EP 9: Lael Johnson – Visibility, Vision, and the Vow to Fish

The January iFishibelong Be What You Don’t See campaign highlights our friend Justin Bubenik, founder of Fly Curious.

The February’s “Be What You Don’t See” campaign highlights Michael Peters. Fly fishing guide and business owner Michael Peters about his journey from Wall Street to professional guiding. Discover how his passion for fishing, industry networking, and mentorship are shaping opportunities for Black and Brown anglers in the fly fishing community.

The March 2025 “Be What You Don’t See” interview features aquatic entomologist, fisheries biologist, and environmental educator Anna Le (pronounced “Lay”), founder of Grayling Education.

April 2025’s Be What You Don’t See interview features Chris Hill, grassroots organizer, public lands advocate, and CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation.

Nicole Tracey Lewis, a Black fly angler and professional fly tier from Ottawa, shares her journey in the sport—from landing her first steelhead to navigating a decade without fishing alongside another Black angler, and the importance of building community through Ubuntu Fly Anglers.

Nicole, an angler from Montreal now living in Ottawa, discovered fly fishing a decade ago, and since then has become deeply involved in the community—tying her own flies, mentoring others, and fishing across North America—all while advocating for greater inclusivity and representation of BIPOC anglers in the sport.

Joyce’s fly fishing journey, which began in the 1990s with the International Women’s Fly Fishers, has grown into a lifelong passion for teaching, conservation, and community leadership—culminating in her Hall of Fame induction for her dedication to empowering youth, women, and veterans through the sport.

May 2025’s Be What You Don’t See interview features Jessica Haydahl, a pioneering outdoor and fishing photographer whose 25-year career behind the lens has brought powerful representation to the male-dominated fishing industry, inspires others to blend their passion for the outdoors with

In this episode of On the Reel, Joyce Shepherd shares her journey from working on a tobacco farm in North Carolina to becoming a passionate educator and advocate for inclusivity in the world of fly fishing.

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Emma Brown shares her journey as a transracial adoptee, rancher, and fly fishing guide, reflecting on identity, inclusion, and building community in the outdoor world.

Emma Brown joins On the Real to share how her rural Colorado roots led to a life of ranching, fly fishing, and forging space for women of color in the outdoors.

Toronto-based angler, Shelly Vo, building inclusive, low-pressure spaces for queer and BIPOC fly-fishers through her community fly-tying club, Flies and Friends and Brown Girl Outdoor World.

For Pride Month 2025, iFishiBelong’s “Be What You Don’t See” campaign highlighted five incredible queer leaders in fishing and outdoor spaces. Anni Peterson, Dayle Woodward, Demiesha Dennis, J. Michelle Swope, and Shelly Vo shared their stories of visibility, advocacy, and community in a field where representation is still growing. Together, they’re helping redefine what belonging looks like in the outdoors.

Fly shop owner and longtime advocate turning community work into action by creating inclusive, welcoming spaces in fly fishing.