Anchored with April Vokey

In this episode of Anchored, I thought I would do something a little different. Some of you may remember the five-part series I wrote a while back called “So You Want to be a Fishing Guide?” Almost every day I'm asked how to get into the fishing industry, specifically into the guiding side of things. I thought an audio format would be a great way to address this question—especially since I have a...

Jason Schratwieser has been the International Game Fish Association’s director of conservation since 2003. An angler and holder of a master’s degree in marine biology, he passionately oversees the organisation’s conservation-related activities such as collaborative research, fisheries policy and advocacy. Jason was instrumental in the passage of the Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 and is the co-...

Dr. Matthew Muir is a veterinarian based out of Sydney, Australia. He began work as a mixed animal general practitioner in Griffith, Australia where he developed skills in surgery, dermatology and nutrition before moving to the United Kingdom where he performed emergency and critical care work at a Royal Veterinary College Hospital. Soon after he began consulting in wellness and internal medicine....

***Check out our Outdoor Photography Masterclass with Bryan here!*** Bryan Gregson is one of the fishing industry’s most sought-after creative minds. An award-winning adventure sports and documentary photographer and cinematographer, Bryan has been featured in publications and ad campaigns for numerous companies worldwide. His talent speaks for itself, but it’s his incredible work ethic and humili...

Joe Simonds is a co-founder of Salt Strong, a subscription-based fishing community that focuses on education and creating memories on the water. Joe and his brother, Luke, left their lucrative business in finance to pursue their dreams of starting a fishing company. In this episode of Anchored, Joe and I discuss the hard knocks of starting a fishing business, the perks to being part of a fishing c...

Darcie Arahill, also known by her handle Darcizzle, started fishing as a little girl. Based in Florida, she focuses on saltwater species, particularly those found offshore. After quitting her office job, Darcie made the decision to become a full-time angler and YouTuber in hopes she might inspire others to get outdoors. I met with Darcie at her home in Florida to pick her brain about being a femal...

Henrik Mortensen is one of the most influential Atlantic salmon anglers in the world. Over the years, Henrik has guided on some of the best salmon rivers on the planet and has taught fishing and casting since the ‘80s. He now runs his own company, Salmologic, which focuses on taking the guesswork out of choosing a fishing outfit.  In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Henrik on the Gaula River...

Rex Hunt is Australian fishing royalty. Born in 1949, Rex has lived his seventy years to the fullest as a professional football player, popular television personality, and radio icon.  In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Rex at his home on the shores of Port Phillip Bay to discuss his life and career, the ups and downs, and his thoughts about getting more people into fishing. Learn more about...

Brian Chan is a Canadian icon. Biologist, teacher, guide and groundbreaker, Brian is the man behind Interior British Columbia’s trophy stillwater fishery. Brian has dedicated his entire career to better understanding trout behaviour and diet.  I’ve been a huge fan of Brian’s for years, so I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to sit down with him to discuss his success with his renowned stocking...

Matt Suzuki moved to Canada when he was in his early twenties. Folklore about BC’s fabled steelhead had made its way to him in Tokyo and soon he was, quite literally, doing everything he could to be able to fish for them full-time. In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Matt for a quick visit to discuss Japan’s fly fishing culture, its fishing destinations and his process to becoming a Canadian...

Paul Worsteling has been in the fishing business for 30 years. He’s filmed more than 500 episodes of his popular television show, IFISH, and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down.   In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Paul at his home near Melbourne to learn more about his rise to fishing fame and his success as a tackle shop owner. We discuss drone fishing, Paul’s incredible story and the ha...

Jan Kristensen has fished all over the world. He grew up in Denmark but moved to Australia after earning his PhD in biotechnology. Ten years ago, he and his friend Daniel Goz set out to film one of the most unique projects ever undertaken in fly fishing: They set up a camp in Nicaragua and fished for large tarpon out of belly boats. They called the film Tapam and it took the fly fishing industry b...

When I think of full-time guides who are doing it right, I think of Jeff Forsee. Jeff epitomizes a good guide: professional, likeable, clever and fishy, but what’s really interesting about Jeff is that he’s living what many people would call “the dream.” An Ohio boy who worked hard to climb the ranks, he now splits his year guiding between Mongolia and New Zealand. In this episode of Anchored, I s...

In this episode of Anchored, I spend the evening in my own home discussing fly rods and reels with my husband, Charles. We spend the hour comparing our own experiences working in fly shops, and try to break down what someone just getting into the sport should know about making their first purchase. We discuss fly rod and reel anatomy, choosing the best outfit for your fishery, and some of the most...

Guido Rahr is the president and CEO of the Wild Salmon Centre, an organisation focused on the health of salmonid populations of Canada, Russia, Mongolia and the USA. Guido has helped the Wild Salmon Centre raise over $100 million in grants, develop new scientific research, establish 6 million acres of habitat management designations—and that’s only the start. He earned a masters of environmental s...

Rodney Fox was born in 1940 in South Australia. Growing up near water, he quickly developed a passion for swimming, spearfishing and the ocean—and he went on to become the South Australian Spear Fishing Champion at age 22. Exactly one year after he won the championship, he was competing to defend his title when he was attacked by a great white shark and was badly wounded. Rodney used the experienc...

Jack Kos is a New Zealand angler who studied law at the University of Canterbury. Since Jack’s teens, he has been fixated on the allure of brown trout in the Southern Hemisphere. This fascination lead him to complete his bachelor’s thesis with a focus on the introduction of brown trout to New Zealand, which led him to a PhD thesis on the fishery and the role it has played over the last century. In...

Bob Wyatt is an artist, author and long-time angler based out of New Zealand. Born in Canada, he has been fly fishing since the late ’50s. I met with Bob in New Zealand to discuss his “prey image” theory, trout fishing and the early days of steelhead fly fishing. This episode is brought to you by Duke Cannon. Buy Bob's Books: What Trout Want: The Educated Trout and Other Myths, Trout Hunting: The...

Martin Taylor is the CEO of Fish & Game New Zealand, a non-profit organization focused on managing, maintaining and enhancing sportfish, game birds and their habitats. They receive no government or taxpayer money, relying solely on income from fishing and hunting license sales. In this episode of Anchored, I meet with Martin to discuss the sustainability of New Zealand’s trout fisheries, the costs...

Spencer Greening (La’goot) is an indigenous scholar from the Tsimshian peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. His current doctoral research examines the relationship between traditional ecological knowledge, indigenous legal systems and indigenous management of ecosystems in a current context. His work has lead him to be honoured as a Trudeau Scholar, one of Canada’s top academic awards. I met wi...

Jonathan Jones, also known as Red Beard, has been known to stir the pot. As a relative newcomer to the fishing industry, Jonathan has no problem admitting that he’s here to bring the entertainment. He is tattooed, gold-toothed, cheeky and outspoken. In this episode of Anchored, I sit down with Jonathan to discuss his “why,” Australia’s flats fishing and state of the fly fishing culture down under....

Whitney Gould is a Spey casting instructor and a six-time Spey-O-Rama casting champion. She is a full-time fishing guide who started guiding in Alaska before adding Oregon, California and Montana to her resume. This winter, Whitney and I met up for lunch in Montana, but decided to sit down for a last minute podcast. In this episode of Anchored, Whitney and I talk about her upbringing, her entrance...

Brett Seng is one of my favorite outdoor photographers. Over the years, Brett has been a fishing guide, a consultant to hunting companies and created the ShuttleSnap app. In this episode of Anchored, Brett and I talk about his career choices, inspiration in the outdoors, and the modern-day pressures of killing animals and catching fish for public accolades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Tom Bie founded The Drake Magazine in 1998 and he has grown it to be one of the most respected magazines in the industry. With some of the finest fishing writers, it’s not hard to see why. In this episode of Anchored, I sit down with Tom to learn more about the evolution of his career, how he’s managed to keep his privacy while growing The Drake as a brand, and his infamous Drake forum board. Lear...

Jim Klug is the founder and CEO of Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, a travel company that arranges fly-fishing trips to lodges around the globe. Over the years, Jim has worked as a guide, sales rep, photographer and filmmaker, though today he is busier than ever managing the Yellow Dog Headquarters in Montana. In this episode of Anchored, Jim and I talk about being a booking agent in the fishing...