Ahab by Land
What’s your white whale?
Our founder, Marlon Holden, spent his childhood sailing around the world as a young boy and continued on into adulthood.
Marlon has held his master merchant-mariners 100-ton license from the US Coast Guard for the better part of 25 years. He has won many prestigious competitions and had become a master of the sea.
At 28 years old, Marlon dove head on into an entirely new challenge; Bowhunting. This became his new “white whale” or so to speak. By the age of 46, Marlon had become one of the most successful and consistent bowhunters of the West.
Marlon wants to make an impact for all people who love the outdoors. Ahab Gear was created for those men and women who have a little pirate in them. It is the time to go after your dreams, whether it is by land or sea and take what’s yours!
Hunting and fishing, often seen as distinct outdoor pursuits, are actually twin threads in the same tapestry, both deeply rooted in human tradition, self-reliance, and connection to the natural world. Though the tools and terrains differ, their core principles co-transmute, meaning one can easily evolve into the other, both in practice and in spirit.
At the heart of both lies a shared discipline: reading nature. Whether tracking mule deer through rugged terrain or spotting marlin in the vast ocean, success depends on patience, observation, and understanding animal behavior. The quiet stillness required in a duck blind mirrors the concentration of casting into calm water. Stealth, timing, and respect for the land are universal skills in both crafts.
Many outdoorsmen and women find that as they master one pursuit, they are naturally drawn into the other. A hunter may take up fly-fishing in the off-season, sharpening their sense of rhythm and flow. A lifelong angler might pick up a bow, discovering the thrill of the chase on land. The emotional experience of sourcing food directly, of deep immersion in wilderness is strikingly similar, feeding the same soul-level need for primal engagement.
Together, hunting and fishing co-create a lifestyle, one that fosters sustainability, stewardship, and gratitude. They are not separate silos, but reflections of the same instinct: to live in rhythm with the natural world, to honor what it provides, and to carry those lessons back into modern life.
In essence, to hunt is to fish with a different weapon, and to fish is to hunt with water as your field. The boundary between them is fluid and that’s where the magic lies.