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Mill House Podcast

Episode 156: Capt. Shawn McKay - For the Love of Permit

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Leisure, Wilderness, Education, Hobbies, Sports

4.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2026

⏱️ 72 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Shawn McKay has been fishing ever since he could hold a rod. At just 10 years old, he picked up a fly rod and hasn’t put it down since. Shawn honed his skills on his home waters of the South Holston and the Clinch River, developing a deep appreciation for technical fishing and the art of reading water at a young age. Throughout high school and college, Shawn spent his summers guiding on the Henry’s Fork and Snake River in Idaho, fully immersing himself in the western trout scene. These formative years sharpened his instincts as an angler and guide while instilling a strong work ethic and attention to detail. After college, Shawn hit the road and traveled south to the Florida Keys in search of a more stable career as a skiff guide. His unmatched drive and dedication quickly helped him establish a notable reputation in the highly competitive world of permit, tarpon, and bonefishing. For having only a handful of years on the flats, his skill level and knowledge are remarkable. Shawn’s rapid rise was highlighted by a victory alongside renowned permit angler and guide “Sandflea” at the 2024 IGFA Permit Invitational, following a second place in 2023 and later in 2025. It was a pleasure to sit down and record a podcast with Shawn, as he truly represents the new generation of flats guides in the Florida Keys—already having earned a respected name for himself in one of the most technical and history-rich fisheries in the world.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Starting from a 90-year-old family recipe, wickles are wickedly delicious pickles packed with garlic and peppers, a staple in our skiff and all shoreline lunches.

0:13.2

Originating from Sim's grandmother's kitchen to a pantry near yours.

0:17.6

From pickles, okra, relishes, and spreads, check them out to elevate all of your meals to the next level.

0:28.6

Whether on the boat, on the river, or in the woods, Yeti products are by our side.

0:36.6

There are many innovative first-class companies

0:39.2

in the outdoor market today, but none more so than Yeti. In 2006, they took the industry

0:45.9

by storm, when they produced their first roto-molded cooler that was reliable and built for the

0:51.8

wild. 17 years later, with a multitude of new products, they continue to raise the bar and be the

0:58.8

gold standard for all outdoor brands.

1:01.9

We couldn't be more proud to have them as a millhouse sponsor and a family member.

1:20.6

We broke everything, we broke lines, we broke hooks, we broke rods, we broke our minds, we broke marriages, we broke the whole thing.

1:25.6

I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other way and I shot him going through the other way, so I double lunged them both ways.

1:32.3

But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress out into government cut.

1:37.3

I got him on. All right now. We're going to teach him a lesson.

1:42.3

I'm just an old guy that likes to fish. I'm not quitting yet.

1:46.9

And he said, well, who the hell do you think you are, Sue App? And I said, that's exactly who I am.

1:53.5

Life's journey to the grave should not be one arriving with a pretty well-preserved body,

1:58.9

but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly torn out,

2:04.2

thoroughly used up, proclaiming wildly. Wow, what a ride.

2:12.4

There's something fishy going on here. Sean McKay, welcome to the fish house.

2:30.3

Thank you.

2:32.3

Thank you.

...

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