Karin Miller is the founder of Zen Tenkara and a pioneer in pushing minimalist fishing to big, bold places. In this episode, she shares how a childhood fishing trip with her dad—and a surprise catch of a Matchbox cement truck—sparked a lifelong connection to the water.

From the frustrations of early fly fishing to finding freedom through Tenkara, Karin walks us through her evolution as an angler, a business owner, and an adventurer. We talk about fish management, gear simplicity, why she gave chased tarpon without a reel, and what happened when a fly shop owner told her she’d never catch a bonefish with “that thing.”

She didn’t just prove him wrong—she opened a whole new fishing bucket list!

We also hit on themes of conservation, what it means to build an ethical fishing brand, and why surrounding yourself with the right people matters more than being good at something right away. An absolute thrill of a conversation!