The Story of the Sailfish

Have you ever noticed that stunning sailfish sculpture displayed in the center of the main bar? We at the Club are crazy over the piece created by John Rogers “Roge” Fowler and wife, Cathy Fowler. After many inquiries from Sailfish Club members visiting the bar, we set out to investigate how this duo crafted such a unique piece of artwork.

A New Type of Sculpture

Roge has always had a passion for two things: art and fishing. Growing up in small-town Texas, he spent the majority of his summers in Colorado fly-fishing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Roge always had an appreciation for art and spent a lot of time over the years touring art galleries. While exploring the galleries, he noticed that there weren’t any realistic-looking fish sculptures.

At this point in his life, Roge had a very demanding career in sales, which required extensive traveling. After the birth of his daughter, he wanted a job that allowed him to be home with his family. It was at this time, that he took the plunge and merged together his love of art and fishing. Soon after, a new type of sculpture was formed. While beginning this venture, Roge’s ultimate vision was to sculpt a realistic-looking fish. Soon after, a new type of sculpture was formed. He knew that it was imperative to find metals that would reflect light and capture the richness of all the colors in a fish. He knew his work had to stand out among the other fish sculpture. He teamed up with his wife, Cathy, (who makes the sculpture molds) in order to accomplish this challenging vision. The duo eventually found that stainless steel was the perfect metal to use when mixed with a specific transparent dye. The outcome was successful and became a new method to add realistic color to the sculptures.

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