A Father’s Day Note from Linda Leary
For My Dad: The Fishing Lessons That Stayed With Me
Father’s Day invites us to remember. My dad, Lindy, is the inspiration for FisheWear.
In fact, before launching FisheWear, I almost named the company “Lindy Line,” after him. The name was already taken, but the lessons behind it became part of everything FisheWear would grow to represent.
In This Tribute
Why You Should Trust This Article
This is Linda Leary’s original first-person Father’s Day tribute to her father, Lindy Mattson. The memories, places, lessons, and wording have been preserved from the article first published in 2016.
The updated layout adds context, archival family photographs, and clearer navigation without changing the heart of Linda’s story.
Lindy Mattson, whose love of fishing helped shape Linda’s life and the values behind FisheWear.
Northern Maine
Where My Love of Fishing Began
Growing up in Northern Maine, we were surrounded by beautiful trout streams and lakes that held land-locked salmon.
My dad was my first fly fishing instructor. My passion for the outdoors and fly fishing all began with my dad.
Fishing in Maine with Linda’s dad, Lindy Mattson, during the years that shaped her love of the water.
A Memory I Still Carry
Evenings on Madawaska Lake
I have beautiful memories of crossing Madawaka Lake just before sunset with my dad and Uncle Bertel to fly fish Cary Brook for trout.
The trout enjoyed lingering by the mouth of the stream. We would share the evening with loons and moose, fishing along the edge of lily pads.
The Lessons Reached Far Beyond Fishing
While my dad taught me the art and fun of fly fishing, not all the lessons learned with my dad were about fishing, he shared life lessons that are at the core of FisheWear.
He pushed me to dream big, to have the confidence to be whoever I want to be, and to tackle any challenge I put my mind to.
Dream Big
Believe that a meaningful idea is worth pursuing, even when the path is unfamiliar.
Be Confident
Trust yourself enough to become who you want to be.
Take on the Challenge
Approach hard things with persistence, curiosity, and the willingness to figure them out.
Linda carried her father’s curiosity, confidence, and love of community into FisheWear.
A Community Lesson
He Never Met a Stranger
I learned the art of networking and meeting new people from my dad. He’s never met a stranger, just new friends.
He has a genuine curiosity to learn who people are and what their passions are. Watching him build relationships throughout Northern Maine is a life lesson I hold dear.
I have applied this lesson to FisheWear. We are building a global community of daring, fun-loving, adventurous and confident women who share a passion, new or lifelong, for the outdoors and fishing.
Linda fishing with her father in Alaska, continuing a relationship with fishing that began in Maine.
For Lindy
A Father’s Day Note
As you can see in the picture, my dad is a lover of life, and most of all fishing.
Such a great lesson for all of us: to have a passion for what we love, embrace it and share it.
Happy Father’s Day, and thanks to all the dads, brothers, husbands and boyfriends out there that share their love of fishing and the outdoors with the gals in their lives!
—Linda Leary, Founder & President of FisheWear
Share the Fishing Memories That Matter
Fishing stories often begin with a person who made the time, shared what they knew, and invited us along. Tell us about the dad, grandfather, brother, husband, partner, teacher, or friend who helped shape your life outside.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Linda Leary’s father?
Linda’s father was Lindy Mattson, a passionate fisherman from northern Maine whose love of fishing, people, and possibility helped inspire Linda and FisheWear.
Where did Linda Leary learn to fly fish?
Linda learned to fly fish with her father while growing up around the trout streams and landlocked-salmon lakes of northern Maine.
What did Linda learn from her father?
She learned to dream big, build confidence, take on challenges, meet new people with curiosity, and share a genuine passion for fishing and the outdoors.
Why did Linda almost name FisheWear “Lindy Line”?
Linda considered the name as a tribute to her father and his influence on her life. The name was already taken, but his values remained central to the company she created.
What places does Linda remember fishing with her father?
She remembers fishing the lakes and trout streams of northern Maine, including crossing Madawaska Lake to fish Cary Brook, and later fishing together in Alaska.
Related Reading
Growing Up Fishing
Read more about Linda’s childhood fishing trips in Maine and the love of water she carried to Alaska.
From Ice Roads to Fly Fishing
Follow Linda’s path from Alaska trucking to building a women-first fishing brand.
Fishing’s Next Generation
Celebrate the people and experiences that help a love of fishing travel from one generation to the next.
Honor the Person Who Took You Fishing
The best tribute may be a story told, a photograph shared, or another person invited onto the water.
