Her Life, Her Work, and the Legacy She Left Us

When I first wrote about Becca Sue Klein in 2022, I described her story as one filled with achievement and legacy. She was living with terminal cancer, building an organization to support people in recovery, and continuing her work to bring children onto the water.

During a video call, she told me something I have never forgotten:

“I figure if I’m going to have a terminal illness, I want to make as much of a difference as I can while I’m here.”

Becca passed away on January 21, 2025, at the age of 42, after a long fight with breast cancer. It is difficult to revisit that conversation knowing she is no longer here. But the work she spoke about continues through Reeling in Serenity and the Becca Sue Klein All Kids Fish programs.

I want to remember the woman behind that work, what she accomplished, and the influence she had on my life and our fishing community.

How I Met Becca

I first met Becca while volunteering at an All Girls Fish event in 2021. She was busy that day, and we did not have much opportunity to connect. But I was impressed by the turnout and the knowledge and care being shared with the children.

We connected again in 2022 when she was looking for help with graphics for Reeling in Recovery, the organization now known as Reeling in Serenity. I created the logo, and Becca asked me to join the board to help with branding.

The mission was personal to me. I have lost loved ones to addiction, and I understood why creating support and connection for people in recovery mattered. I was honored that she wanted me to be part of it.

As time went on, I struggled to give the organization the attention I felt it deserved. I told Becca that I thought I should step down. She would not hear of it. Even when I felt my contributions were minimal, she wanted me to stay.

I remain grateful for that. She valued my involvement when I was questioning whether I was doing enough.

The Conversation That Stayed With Me

When we began working together, I did not understand the full extent of Becca’s cancer. I later realized she had been going through chemotherapy throughout our relationship.

During our Zoom conversation, she told me she had terminal cancer and spoke about the legacy she wanted to leave through All Kids Fish and Reeling in Serenity.

Her words have stayed with me because she was already doing what she said she wanted to do. She was organizing, asking for help, bringing people together, and making plans for work she hoped would continue beyond her lifetime.

I cannot speak to everything she was carrying privately. What I witnessed was her determination to use the time she had to help others. It changed the way I thought about her work and about the difference one person can make.

A Life Dedicated to Our Waterways

Becca’s environmental work began before she became a fly angler. She worked with Catawba Riverkeeper before joining Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in 2009, where she spent more than 15 years supporting the protection of the river and its watershed.

For Becca, the river was also a place of personal comfort. It gave her a reprieve from city life and somewhere to find peace through cancer treatment and recovery.

She brought her professional experience into the fishing community, helping connect people, organizations, and businesses with causes she believed in. She also shared her experiences through writing, including work with DUN magazine and other fly-fishing publications.

Her conservation work and her desire to help people were closely connected. Bringing someone to the water gave her an opportunity to share both.

Giving Children a Place on the Water

In 2019, Becca helped bring the first All Girls Fish event to life through Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Girls were introduced to fly fishing while learning why healthy rivers matter.

The program grew to include All Kids Fish, giving more children the opportunity to participate.

These events introduced children to casting, knots, aquatic insects, fish handling, and conservation. Volunteers and mentors helped them put those lessons into practice on the water.

Having volunteered at one of those early events, I saw the effort that went into giving the children that experience. Becca brought together people willing to share their time and knowledge, and children who might be holding a fly rod for the first time.

Even during her final months, she was working toward expanding the program beyond Georgia with iFishiBelong. That effort continued after her passing, with an event near Philadelphia in September 2025.

Today, the Becca Sue Klein All Kids Fish programs carry her name and continue the work she cared so deeply about.

Sharing What Helped Her Through Recovery

Becca’s own recovery was central to the creation of Reeling in Serenity.

She began fly fishing in 2016, around the time she chose sobriety. Time on the river helped her slow down and focus on the present. She wanted other people in recovery to have the opportunity to experience that peace and connection.

She also understood how isolating recovery could be. In the original article, she explained:

“By connecting with others in the recovery community you build a support network. We want to break the barrier of isolation.”

Working with others who shared that experience, Becca helped build the organization first known as Reeling in Recovery and later renamed Reeling in Serenity.

Its free fly-fishing retreats welcome people in active recovery from substance use disorder. Participants do not need previous fishing experience. They have an opportunity to learn, spend time outdoors, and connect with others who understand the work of recovery.

The organization continues that mission today.

Remembering Becca

Becca’s achievements deserve recognition. So does the care behind them.

She understood what it meant to need support. Through her experiences with cancer, sobriety, and the fishing community, she found something she wanted to share. She gave her time and energy to making those opportunities available to others.

My part in her work was small, but knowing her had a lasting effect on me. I still think about our conversation and the trust she placed in me. I continue to donate to the organization’s auctions and support its work, grateful to remain connected to something that mattered so much to her.

Becca, thank you for asking me to be part of your vision. Thank you for the kindness you showed me, for the children you brought to the water, and for the people you helped find support in recovery.

You left a lasting footprint on my life and on our industry. I wish you were here to see the work continuing.

Supporting Her Legacy

For those who would like to learn more, volunteer, or contribute, Becca’s work continues through:

• Reeling in Serenity, providing free fly-fishing retreats for people in recovery.

• Becca Sue Klein All Kids Fish at Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, introducing children to fly fishing and conservation.

• iFishiBelong’s Becca Sue Klein All Kids Fish program, continuing her vision of reaching children beyond Georgia.

Supporting these programs is one way we can help carry forward the work she wanted to leave behind.

To donate, volunteer, find more information, click the Logo

 All Kids Fish 

 

Reeling In Serenity