(Ken Morrish/Fly Water Travel photo)
In the fall of 2014, Lani Waller and I walked along my British Columbia property line, discussing how the next few hours would unfold. Carefully, we stepped atop fallen yellow leaves that layered the ground like poplar pastry. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to interview a very nervous Lani Waller.
I can’t remember exactly how it started, but Lani and I had struck up a friendship a year earlier. It was during my guiding days on the Dean River—a place Lani knew well. In fact, it was through Lani and his old Scientific Angler VHS tapes that I first learned about the Dean. Dated footage shows timeless glacial water framing a handsome man in a red bandana. His enthusiasm could sway even the most callous of men.
For months, I’d come off the water and settle into both my guide cabin and Lani’s emails. We’d exchange stories—mine from today, his from the past—but soon, our conversations grew deeper than fishing reports and updates. Our relationship evolved, delving into philosophy, surviving accidents, death, life, and poetry.
Lani was a private person, and I’ll respect that here, but on that day at my place in northern British Columbia, he was finally ready to open up. His nervousness was understandable. In 2014, I hadn’t yet started my podcast, and we were about to sit down to record a segment for my television series, Shorelines .
Now, it was more than just me, Lani, and the steelhead. There was an entire film crew—complete with a sound technician, drone pilot, and cameraman. It was a stark contrast to our usual private correspondence, so we walked off our nerves before heading into the wall tent where the mics were waiting. Within minutes, we forgot about our audience, focusing instead on his story and the legacy he would eventually leave behind. [This full interview is available today on the Anchored with April Vokey YouTube channel. The Editor.]
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