About Us

Annie Nagel was introduced to fishing in 2010 and fell in love instantly, as it was the first activity that gave her an adrenaline rush after a bad car accident that she was lucky to walk away from on her 18th birthday. She fished regularly on weekends with her boyfriend and quickly noticed the lack of female presence from the start. Fishing was the best thing that ever happened to Annie and she has met some of her greatest girl friends as an adult through fishing. As she became more immersed in the sport she wanted to not only inspire other women but provide a platform so they could get out there and experience the magic too. When she started Scales in my Nails, she wanted to share that love and passion with others and create a community of fellow female fishing enthusiasts. Annie is an ambassador for Mustang Survival, and on the following pro staff teams- AFTCO (saltwater), Bajio Sunglasses, Old Town Kayaks, Seeker Rods. You can learn more about Annie in Mustang Survival's Live Beyond Land series: Episode 006.

Scales in my nails started as a fishing challenge in 2020. Annie Nagel came up with the idea in 2019 after kayak fishing in a dress and sharing a photo on IG. An instagram follower shared a picture of him kayak fishing in a dress from a tournament his small club put on to raise money for breast cancer in Florida. Annie spent months planning a tournament aimed at getting more women on the water. The name was Scales in my Nails kayak fishing tournament and the game was teams of two with every team consisting of at least one female. Annie knew a lot of her kayak fishing male friends would want to participate in the fun so she allowed two guys to be on a team but at least one had to dress like a girl by wearing a wig and/or dress. The idea was to encourage good sportsmanship and make it comfortable and welcoming for the girls that participated. It drew a lot of interest but with it set in October 2020 the in-person tournament was ultimately canceled and turned into an online fishing challenge. 37 anglers, mostly all girls, (guys could participate if they dressed like a girl) submitted 331 fish photos for this one month challenge aimed at just getting out there and not about the size of the fish. Click here to learn more about the fun challenge! In 2021, Eleza Jaegar co-owner of Gatherer Outfitters, reached out to Annie to host monthly all-women's trips on their 8-pack charter out of Berkeley. It was so rewarding to be apart of these women's trips that Annie segued Scales in my Nails into building a community and being a supportive and welcoming space for women to learn more about fishing and have opportunities to fish together and have positive experiences. 

Our mission at Scales in my Nails is to help every female angler, from beginner to pro, have the best possible fishing experience.  This is a chance for women to go fish in a comfortable setting. Meeting other women and forming long-lasting relationships and connections out in nature is truly special. Having a community where women can meet new friends and network after a day of fishing is our main goal.