Video: “Beyond the Horizon” (Full Version)

Editor’s Note: The folks at Cold Collaborative have released the full, 25-minute version of their epic film, “Beyond the Horizon.” For lots more information about the film–including wonderful photographs and an interview with the director, Jon “JK” Klaczkiewicz–click here. Below is the description of the video.

Beyond the Horizon tells the story of Rankin Jackson’s struggle to provide for his family while trying to survive the push of drug-running and ultimately how fly fishing revealed his road to redemption.

Life on  Guanaja, Honduras, can be difficult, and the natural resources are suffering.
Photos courtesy Cold Collaborative

Guanaja, Honduras, is a remote island paradise, but hurricanes, poverty, political instability, drug wars, lack of health care, and corruption are constant hardships experienced by its 15,000 residents. Guanaja lacks opportunity, and islanders mostly live off the land and sea. Unregulated and overfished, the vibrant marine life around Guanaja suffers beyond the point of sustainability. Islanders live in poverty while the natural resources continue to diminish.

While many species of fish have been decimated by overfishing, the most valuable one of all has thrived against all odds: permit. Guanaja is blessed with a valuable permit fishery, and while islanders previously ate them, a catch-and-release ethic has organically blossomed from the presence of a small fly lodge: Fly Fish Guanaja. Because of fly fishing, new opportunities and sources of income are developing each day for the small community of islanders.

Rankin Jackson (right) guides Noah Thompson in the Keys to the East.

Guanaja and the surrounding Caribbean is decorated with glorious and devastating war stories dating from before pirate days all the way through the current drug empire. Man’s Caribbean treasure has gone from gold to cocaine to the mighty permit. Ten years ago, Rankin found himself with the opportunity to work at Fly Fish Guanaja, sleeping in a hammock as a guard. He rapidly developed as a fly-fishing guide and today is regarded as one of the greatest guides in all of Honduras.

In the remote waters of the Caribbean lies a spit of sand known as the Cayes Cajones. It is surrounded by seemingly endless miles of permit- and bonefish-rich flats. The region is plagued by the conflicts of drugs, pirates, and hostile indigenous people. From his time in the cartel, Rankin Jackson learned of these hidden keys to the east, and for 10 years, he has been telling the lodge owner, Steven Brown, of the legends beneath the surface. Until now, a journey as been too treacherous. In 2017 the plans were struck and the mission moved forward–to venture Beyond the Horizon.

Fly Fish Guanaja owner Steve Brown cradles the first permit of the trip.