Site Content
Founder's Story
Michael A. Payne was born and raised on the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in what most people would consider poverty. He is the 5th of 10 boys born to the Payne household. Before he was even born, his parents were busy teaching the kids to fish and garden to help feed the family.
One of Michael’s first memories as a child was walking home from school and seeing his Mom and Dad loading up the truck which meant that they were hitting the road to some farm, lake or pond. Through this experience, Michael and his brothers learned how to grow their own vegetables, boating and fishing at a very young age which made them stronger than most and their time spent in the outdoors made them feel amazing as if the world belonged to them. They later realized that their parents did this as a safety measure from the neighborhood they lived in.
Mike’s older brother, Rod, spent a great deal of time fishing. He worked for the Auberle House for over 10 years at the Auberle House, a wraparound group home for at-risk youth- would tell Mike how he took the kids fishing and how much joy they got from just being outdoors. A few years ago, his eldest brother Rod passed away and Mike got a calling. Fishing has always been an escape for Michael even as an adult and he realized that fishing and being in the outdoors helped him and his brothers to get through hard times by teaching them patience and also helped develop life skills so he wanted to give back to kids, especially those who are struggling through hard times, those who may not have “a way of escape” of their own. The Fishing Rod Foundation was birthed and set up to give less fortunate kids who may not have the opportunity or chance to go fishing. Many kids would love to go fishing and enjoy other outdoor activities, but their circumstances may not allow them to.
Every kid’s circumstance may be different. It may be the fact that they don't have anyone to take them fishing or enjoy outdoor activities, or maybe they come from a broken home and just need a someone they can enjoy the outdoors with and develop life skills at the same time. As the old saying goes, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day…but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”
