By Kathy Ruddick, with Photography by Nick Didlick
One of my observations in fly fishing is the difference in attitude between men and women. Although I see more women wanting to be involved in the sport, there are still relatively few who really want to learn for themselves. Most women I see in my classes take up the sport so they can participate with their spouses rather than for the sheer joy of it themselves.
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Julie Iverson casts into the sparkling water of a river.
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Experienced anglers know what the rewards are. We have have all been there, fishing in pleasant weather, with blue sky and puffy clouds, singing birds, gentle winds, with mayfly hatches and gently rising trout. Maybe that mostly happens in our dreams, but we’ve experienced it in real life too. We’ve felt the satisfaction of tying on a fly, making a careful cast, and then been thrilled by the disturbance on the water’s surface, followed by a quick strike and...and...and......well sometimes they just get away. But the successes, the memories, keep us coming back to reestablish our superiority over a fish that has a brain the size of a pea. Yeah, you showed him all right. And then you let him go.
It’s one thing to know how much fun that can be, but quite another thing to explain it to a beginner. Or to get them out and let them experience it themselves. We all know that between the perfect days, there are many, many days when the weather is cold, the rain lashes down - and the fish just don’t cooperate.
One of the things I’ve been wondering about, is how I can encourage more women to get interested in fly fishing? How do I convince women that catching a cold, slimy, wet creature in some of the worst weather you can face, is a gratifying, enjoyable experience?
Here is what I’ve concluded. The key is - the worm factor. Most women would much rather not impale a distressed, cold worm on a sharp, pointy hook and cause him pain. They would much rather not even touch a worm. Enter fly fishing. No worms, no guts, no mess, no fuss. Just tie a fly on and go fishing! Its that simple! And then you can add the bonus of not even having to kill the poor fish! Yup. Catch-and-release. With a barbless hook and a pair of forceps there doesn’t even have to be contact and certainly no gutting and all that messy stuff.
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Julie Iverson with a large fish on!
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All kidding aside, this is a huge attraction for women. They see the benefit of the outdoors, its beauty and they like experiencing nature with a purpose. Quite independently women can take a school or a class and learn the finer art of fly casting, tying knots and identifying insects, and go fishing on a stream or a river. The big bonus is catching a fish, and most don’t expect to. Most women I talk to really enjoy just being outside, and love the fact they now can go with a goal in mind and feel good about. And do it themselves.
Now if you can add the benefit of one of those fishing experiences where everything goes right and the fish just beg to be caught, you have without a doubt created an angler who just can’t get enough. One of those fishing experiences that come along every so often is all you need to create a passionate angler who needs that fix.
I was talking to one of my students recently, and she told me she was enjoying fly fishing but wanted to know how long it was going to take before she actually caught something. I asked the few pertinent questions like how often had she been out and where? Her experiences were limited she said, and noticed there sure weren’t many other fish taken when she did go out.
A problem had already started to develop where her lack of catching was fueling her frustration. I think it is imperative that good fishing is experienced early in a new fishing career in order to propagate interest. I see a huge difference in new anglers who have had good fishing early in their careers. They tend to stay with the sport longer and be a lot more keen.
Where am I going with this? If you know of someone who would enjoy getting into fly fishing, get them to take lessons. First off, it may save your relationship. Secondly, it will allow them to learn surrounded by other beginners.
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Julie Iverson poses with a nice Bull Trout before gently releasing it.
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And once they have graduated from the basic course, make sure you get them on some good water, where they can get rewarded with a few fish. Try private fisheries like Douglas Lake Ranch, near Kamloops, British Columbia. Or try small waters, like creeks that are not so intimidating. Don’t make the mistake of taking a novice to “big” hard-to-wade waters where a learning angler can be overwhelmed. If you make the adventure “the whole package” - and enjoy the outdoors as well as the fishing, a dedicated angler will be created.
And remember, if you’re trying to convince a woman to learn to fly fish, so she can join you on the water - make sure to mention there aren’t any worms involved.
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