Photo of April Vokey by Jeremy Koreski courtesy of Patagonia.
Ever since my first trip to Wyoming with my husband's family, I've been intrigued by fly fishing (or ever since I saw A River Runs Through It, but let's not split hairs). It's such a measured sport. It takes a hunter's mentality, an athlete's coordination, a conservationist's mindset, and if you're really good, a serious knowledge of bugs.
When I discovered April Vokey, a professional fly fisherwoman and Patagonia ambassador out of British Columbia, I thought: wow. Fly fishing is still a majorly male-dominated sport, so a young successful professional like April is pretty rare. In fact, April told me that when she was starting out everyone assumed she was "someone's girlfriend". Someone's hugely talented girlfriend that can fish better than you? Maybe. One of the greatest things April told me was that before she was a pro, she worked as a cocktail waitress at a casino in Canada. She went to work at 8:30pm fully made-up—mascara, lipstick, the whole nine. When her shift was over at 4:30am she'd drive straight to the river to fish. She didn't even waste time taking off her makeup. As a result she was ironically pegged as a girly high-maintenance type who puts on makeup to go fishing at 4:30 in the morning, but the truth is, she was so low-maintenance that she couldn't be bothered. You can find more of April virtually on her blog or get info about her guided trips through her company.
If not in British Columbia, I would live in...Roatán, Honduras.
My dream vacation would be to...go back to the Seychelles.
My current obsessions are...
Food: authentic Italian and great sushi.
Music: Soul music and anything that makes me want to dance.
Fashion: A simple outfit with hot shoes or boots and good hair.
Retail Store: Wherever I can find with free shipping online (I hate shopping).
I channel my childhood self when I...sit outside in the sun and close my eyes so the orange glow warms my eyelids. Pair that with fresh flowers and singing birds and I'm seven years old again.
The fictional character I most relate to is...Elizabeth Bennet.
If I had to be outdoors all day I would...do exactly as I do now. Fish!
My favorite quality in a man is...staying true to his word.
My favorite quality in a woman is...not making me have to guess why they're mad.
I'm terrified of...not appreciating today.
My dream car is a...rental. I hate owning "stuff".
My cocktail of choice is...Jack on the rocks.
My celebrity crush is...Angelina Jolie and Jason Statham.
My beauty product of choice is...good chapstick.
My friends and I like to...act goofy when no one is watching, and get a little naughty when we know the fishing guys aren't around to witness it.
If I could go back in time for one decade it would be...the 1930's so I could hang with Louie Armstrong and be certain that I would always love the blessed life that I have today.
As a teenager I was totally into...fishing and music.
I tend to splurge on...art.
Being able to spend a day outdoors with spiders in my hair and dirt in my nails, all the while smiling as I dodge grizzly bears and hook into a ruthless steelhead...is what makes me have Tomboy Style.
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