Press & Features
When the Story Behind Fishe Gets Told
IW Features recently profiled Fishe founder Linda Leary, tracing a path that began with childhood fishing in Maine and eventually led to Alaska, transportation leadership, women-designed fishing gear and conservation work.
Written by Jordan Jantz and published August 21, 2026, the full IW Features profile looks at the experiences that shaped Linda long before Fishe became a brand.
It is a story about fishing, yes, but also about noticing what women on the water were missing and deciding to build something better.
In This Story
A Founder Story Grounded in Linda's Own Experience
The IW Features profile centers on Linda's firsthand account of a life shaped by fishing and Alaska: learning beside her father, building a career in transportation, returning to the water and recognizing that women's fishing gear could work better and feel more personal.
That perspective also reflects the way Fishe has grown: listening to women who fish, designing around real movement and conditions, and making room for color and artwork without treating performance as an afterthought.
What IW Features Highlighted
The profile begins with Linda's fishing roots. It follows her from her earliest days fishing with her dad in Maine through a career that eventually brought her to Alaska. It also explores the moment she saw an underserved market for women who wanted fishing apparel and gear designed with them in mind.
The story connects Fishe's bright visual identity to a practical purpose. Fish-inspired art, women-focused fit and functional outdoor design are presented as parts of the same idea rather than competing priorities.
IW Features also spends time on Linda's work beyond product design, including women's fishing education and her involvement in conservation.
From Maine Water to Alaska Leadership
Linda's relationship with fishing began long before Fishe. She grew up in Maine fishing with her father, then built a professional career in transportation before Alaska became home.
The IW Features profile describes her path through the trucking industry and her eventual leadership role at Carlile Transportation. That business experience became part of Fishe's foundation, even though the brand itself grew from a very different part of her life.
After seeing how little fishing apparel spoke directly to women, Linda launched Fishe in 2015 with a simple belief: women should not have to choose between gear that performs and gear that feels like their own.
Fishing Gear Did Not Have to Disappear Into the Background
Fishe was built around the idea that technical outdoor gear could be expressive too. The brand's fish-inspired artwork brings color and personality into pieces intended for real days outside, on the river and around the water.
Function and artwork are meant to work together. Fishe designs begin with the needs of women who fish, while much of the artwork comes from female artists and celebrates the species and places that make time on the water memorable.
That combination is one reason the IW Features story reaches beyond fashion. The visual side of Fishe is part of a larger conversation about belonging, confidence and having equipment that feels intentionally made for the person wearing it.
Independence on the Water
The feature also explores fishing independence. It looks at Linda's work with Women's Fly Fishing and the importance of helping more women build skills they can use on their own. That includes understanding gear, rigging, knots and the many small decisions that make a day of fishing feel more independent.
Confidence grows from practical skills. For many anglers, community opens the door, but competence is what makes the experience truly theirs.
That philosophy fits naturally with Fishe: make the outdoors more inviting without simplifying the challenge or assuming women need a different version of the sport.
Conservation Is Part of the Story
Conservation is another thread in Linda's story. Her connection to fishing has also shaped her involvement with the Kenai River Sportfishing Association. The IW Features profile connects that work to a straightforward idea: healthy habitat and healthy fisheries are essential if future generations are going to have the same opportunities on the water.
Fishing depends on healthy places. For Fishe, that makes conservation a natural part of the broader story rather than a separate message.
About IW Features
IW Features is a storytelling project built around profiles of real people and their firsthand experiences. Its work includes written stories, video and other editorial formats focused on the choices, challenges and experiences that shape people's lives.
For this profile, IW Features focused on Linda's personal and professional journey, from fishing with her father to building Fishe and staying connected to conservation and women's participation in the sport.
Read Jordan Jantz's full profile of Linda Leary on IW Features.
The Full Story Is Worth Reading
There is more to Linda's path than any single chapter: Maine, Alaska, transportation, entrepreneurship, art, fishing and conservation all overlap in ways that make the story distinctly hers.
If you want the longer version, the full IW Features profile is worth reading.
FAQ
Who is Linda Leary?
Linda Leary is the founder of Fishe, an Alaska-rooted fishing and outdoor brand created for women. Before launching Fishe, she built a career in transportation and later served in executive leadership in Alaska.
What is Fishe?
Fishe is a women-focused fishing and outdoor brand known for combining functional gear with bold fish-inspired artwork and designs created with women's fit, movement and time on the water in mind.
When was Fishe founded?
Linda Leary launched Fishe in 2015 after recognizing that women had far fewer fishing apparel and gear choices designed specifically around their needs and preferences.
What did IW Features focus on in its Fishe profile?
The profile follows Linda's journey from childhood fishing in Maine to Alaska, transportation leadership, founding Fishe, supporting women's independence in fishing and participating in conservation work.
What makes Fishe designs distinctive?
Fishe combines fish-inspired artwork and strong color with functional outdoor design. The goal is gear that performs on the water while still giving women more room for personal expression.
How is Fishe connected to women's fishing?
Fishe was created around women who fish, and Linda Leary is also involved with Women's Fly Fishing, which helps women build practical skills, confidence and community on the water.
How is Linda Leary connected to conservation?
Linda has been involved with the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, connecting her work in fishing with efforts that support healthy habitat and sustainable fisheries.
Where can I read the full IW Features profile?
You can read Jordan Jantz's full article, For This Fly Fisher, Fashion and Environmentalism Go Hand in Hand, on the IW Features website.
Sources
- For This Fly Fisher, Fashion and Environmentalism Go Hand in Hand — IW Features: Jordan Jantz's August 21, 2026 profile of Linda Leary, Fishe, women's fishing and conservation.
Related Reading
Fishing Stories & Adventures
A Father's Day Tribute: What Linda Leary Learned from Her Dad
Read more about the family fishing roots that helped shape Linda's relationship with the water.
Podcasts & Interviews
How Fishe Grew Through Brand Collaborations: Linda Leary on The Product Boss
Hear Linda talk about building Fishe and the role collaboration has played in the brand's growth.
Press & Features
FisheWear Featured in Alaska Business Magazine
See an earlier look at Fishe's Alaska roots and the business story behind the brand.
