A Fishe Founder Story
From Square Lake to Alaska: A Lifetime Shaped by Fishing
Some fishing stories begin long before anyone knows where they will lead. For Fishe founder Linda Leary, the beginning was northern Maine, a small lake boat, and time on the water with her dad.
Originally published in 2015, this personal reflection follows that early love of fishing from Maine to Alaska and back to the river with her father decades later.
In This Story
Why You Should Trust This Article
This story comes directly from Linda Leary’s first-person memories of fishing with her father in Maine and Alaska. Her original words, timeline, places, and photo captions have been preserved.
The surrounding headings and context were added only to make the archival story easier to read and explore on a phone.
Where It Began
Growing Up Fishing in Northern Maine
Growing up in northern Maine I began fishing with my dad when I was 6 years old.
We fished brook trout and landlocked salmon in local lakes and rivers in our 15’ Mirrocraft Lake boat, I can still remember the sound of the 15 horsepower Johnson motor puttering us around the lake.
I developed a love for fishing at that young age and it has only grown since I moved to Alaska over 30 years ago.
A Family Memory
Square Lake, Maine
The image beside this story holds one of the places and relationships at its center: Linda, her father, and the northern Maine water where those early fishing memories took shape.
Fishing in Maine with my Dad, Lindy Mattson on Square Lake, Maine 1960s.
When the Alaska Dream Becomes Home
For many people fishing Alaska is a lifetime dream, for those of us that are lucky enough to live here it is our passion!
We dream all winter of fishing on pristine rivers and catching elusive 30” rainbows or record King Salmon.
The geography changed, but the pull of the water stayed constant. The childhood excitement of Maine became part of a life built around Alaska’s rivers, seasons, and fish.
Decades Later
Fishing Together Again in Alaska
Fishing with my dad in 2012 with guide Brian Beau from Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge, on the Kvichak River in Western Alaska.
The photograph brings the story full circle: a daughter who first learned to fish beside her father, now sharing another river with him thousands of miles from Square Lake.
What Fishing Carries Forward
A first fishing trip can become much more than a childhood memory. It can shape where a person feels at home, what they dream about through winter, and which traditions they hope to share again.
For Linda, the thread between Maine and Alaska is family, water, and fishing. The boats and rivers changed, but the connection remained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Linda Leary begin fishing?
Linda wrote that she began fishing with her father in northern Maine when she was six years old.
What fish did Linda catch growing up?
She fished for brook trout and landlocked salmon in local Maine lakes and rivers.
What boat did Linda remember from childhood?
She remembered fishing from a 15-foot Mirrocraft Lake boat powered by a 15-horsepower Johnson motor.
Where did Linda fish with her father in 2012?
They fished the Kvichak River in Western Alaska with guide Brian Beau from Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge.
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