As told to Jay Bouchard
Images courtesy of Nicky and Andy Mill and Aspen Historical Society
Nicky Mill knows the precise moment when his relationship with his father, Aspen legend Andy Mill, changed. One constant throughout their relationship, however, was that it revolved around the outdoors: Splitting time as a kid between south Florida, where his parents lived, and Aspen, where his dad was raised, Nicky enjoyed access to world-class fisheries and one of the country’s premier mountain towns. You might think he was destined to follow his father’s ski tracks (Andy placed sixth in downhill at the 1976 Olympics), but it was on the water where he’d most take after Andy. After his ski racing career ended, Andy became a champion saltwater fisherman—a passion that hooked his son, too.
Andy recalls one day fishing the Florida Keys with Nicky when he was still young. Nicky threw a mediocre cast that left his line in a pile, but as he stripped it in, a massive tarpon sprang from the water and took his fly. “It was the moment that I think started it all,” Andy says.
It was also the moment that altered the course of their relationship. At some point soon after, the Mills agree, they became best friends. Today they’re also the co-creators of a hit fishing podcast, Mill House, and constant adventure partners—traveling the globe fishing, hunting, and interviewing legends of the outdoors.
Ahead, the father-son duo offer a glimpse into their adventures, how their podcast came to be, and the close friendship that’s brought them solace along the way.
Fishing is a huge part of your lives. Where did you discover that passion?
Nicky Mill: I have photos of myself with a little spin rod at Taylor Lake behind Aspen Mountain in the ’90s when I was, like, 2 years old. I didn’t totally gravitate to it until I was 13 and caught my first tarpon. It changed my whole perspective.
Andy: When you see a 100-pound fish come flying out of the water, it has the ability to change your life.
And you, Andy?
Andy: I started fishing in Aspen when I was 8 years old, in the ’60s. I saw this fly line go out across the grass at Wagner Park. The great Ernie Schwiebert was doing a clinic, and that’s the first time I had a fly rod in my hand. After that, I learned to tie flies, and once I saw a trout eat one of my flies, I was toast.
Andy, you were a world-class ski racer. When did your life shift back to fishing?
Andy: After my ski career, I was a broadcaster. I was doing Olympic ski coverage, but I was bored. The Outdoor Life Network offered me a fishing show, and we ended up producing episodes all over the world. I caught a blue marlin in St. Thomas on a fly rod. I fished the Arctic Circle with President George H. W. Bush. I got into tarpon tournaments and ended up winning more of those than anyone. My fishing career was more successful than my skiing career.
Let’s talk about your podcast, Mill House. How’d it begin?
Nicky: About five years ago, when outdoor podcasts were beginning to come about, I told my dad: “We should do a podcast.” He knew so many influential guides and anglers, and the stories they tell are unbelievable. At first, he said no.
Andy: Hell, I didn’t even know what a podcast was.
Nicky: After a year, he agreed to it.
Andy: I remembered what someone in the broadcasting world said to me a long time ago: “Who cares if Aunt Mary’s farm burns down if you don’t know who Aunt Mary is?” I started thinking: We need to find out who Aunt Mary is with all our guests. It couldn’t just be about how they caught a big fish—I wanted to know what hooked them and inspired them.
Nicky: Now, we release an episode every two weeks, 26 a year. I do a couple podcast trips to Florida each year, and we record in the summertime in Colorado. Once we decide on a guest, my dad does a lot of research. He calls the person’s friends and gets the background. We strive to find the underground people who have stories that have not been told. We try to find the people who don’t have social media, who don’t promote. He’s really the host; I’m the co-host. I do all the editing and promoting.
Who have been your favorite guests?
Nicky: We talked to a guide in the Keys named John O’Hearn. He has such a different approach to fishing compared to some of the guests we have on. He’s a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy who doesn’t care about material things. You’d be amazed by what he finds. There might be a worm hatch or bridge that everyone is fishing near, but you won’t see him there. I love that mentality.
Andy: We did an interview with Rick Ruoff. I asked him: “You were one of the first guides in the Florida Keys, and now there are hundreds. Your spots are all stolen. How do you deal with it?” He said initially he was going to quit, but then he realized the issue wasn’t other people, it was his perspective. It helped me think differently, too. I saw Aspen when there was not one rod on the river. Now, I won’t even fish Aspen because I feel bad for the fish. But I won’t get on other people because they’re having a great time. For them, these are the good old days.
Do you two still ski Aspen together?
Andy: Every year, I like to come in when the sun is high on the mountain and ski a few hours. I’ve been going left and going right down Ajax Mountain since the ’60s.
Are you still fast?
Nicky: He’s the fastest one on the mountain.
Does he beat you, Nicky?
Nicky: Oh, definitely.
All right, last question. What does your relationship with your dad look like these days?
Nicky: I still look up to him as my father and my greatest mentor, but he’s more of a best friend than a father. In the Keys, we launch our boat together and fish 17-hour days, from sunup to sundown. We hunt together. We’ve been through so much. I know more about my dad than anyone.
How would you describe it, Andy?
Andy: I can’t imagine anyone having a better relationship than what Nicky and I have. We live fully and we live hard. You can only survive certain things with your best friend. We’re trying to pull things off at a high level. You have to be backed up by someone who can really fulfill their end of the bargain. I’m fortunate that that guy is my son.