I'm April Voki and you are listening to Ancard. My chance to interview some of the most influential people involved in the fishing world today. Join me as I travel to sit face to face with my guests in their own homes

to learn more about their careers, opinions, history, relationships,

and life both on and off the water.

This episode is made possible by the great people at Woolridge boats.

For the past two years my lightweight Woolridge has carried me through super skinny water

to places I've never been able to

experience before. True to form, again the Woolridge family makes similar

ventures possible here on Anckered.

George Cook is one of the most well-known anglers in the Pacific Northwest. While he is likely best known as a sales rep for Sage, Rio, and multiple other substantial companies,

he is also a skilled Chinook salmon angler

and the inventor of the Alaska Blue Fly series.

In this episode, I meet up with George at his home in Auburn, Washington, where we talk about

Alaska, how the popsicle fly came to be, and the definition

of fly fishing in George's eyes. Well, April, I got started in the early 80s. I taught flycasting at Washington State

University while I was going to school there under a guy by the name

it Dave Ingebretsen who at the time was the Western editor for Fly Fisherman magazine.

And I just sauntered into his office one day

as late in my freshman year and asked him

if he'd ever had a TA for his class. And he looked at me and I told him how I knew him. I'd seen him on the

Henry's Fork over the years in junior high and high school and he looked at me and he said well no but I think it's a good idea I'll see you

next semester so I taught that class with him for three years while I was a student there

Which gave me a little bit of an end in with

...