Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 27 is my conversation with April Vokey, the British Columbia fly fishing guide, host of the Anchored podcast, and a fixture on rivers like the Dean. We recorded back to back at ICAST, each interviewing the other. April walks me through how a girl from BC who was drawn to water more than fish became a steelhead guide on classified river systems, why she walked away from sturgeon and salmon guiding, and the strict moral code she has built her life and career around.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
April Vokey is a British Columbia fly fishing guide and the host of the Anchored with April Vokey podcast. She grew up in BC drawn to water more than to fishing itself, started by salmon fishing with a spinning rod, briefly guided for sturgeon and salmon, and then built her own fly fishing guiding company focused on winter steelhead. She is known for guiding rivers like the Dean and for interviewing many of the most interesting figures in fishing on her podcast.
She did not grow up in a hardcore fishing family. Her parents took her to BC rivers, her mom rode horses, and April spent her time near water catching frogs and salamanders and watching salmon spawn. A trip to the Chilliwack River where her parents explained the salmon migration is what clicked for her. She loved the water first, and the fish were secondary.
April is candid that she was a poor sturgeon guide. The clientele wanted to drink on the boat, she did not love running jet boats in heavy current, and anchoring in a river like the Fraser with logs and tugboats coming down was more than she wanted. She realized she wanted to focus on the fishing experience, so she pivoted to winter steelhead and ultimately started her own fly fishing company.
Anchored is April Vokey's podcast, where she interviews accomplished figures across the fishing world. It is well known for high-quality production, strong guests, and April's skill as an interviewer. She and Tom recorded each other's shows back to back at the ICAST industry show.
April describes living true to herself so she never feels dirty about who she is. When she started her own guiding company, she refused to poach clients from her former employer because it went against her integrity. She acknowledges that standing by her beliefs and being outspoken has not always made her the most likable person, but she would rather be honest than comfortable.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 27 with April Vokey is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
April and I met at ICAST and ended up interviewing each other on the same trip, which tells you something about how she operates. She is a serious interviewer and a serious angler, and the thing that pulled me in was how clearly she lives by a code. She walked away from clients, from boats, and from an entire style of guiding because it did not line up with who she wanted to be. That is rare. Most people bend to whatever keeps the lights on. April did the opposite, and I wanted to hear how she made those calls.
Press play in the YouTube player above to hear her tell it.
April did not fall in love with fishing so much as with water itself. She talks about hanging her head over bridges to see what was below, picnicking under them with her parents, and watching salmon spawn on the Chilliwack. She traces the exact moment fishing clicked and how it grew into an obsession that pointed her toward a life on the river. Hear how that started in the episode.
Sturgeon and salmon guiding put April in boats and with clients she did not enjoy, and she is honest that she was not good at it and did not want to be. She explains the moment she decided to count down the summer so she could run winter steelhead trips instead, and why focusing on the experience mattered more than the easier money. Listen to how she made the jump.
April refused to take clients from her former employer when she launched her own company, even though some of them would have followed her. She talks about building her own clientele from scratch, the early days of Facebook, and what it costs to be outspoken in an industry that often rewards staying quiet. This is the heart of the conversation.
From a charging cow on a scouting trip with her baby to the deliberate choices that shaped her career, April keeps coming back to the idea of living so she has nothing to apologize for. She gets into how that framework guides her decisions as a guide, a podcaster, and a mother. Worth hearing in her own words.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player above.
What I took away from April is that a clear code makes hard decisions simpler. She has turned down money, clients, and easier paths because they did not fit who she is, and she has built a guiding business and a podcast on exactly that foundation.
If you have ever wondered whether staying true to your principles is worth the cost, April's story is a strong argument that it is. Listen to the whole thing.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 27 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
April Vokey · Anchored with April Vokey (podcast) · Dean River, British Columbia · Chilliwack River · Fraser River · ICAST · Tom Rowland (host)
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
April Vokey is a British Columbia fly fishing guide, writer, and the host of the Anchored with April Vokey podcast. She built her reputation guiding winter steelhead on classified BC river systems including the Dean, after starting out salmon fishing with a spinning rod and a brief stint guiding sturgeon and salmon. Known for her interviewing skill and her outspoken commitment to a strict personal code, she has become one of the most respected voices in fly fishing while balancing guiding, podcasting, and motherhood.
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