Fishe Ambassador Profile
Kayla Fleetwood on Alaska, Fly Fishing, and Finding Home on the Water
For Kayla Fleetwood, fishing was woven into everyday life. Floatplanes, boats, and fishing streams shaped her childhood. From Southeast Alaska to Arizona and Iceland, her story is about more than species or destinations.
It is about family, attention, conservation, and the confidence that comes from learning outside. In Kayla’s words, the water keeps offering new places to explore and new lessons to carry forward.
In This Story
Why You Should Trust This Article
This profile is built around Kayla’s own words about growing up in Juneau, fishing with family, exploring Arizona, and learning from the fish that did not make it to hand.
Fishe’s women-first fishing perspective keeps the focus on real experience. Added geographic and fishery context is limited to authoritative sources, so the story remains unmistakably Kayla’s.
Fast Fishe Facts
Favorite Fish
“Such a difficult question. One of my all time favorites are the Coastal Cutthroat. They are dynamic in looks, colors and sizes, I just love the cutie cutties!”
“But, there is nothing that beats hooking a dime bright King Salmon on the fly. I catch myself dreaming about the tug of a king and the head shakes that follow more often than I care to admit.”
Most-Loved Fishe Gear
“The first Fishe product I ever owned were the Arctic Char leggings. I believe they were one of Fishe’s first designs back in…. 2015?”
“To this day, they are my most loved pair of leggings and Fishe products, and they’re still kicking! One of my new favorite products has to be the dry bag backpack.”
Boat or Plane?
“BOTH. Growing up in Southeast Alaska, I grew up in and out of both.”
Favorite Thing About Alaska
“All of the crazy recreation opportunities and the people to do them with.”
Kayla’s longtime favorites point to two practical parts of a fishing kit: performance fishing leggings and dry bag backpacks built for gear that travels.
A Childhood Shaped by Southeast Alaska
The Tongass National Forest surrounds much of Southeast Alaska with nearly 17 million acres of islands, forests, rivers, and coastline.
For Kayla, that scale was not an abstract statistic. It was the landscape of childhood.
Fishe
What was it like growing up in Juneau, Alaska? What might surprise people from the Lower 48?
“Growing up in Juneau was like a dream. I grew up in a fishy family, so I spent my childhood in and out of float planes and boats going camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, etc.”
“For me, I am so thankful for where I grew up. There are not many places that you can step out your front door and be fishing or skiing or hiking or camping within a 30 minutes drive.”
“And, the Tongass, don’t even get me started… the lush forests with layers upon layers of green, and old growth sheltering the rivers and streams, I just love it!”
“Not fishing related, but it’s been funny moving away from my hometown in my 30’s, because the things that seemed so normal to me in Alaska, don’t seem so normal anymore.”
“The one that always seems to surprise people is that when I was growing up, there was only one ‘clothing store’ in town, so my folks would strategically plan our family vacations right before the school year started the next year.”
“We would stock up on everything; clothes, shoes, jackets, that we might need for the year ahead and pack it all into extra duffle bags before heading back home.”
Two Homes, Two Very Different Fisheries
Alaska gave Kayla heavy rods, salmon, and days shared with family. Arizona asked her to shift scale completely, trading an 8-weight and large streamers for a 2-weight and tiny dries.
That contrast is part of the appeal. Different water asks an angler to become curious again.
Fishe
What do you like most about fishing in your two different homes, Arizona and Alaska?
“By far my favorite thing about fishing in Alaska is that I get to spend time with my parents and my husband while doing the thing I love the most!”
“Spending quality time with them while on the water is really amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. That being said, the fishing is amazing in Alaska.”
“I have caught all five species of Pacific Salmon on the fly, as well as many trout. I think that alone is a pretty badass fact that could only happen in a place like Alaska.”
“Arizona is a whole different place to fish and explore. I went from fishing everyday to being a ‘weekend warrior’ which I am not used to.”
“And, you know…. I swapped out an 8 weight rod for a 2 weight and #2 weighted streamers for #20 dries. So, things are way different!”
“The thing I have greatly enjoyed about fishing in Arizona is that most people envision Arizona being a desolate desert, but going into the White Mountains and chasing Gila and Apache trout, you walk into a world that is rich with color, running water, and tall spruce, oak and aspen trees.”
“It’s not something I fully expected when I first explored the area, and it’s not something I take for granted now.”
Kayla’s experience spans the five Pacific salmon species managed in Alaska and two remarkable native Southwestern trout: the Apache trout and Gila trout.
What the Outdoors Gives Back
Fishe
Recreating outside brings me…
“A connection to the world that I otherwise wouldn’t get. Spending time in nature has given me an appreciation and a love for it.”
“It’s allowed me to explore places and push myself mentally and physically further than I ever thought possible.”
Where do you see conservation fitting into fishing?
“Conservation and outdoor recreation of all types should go hand in hand. Without conservation, these wild places that we love and care about might not be there for future generations to enjoy.”
“I think that it is important as anglers to support native fish conservation projects, practice safe catch and release, and balance the ecosystems we recreate in.”
For Kayla, conservation is not separate from recreation. It is the responsibility that comes with loving a place enough to keep returning.
Fishing Partners With Four Paws
Fishe
We are big fans of your chocolate labs Legolas and Theoden. How did they come into your life, and what is fishing with them like?
“Awww man, hitting me in the heart here. Lego and Theo are my parents' chocolate labs. They’re seriously the best family dogs ever.”
“I put a lot of time in with Lego as a puppy, and brought him to work with me everyday for about 5 years. He was definitely known in Juneau as the ‘fly shop dog’ as he was always there.”
“Through the years, he was one of the best fishing buddies a girl could ask for! He loves it just as much as I do, pointing out fish in the water, and getting SO excited seeing one rise.”
“Unfortunately, when I moved to Arizona, I couldn’t take them with me, so it is an extra treat to get to visit family now, because I get to see them!”
“However, my husband and I just got our first pup of our own, Boone. I think he’s unaware of the large shoes he has to fill, but I am hoping that he will be just as good as a fishing partner as Lego has been through the years.”
The Fish That Teach You
Some anglers remember one lost fish forever. Kayla remembers the pattern behind many of them: tension, knots, hooks, judgment, and the choice to learn rather than brood.
That is one of fly fishing’s most honest gifts. The missed moment becomes information for the next cast.
Fishe
Tell us about the one that got away. Has there ever been a particularly memorable fish that you almost caught?
“Honestly, there have been so many fish lost over the years, I don’t dwell on just one. One of the things I love the most about fly fishing is that if you lose a fish, that’s on you.”
“Either I lost tension, or put too much tension on the fish, I tied a bad knot, I whacked my fly against a rock too many times and the hook broke… the list goes on.”
“These are all ‘me’ issues. And, they’re all issues that I can learn from in the future!”
“That being said, I give my dad a hard time to this day because the first coho I landed on the fly we released without a photo stating ‘there will be many more,’ and that was the only fish caught on the trip.”
“Not really the one that got away, but still!”
Iceland: Rose, Thorn, and Bud
One trip gave Kayla a sea-run brown trout on a tiny nymph, a week that ended too quickly, and a new goal waiting on the horizon.
The best fishing trips rarely feel finished. They leave one more species, river, or season calling you back.
Fishe
What were the rose, thorn, and bud of your Iceland trip?
“Iceland was and is amazing. It was my first time in the country, and without a doubt it will not be my last!”
“The rose of the trip: On the last day of fishing, we stayed on the river past dinner and I caught a very nice sea-run brown trout.”
“This fish took me on several runs, blasting out of the water, all on a size #18 nymph. It was so wild!”
“The thorn of the trip: it didn’t last long enough! All joking aside, there is so much to see in the country that the week flew by so incredibly quickly.”
“The bud of the trip: returning to catch an Atlantic Salmon on the fly. As I said earlier, I’ve caught all five Pacific salmon on the fly, and so I am determined to catch an Atlantic!”
“The timing of this trip was a bit early for the run, but next time I am going to make it a focus!”
More From Kayla’s Fishing Journey
Kayla has also written about family, remote water, and the moment she finally embraced a pair of Fishe leggings for Fly Fishing Journeys.
Her stories include a tribute to the mothers who guide us toward the water and a practical look at reaching remote fishing lakes.
Conclusion
Kayla’s story stretches across very different water, but the center never moves far from home. Family and curiosity are there, along with the willingness to be humbled by a fish and return a little wiser.
The wild places matter because of what they let us become. Kayla’s life on the water is a reminder to notice those places, protect them, and keep making room for the people and animals who make the journey richer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kayla Fleetwood?
Kayla Fleetwood is an Alaska-raised fly angler whose Fishe ambassador profile follows her fishing life from Juneau to Arizona and Iceland. Her story centers on family, conservation, native fish, and learning through time on the water.
Where did Kayla Fleetwood grow up?
Kayla grew up in Juneau, Alaska. She describes a childhood spent in floatplanes and boats while camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting with her family.
What fish does Kayla Fleetwood most love catching?
Kayla names coastal cutthroat among her all-time favorites. She also says nothing compares with hooking a bright king salmon on the fly and feeling its tug and head shakes.
Has Kayla caught all five Pacific salmon species on a fly rod?
In her interview, Kayla says she has caught all five Pacific salmon species on the fly. Catching an Atlantic salmon became the next goal she carried home from Iceland.
What Fishe gear has Kayla used most?
Kayla says her Arctic Char leggings were her first Fishe product and remained a longtime favorite. She also highlighted a dry bag backpack that traveled with her on outdoor adventures.
How is fishing in Arizona different from fishing in Alaska?
Kayla describes shifting from an 8-weight rod and larger streamers in Alaska to a 2-weight rod and tiny dry flies in Arizona. The White Mountains also introduced her to colorful streams and native Gila and Apache trout.
What does conservation mean to Kayla?
Kayla believes conservation and outdoor recreation should go hand in hand. She encourages anglers to support native fish projects, practice safe catch and release, and respect the ecosystems where they recreate.
What has losing fish taught Kayla?
Kayla sees lost fish as feedback. She pays attention to tension, knots, damaged hooks, and other choices she can improve before the next opportunity.
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