Mill House Podcast

Mike Dawes has spent more than three decades chasing fish across the globe, building a life around the places, people, and experiences that make fly fishing far more than a sport. Raised in a family steeped in the tradition, Mike caught his first trout on a fly at just five years old. His grandfather helped establish the legendary Deep Water Cay Bonefishing Club in the Bahamas, introducing Mike early to the world of saltwater fly fishing and planting the seeds for a lifetime of exploration.

Mike Lawson is a legend of the Henry’s Fork—and one of the men who helped shape modern fly fishing in the American West. A fourth-generation Idahoan, Lawson grew up fishing the Henry’s Fork and began his professional fly-fishing career in the early 1970s while working as a schoolteacher and tying flies commercially with his wife, Sheralee. He later guided in West Yellowstone before the two founded Henry’s Fork Anglers in 1976, building what would become one of the most respected fly-fishing operations in the country.

For more than five decades, Lawson has been a guide, outfitter, fly tier, author, teacher, and tireless advocate for the waters he calls home. He became a contract fly tier for Umpqua Feather Merchants in 1979, and his patterns have been sold in fly shops around the world. His books, including Fly Fishing the Henry’s Fork and Spring Creeks, helped generations of anglers understand the intricate hatches, technical trout, and demanding presentation required to fish some of the West’s most challenging waters. He has also written extensively for publications including Fly Fisherman and served as a contributing editor.

Beyond fishing, Lawson has devoted much of his life to conservation. He was a founding member of the Henry’s Fork Foundation and has been deeply involved in protecting the river and its surrounding lands. He has also been a longtime member and supporter of Trout Unlimited, the Federation of Fly Fishers, and other conservation organizations.

Lawson’s legacy ultimately extends beyond the fish he has caught or the flies he has tied. For generations of anglers, he has been a teacher, steward, and ambassador for the Henry’s Fork—a river that has become synonymous with his name.

Boots Allen is a third-generation fly-fishing guide, tournament angler, writer, fly designer, and one of the longtime stewards of the rivers around Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Born and raised in the valley, Boots grew up immersed in a family whose name is woven into the history of fly fishing in the region. His grandfather, Leonard “Boots” Allen, was one of the early guides and outfitters in Jackson Hole, securing permits to guide the waters of the Greater Yellowstone area in the 1940s. His father, Joe Allen, continued that tradition and became known for his innovative fly patterns, including the famous Double Humpy.

Baker Bishop is an avid fly fisherman, surfer, husband, father, and mentor whose life has been shaped by a lifelong connection to the water. He picked up a fly rod at just ten years old, taught by his mother, who passed down the skills, traditions, and passion she had learned from her grandfather—a bamboo-rod builder and lifelong angler.

Rudy Babikian is an accomplished fly fisherman, adventurer, and co-founder of Los Locos, a premier fly-fishing destination in Magdalena Bay, Mexico. Originally from Maine, Rudy cut his teeth in the Northeast chasing giant striped bass from shore—often putting himself in precarious situations in pursuit of the biggest fish. Those early experiences helped shape the adventurous, risk-taking approach that would define his fishing life.

In 2013, Rudy moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he became an obsessive trophy-trout hunter. It was there that he met George VanDercook, and the two quickly bonded over their shared desire to push beyond conventional fishing and pursue bigger fish in more challenging ways.

That shared obsession eventually took them to Mexico, where they began exploring Magdalena Bay in a small Boston Whaler. Their willingness to venture miles offshore in pursuit of striped marlin earned them the nickname “Los Locos”—the crazy ones—from local fishermen. What began as an adventurous fishing trip ultimately grew into one of the world's most unique fly-fishing destinations.

Rudy's fishing life is filled with stories of risk, persistence, and occasionally questionable judgment. He recounts many of those wild adventures—including his near-death experiences pursuing striped bass. These stories offer a glimpse into the mindset that made Los Locos possible: an unrelenting desire to find bigger fish, go farther, and see what lies beyond the edge of the map.

Landon Mayer is a Colorado fly-fishing guide, fly designer, author, and educator known for his expertise in hunting and sight-fishing large, selective trout. Based on the South Platte River, Landon has spent decades studying trout behavior, water dynamics, and the subtle details that separate a good presentation from a great one.

On today’s podcast, we answer a wide range of listener-submitted questions, including whether top-of-the-line rods are really worth it, how far you actually need to cast, advice for aspiring fishing guides, and how our tarpon season has gone so far. Along the way, we cover plenty of other topics and share stories, insights, and practical tips from the water.

Paul Puckett is an acclaimed sporting artist, illustrator, and lifelong angler whose work captures the beauty, adventure, and emotion of life on the water. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Puckett developed an early passion for fishing, art and music, spending countless summers on the bass lakes of East Texas with his father and grandfathers—experiences that continue to inspire his work today. He earned a degree in advertising design from the University of North Texas before embarking on a career that blended his artistic talents with his love of fly fishing.

I first heard the name Tommy Robinson nearly 38 years ago while fishing in Key West. Time and again, anglers spoke about Tommy and his brother, Chris—their reputation as exceptional fishermen extending far beyond Key West to the waters around Apalachicola on Florida's Forgotten Coast.

I believe the driving force behind all great human triumphs is an insatiable desire to win. Some people are propelled by an internal storm—a relentless urge to push farther, dream bigger, and pursue the extraordinary. George VanDercook and Rudy Babikian are two young men who embody that spirit.

They continue to show the rest of us that chasing fish in faraway places can be more than a passion—it can be a life worth pursuing.

Both cut their teeth in the Northeast, targeting striped bass that eagerly ate flies in shallow water. Something about those early experiences struck a deep chord. Fishing wasn't just a pastime; it moved them. Years later, their paths crossed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where they became obsessed with hunting big trout throughout the West.

Eventually, they hitched an 18-foot Boston Whaler to a truck and hauled it from the East Coast to Jackson, then across the American West and south to San Carlos, Mexico. There, the waters of Magdalena Bay and the Pacific Ocean became both their home and their new frontier.

Striped marlin, roosterfish, golden trevally, permit, snook—the sheer diversity of species they encountered expanded their horizons and changed the course of their lives. Their long runs offshore in a small center-console boat quickly became the subject of local conversation. People wondered what these crazy Americans were doing 30 miles offshore, chasing striped marlin alongside 80-foot Viking sportfishing yachts.

The locals gave them a fitting nickname: Los Locos.

And the name stuck.

Today, Rudy and George have built a highly successful operation that caters to fly anglers pursuing some of the world's most prized game fish. The experience they offer is unlike anything else in the sport—one of the most extraordinary fishing adventures imaginable.

I know because I've experienced it myself.

On this podcast, you'll hear stories of relentless ambition, hard-earned lessons, danger, risk, and the pursuit of a dream that many would consider impossible. It's a story about finding the promised land—and having the courage to chase it.