Captain Tom Van Horn has spent a lifetime sharing his knowledge and passion for the outdoors. In September, the Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA) honored Tom at their annual conference by awarding him the Bass Pro Shops Pass it on Award.  The award, “recognizes a FOWA member who’s gone the extra mile or devoted a lifetime to introduce others to the joys of the outdoors who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to do so.”

Capt. Chris Myers, a partner in many of Tom’s educational outreach programs, describes him like this, “I have never met another person more willing to share his knowledge of fishing and the outdoors with others. Tom devotes countless hours conducting free seminars for adults and hands on clinics for children. He is always willing to help other anglers by sharing hot spots and tactics that will help them catch more fish. He has donated his time helping wounded soldiers obtain therapy through fishing, assisting those with illnesses enjoy hooking a fish and teaching underprivileged youth how to fish while hosting them on his boat. Tom Van Horn is certainly deserving of this award.”

Tom was one of the founding members of Anglers for Conservation, was our first president, and is currently president of the Orlando chapter of the AFC.  We can think of no one more deserving of the Bass Pro Shops Pass it on Award than Captain Tom Van Horn.  We are proud to call Tom our friend and are extremely grateful he is part of Anglers for Conservation.