Ashley Rae got into fishing at age five and has traveled the world in search of the next big catch. We asked Ashley about how fishing became her passion, her dream catch, and what it’s like as a woman in a male-dominated sport.

You got into angling after a family friend took you fishing as a child. How did you get hooked? What keeps you fishing, decades later?

At the time, fishing was such a special treat for my brother and me, as it wasn’t a pastime my parents took part in. We didn’t fish often when we were young, except when we visited the lodge. It was always exciting getting out on the water — not knowing what we would catch. Each trip was (and still is) unique and has a different outcome. As I got older, I wanted to become independent on the water so I purchased a…