This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mary Grigsby, a 43-year-old who moved from New York City to Baja, Mexico, and is the founder of The Fish Ranch. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I was raised in Oregon and took a non-traditional route that led me into policy work and, eventually, finance. I was working in Manhattan when the pandemic hit, and I decided to visit my dad and brother in Baja, Mexico, where they spend a significant amount of time enjoying the climate and culture.
I fell in love with Agua Amarga, a little town on the Sea of Cortez, and decided to move there.
After a year working my finance job remotely from Mexico, I resigned and opened a fly-fishing business, The Fish Ranch, with custom trips and a fly shop in town. It’s been a wild ride.
I traveled and chased waves in my early years
I left Oregon after high school and traveled the world, surfing and sailing places like Hawaii and Tahiti. I did a six-month stint in Baja and ultimately landed in Southern California, where I studied landscape architecture.
When the big earthquakes hit Haiti in 2010, I volunteered and found a calling in disaster relief and international relations. I began studying Arabic at a community college in California, then transferred to Columbia University, where I completed the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies program. I traveled for school and spent summers studying and working on grants in numerous countries.
Finance was never on my radar
That changed when I had a random conversation in passing with a man about my studies. He offered me a job on the spot. I was burned out on policy work and was between gigs, so I took a chance and entered the business world.
I worked as an asset management analyst on several different finance teams. I ended up loving the work and found that business was a powerful mechanism for effecting positive change and outcomes in our society.
I eventually landed an amazing job at a major endowment in lower Manhattan, where we worked on responsible, sustainable investments.
I started fly fishing in NYC
My boyfriend at the time was really into fly fishing, and we would fish the waters around the city. It gave me a reason to be on the water, and we had fun chasing striped bass and other fish in the area.
I fell in love with the fly fishing community. It was such an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life who shared a common love for the sport. We would attend gatherings and dinners where you’d find local fish bums at the same table as extremely wealthy people, all sharing the same passion.
Many of my connections from the fly fishing community at that time are clients in Baja today.
As much as I loved NYC, I was missing the ocean and wanted a smaller community
When I’d visit my dad and brother in Mexico, something about the Sea of Cortez side attracted me. I would always drive over to Agua Amarga. I started looking for a property there while still working in NYC.
I had pitched my job on remote work before the pandemic, but it wasn’t an option at the time. When COVID-19 hit, the company went fully remote. I grabbed my dog and my computer monitors and flew down to Cabo on an empty flight.
I was a little nervous when I first moved
I’m the only American woman in my area, but the community has been great. It’s safe, and everyone is very nice. I had traveled enough that there wasn’t any culture shock or issues moving from the city to a rural community.
I also enjoy living in the same place as my fishing captains. These relationships are really special, and I’m lucky to be here. I can’t say enough good things about the people in small-town Baja, and, of course, I’m near the water with great fishing.
I didn’t plan on turning this into a business
I wasn’t planning to run a business initially, but there was a disconnect between the fishing captains and the people who wanted to book trips.
I started talking to local captains about building a website that would function as a booking engine for local operators. At that time, they didn’t have social media, websites, or any way of planning a trip in advance.
I also wanted an office space separate from home, and that has become the current Fish Ranch fly shop. I started booking trips and putting together hats, stickers, and clothing as a passion project. I love having a creative outlet, and designing apparel has been surprisingly fun.
It’s not always easy
The biggest challenges didn’t stem from being in a small town or in Mexico. I’m a single mom now, with a wonderful 3-year-old. Having the bandwidth to grow the business was difficult.
There were plenty of times when I was exhausted and wanted to give up. Ultimately, I stuck it out and kept pushing to build something special while also raising my son.
This is a rewarding business for me
I love seeing how happy and excited people are when they get on the water. The fishery and ecosystems are exceptional, and it makes me happy to send people off to have a great experience each morning.
I also love the community connections. We have guests who return each year because of the relationships they develop with the captains, support staff, and the community as a whole. It’s a really special bond. I’m also lucky to have my son with me on many of the trips.
I miss some parts of life in NYC, with its diverse and worldly nature, but I can always visit. I’m very happy in Mexico and don’t plan to leave.
