Founding owner of the successful company Fly Gal Ventures, she is a world renowned personality, certified casting instructor, guide, writer, fly-tying teacher, television host and motivational speaker.
Traveling around the world, April quickly made a name for herself as a leading angler in the sport and, with a focus on education and the motto “life is too short to not follow your dreams”; she has captured an appreciated audience.
In 2008, April was in a near fatal head-on collision with a drunk driver that left her with a rebuilt foot and a rebuilt opinion on the value of life; further motivating her to share her experiences in the hope that they would inspire and hopefully, enrich the lives of those who would listen.
Breaking barriers as a primarily self-taught fisher and as an entrepreneur who started from scratch, April has been featured on a number of networks and publications that have highlighted her progress. Appearing as a featured guest on television programs such as the Steve Harvey Show, Discovery channel’s Refined, Breakfast Television, 60 Minutes and numerous other media outlets, including Fox Radio, she has enthusiastically encouraged individuals throughout North America to open their minds to the outdoor world.
April’s television exposure was further increased by her lead role in WFN’s Fly Nation and in the hit series Buccaneers and Bones where she starred alongside Tom Brokaw, Michael Keaton, Yvon Chouinard, Thomas Mcguane and Lefty Kreh as they fished on the flats of the Bahamas and shared their experiences on the Outdoor Channel.
Her new television series, April Vokey’s Shorelines, has been signed by the World Fishing Network and is in the process of filming for a release date in January 2015.
April’s articles have been published in several magazines internationally and, in addition to writing a regular column for Fly Fusion magazine, she frequently contributes to many other popular publications such as Flyfisherman, Fly Rod & Reel and Chasing Silver.
She has been interviewed by numerous magazines, including “Outside”, and has appeared on over a dozen magazine covers. An ambassador for Patagonia clothing, April has played a vital role in the design of their new women’s line.
She is also sponsored by Shimano/G. Loomis where she assists in their product endorsement, Evinrude Motors, Wooldridge Boats, Yeti Coolers, Hardy reels, WaterMaster Rafts, Rio Fly Lines, Gamakatsu Hooks, Peak Vices, Iridium Satellite Phones and Loon Outdoors.
She uses her voice as an active conservationist, sits on the board of directors for the Steelhead Society of BC, and is the founder of the popular fundraiser Flies for Fins.
April Vokey is world leading angler, certified casting instructor, guide, writer, fly-tying teacher, television host and motivational speaker. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You began fishing as a child, by the age of 16, you made regular weekend visits to go fishing and later you reached the pinnacle of success by establishing yourself as a respected authority in the sport of fly fishing. Tell us about this fairy tale journey of yours?
Ms. April Vokey: As a kid, I had always felt a connection to the outdoors – especially the rivers.
I found any excuse to explore waterfront and, by the time I received my driver’s license, I was eager to escape to the solitude of fishing and the independence it gave me.
So what started as a desire to remove myself from the city soon turned into my sole method of reflection. Before long, I was fishing most days and soon skipping work (as a waitress) to be able to do so.
It was inevitable that I would look for a job that would give me more time on the water, and I sought to learn all I could about the sport so I could become a guide and get paid to share my passion for the sport. By the time I was eighteen, I was working towards this goal and by twenty-three I had started my own business.
A fairytale, however, it has not been… There have been struggles, plenty of tears, hard knocks, and days where I questioned if I made the right decision. But with persistence came success and I can now
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a fly angler, businesswoman, FFF certified casting instructor, a fly-tying instructor, an active conservationist, writer, traveling speaker and a TV celebrity. How you manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional lifestyle?
Ms. April Vokey: I am a chronic planner and live by a very strict calendar. I sleep little and have a hard time sitting still. Long flights are my trick when it comes to getting caught up on upcoming deadlines.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Elaborate about your unique endeavor of “Fly Gal Ventures” which you founded in 2007 at the age of 23 years?
Ms. April Vokey: My first guiding job was with a large Fraser Valley based company who operated on a “get ‘em in, get ‘em out” mentality. I wanted to offer people more than that – I wanted to offer them the true BC experience and make some new friends while doing so. Eventually I left and began my own company.
From here, we are now more than just a guide service – workshops, clothing, design, hosted trips and even a television series have all found themselves in our day to day business life.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You do presentations and workshops, including fly fishing trips, fly tying lessons, fly casting instruction and fly fishing techniques. Tell us about an interesting experience with a participant of these activity you still remember?
Ms. April Vokey: All of our students are unique in their own way, but it is the children who make the most impact on me personally. I have a dozen or so young kids who have been in my life for the past seven or eight years – watching them grow from seven year olds to teens who still stay in touch with me is more rewarding than I can put into words.
There’s even one young man who came to me years ago with hopes of getting his classmates into the sport. I teamed with him to help him start a club and the club was a major success. It just makes me glow with pride for them.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. April Vokey: I manage to do quite a bit of rowing during the steelhead season but it is the walking and wading that keeps me most fit. I am sure I would be in much healthier form if I could just say no to the meals during our lodge season! Truthfully, it’s Zumba that has my heart when I’m off the river.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. April Vokey: I’m a pretty simple woman when it comes to what I eat. Sometimes I am on track and other times, not so much. All in all though, I just try to avoid sugar and I eat quite a bit of protein. I have learned to eat the right combos and ensure that I eat protein with my fats, and proteins and fats with my natural sugars (like fruits and veggies). Even if I am eating just an apple, I take a bite of fat/protein first to try to keep my insulin levels balanced.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Ms. April Vokey: Wow, that’s a first for me… I don’t wash my face at night and I don’t wear any sort of facial creams. My skin just glows with windburn and time outdoors gives me a natural tan. I don’t know the first thing about hair… I’m going to credit the blowing wind for that too.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your experience while being featured on Discovery Channel’s “Refined” ?
Ms. April Vokey: The crew from Bell Media (who did the filming for Refined) were wonderful. Appearing in someone else’s video is always much different than how we do our own show (ShoreLines with the World Fishing Network – airing January 2015).
Refined was a quick one day session where we met and I did my best to teach a newcomer proper form in limited time. In this case, Patrick was open to learning but it was the banter around the poker table at our fishing lodge that really seemed to forge the bond between us all.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words for our inspiring and budding fly angler women who all are your fans, what should they do for their climb to the ladder of success in field and sport of fly fishing?
I believe that happiness is a life where there are no regrets, only lessons learned. If your passion is in fly-fishing, then close your eyes and step forward into it… you might trip, but what’s the worst that can happen? You fall and get back up again?
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your inspiration and motivation in choosing fly fishing as your profession?
Ms. April Vokey: I can’t credit anyone specifically for choosing fly fishing as my career (honestly, everyone I knew thought I was crazy) but I can thank my parents for raising me to believe that they would support my decision on whichever path I chose to go. They always told me that whether it be a waitressing job or the prime minister of Canada, as long as I was happy they would be proud.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. April Vokey: Catch and release fishing is one of the last ways we as human beings can experience the rush of sustainable hunting as Mother Nature intended it to be. It doesn’t matter if you are man, woman or child – fly fishing is sure to pull you into an instinctual focus that few other activities have the ability to do (and it does so in some of the most beautiful places on earth). It’s not a question of why anyone should take fly fishing up, it’s a question of why they wouldn’t.
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Women Fitness Team thanks April Vokey for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness