Fishing Trail. John’s vision was that this would be the highest recreational fishing recognition in the state, not just for single accomplishments but for sustained efforts in habitat management, ​conservation, education, research or other meaningful contributions that benefit fish and recreational fishing in Maryland. 

Kate: You know as well as anyone that it takes a village to do meaningful conservation work. Tell us who is in your village?

Shawn: I often feel like I’m the luckiest angler in Maryland because I got to fish and learn from so many people, including several of the previous award winners. Lefty Kreh cites Joe Brooks as his mentor, and I learned much of what I know from Lefty and Dr. Lewis, both of whom I had the honor to fish with. It’s the way it should work; we each pass along our knowledge to subsequent generations, and everyone benefits. My village also includes the thousands of recreational anglers I’ve met while speaking to fishing clubs and conservation organizations around the region, so many of whom told me stories or gave me fishing tips that I could pass along through my books and articles. Their inspiration moves me brightly.

Kate: It is incredible that so many of the recipients of this Award have fished together! With time spent on the water together, I bet the conversation often turned to the topic of conservation of our recreational fisheries.  Is there a common thread between the awardees?

Shawn:  The common thread is a rhythm of justice, and an attitude that says it’s not mine, it’s ours. I’m pondering your question while sitting in my workshop surrounded by old lures and antique fishing artifacts, and it reminds me that there is a consistent theme of preservation. Despite our diverse backgrounds, we all came to the same conclusion, that there is a societal benefit to preserving our resources and teaching ethical fishing that far exceeds any monetary value. It’s like when Aldo Leopold wrote, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” 

Kate: Shawn, when you and I go fishing, it’s oftentimes “upstream” of the Chesapeake Bay proper. What is your personal draw to the tributaries? From your perspective, why are they so important?

Shawn: I started my life of fishing in the mountain streams of Appalachia, and the tributaries have always been my first love. I was happy when the Braker Brothers asked me to participate in their award-winning film, “A Journey Upstream” because I’m just as delighted with an 8-inch brook trout as I am with a 40-inch rockfish. Looking out for the welfare of the tributaries is part of my motivation for working on the board of the Alliance for the past 8 years. There is much to do, but I feel like we’re really making a difference, heading toward more resilient landscapes and cleaner streams flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. 

Shawn Kimbro (left) is presented with the 2025 Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award from Scott Lenox (right), Chair of the Sports Fisheries Advisory Committee (SFAC). Photo credit: MD Department of Natural Resources

Shawn Kimbro (left) is presented with the 2025 Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award from Scott Lenox (right), Chair of the Sports Fisheries Advisory Committee (SFAC). Photo credit: MD Department of Natural Resources

Kate: In the spirit of this award, how do you feel like you are making a difference and what is one thing you want the residents of the Chesapeake Bay to know about our recreational fisheries?

Shawn: I feel like my mission is to teach people how to catch fish, and to do it as ethically as possible. I’ve learned through many years of environmental advocacy that when we encourage others to enjoy our natural resources, they naturally want to protect and preserve them. I believe we’re seeing a new breed of recreational anglers in our watershed, people who love the land and water as much as they are passionate about protecting the fish. 

The one thing I want everyone to know is that the experience of fishing far outweighs the value of harvesting fish. That’s not to say we shouldn’t keep and eat them from time to time because eating fish is a big draw to our sport, but if we cultivate that it’s not mine, it’s ours temperament, then our children and grandchildren will also have access to great fishing and ultimately seek to preserve it.

Kate: When are we going fishing again?!

Shawn: Kate, we’re due for another pickerel and yellow perch run down to the Pokemoke, and hopefully they’ll remember to open the Snow Hill drawbridge back up for us next time! These cooler temperatures are bringing fly fishing for trout into play and also leading big stripers back into the Bay. As usual, we have more choices than we have time, but let’s go!

If you’re interested in learning more about Shawn’s light tackle technique of fishing and why recreational anglers have a great responsibility to promote conservation, you can check out any of his three books.  Shawn encourages you to visit your local tackle shop to pick one up,  and they’re also available at Amazon.com.

  • Chesapeake Light Tackle: An Introduction to Light Tackle Fishing on the Chesapeake Bay
  • The Right Stuff: Gear and Attitudes for Trophy Light Tackle Fishing
  • How to Catch Chesapeake Panfish (Chesapeake Light Tackle) 

For more instructional information, follow Shawn on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/shawnkimbro.  

Cheers to your well-deserved award, Shawn!  The Alliance is grateful for everything you do for us, and for conservation, upstream.