Submitted by heidi.oberstadt on Mon, 2013-12-30 08:22 Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited 9WI TU Women's Discussion Frank Hornberg - 624 Vote Up Down +117 + heidi and fish-1.jpg As a self-proclaimed girly girl who grew up with a single mother who didn't fish, I had been sorely lacking in some of the vocabulary that is thrown around at typical TU meetings. My first two years of TU were dedicated to helping with my local chapter's (Frank Hornberg) conservation efforts and trying to raise our level of recognition in our community. As a result, I sat through many meetings where I had no idea what the guys were talking about. I'm now proud to say that I can define words like hackle, flotsam, and arbor. I even know how to use them correctly! :) My ever-expanding fly fishing vocabulary rarely overlaps with my every-day conversations, with a few notable exceptions. Last summer, our Wisconsin state council had a meeting down in the Driftless area. As someone "new" to TU leadership, a five hour state council meeting requires the focus and concentration of a five hour college class. It's almost like learning a new language entirely! I'm still learning so much about everything that it takes a lot of energy... and I admit, I occasionally let my mind wander, drawing hearts and fish in my favorite Moleskine notebook. During this particular meeting, I was doodling away, when I heard Henry Koltz say the magical word: outfit. My ears perked up... did he really say outfit? I know about outfits. In fact, I've been picking out outfits since I was about 18 months old. In fact, once I got my glasses, at age 2, I planned my entire outfit around having the perfect accessories. Heidi with outfits-3.jpg As it turns out, an outfit in fly fishing is a little different than in outfit in my "girl world." Less dangly earrings and patterned sundresses, but the fly fishing outfit combinations do seem to be pretty endless... and fishermen certainly do have a preference! :) It's a surprise to me that I find myself starting to care equally about what fly fishing outfit I'm using and what outfit I'm wearing. There's still plenty of room for growth in my vocabulary, and I'm currently working on expanding both outfit collections. :)