FlyGals get women into fishing

Although it is still the case that fly-fishing is male dominated, more women are becoming interested in this sport.

Why should men have all the fun?

One of the barriers to women joining the contingent of fly-fishers is lack of knowledge. Unlike many men who are introduced to the fly-fishing as youngsters by their fathers, very few women have had the good fortune of being included in fly fishing outings as a child.

Fear of the unknown and lack of fly-fishing opportunities have been issues in the past. Some women have tried to learn the sport from their male friends, partners or spouses, and this has often caused tensions in these personal relationships. Hiring guides and taking lessons from commercial fishing outfits are possibilities, but often these classes are dominated by men and taught by men and can also be pricey.

Many women are more comfortable learning this new sport from and with other women.

Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited sponsors a group called FlyGals. This group holds a number of activities during the year to introduce women to fly fishing and to encourage women to learn about fly fishing. In a typical year, there are 8-10 events sponsored by FlyGals. Many of these events are free, although there can be fees for some events to cover expenses.

In 2016, FlyGals will hold eight events, including several clinics to provide the participants with basic information enabling them to become familiar with fly fishing. There will be a half-day clinic on entomology, called the “Bug Clinic.” At this clinic, women will learn some basics about the bugs that trout eat, their different life stages as well as introducing some artificial fly patterns that imitate these bugs.

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Next is a beginner’s casting clinic where the fly-casting technique is broken down into steps and the women, under individual instruction from a local fishing guide, learn the steps sequentially. The casting clinic is held at a local lake and starts in the early evening. The clinic ends with participants casting to (and often catching) rising fish. The third clinic is a full-day beginner’s fly fishing clinic. At this clinic, women will visit stations where experienced women fly fishers will guide instruction on knots needed for fly fishing, basic entomology, and safety and equipment. In the afternoon, the women will participate in a casting class held at a nearby lake. The final clinic is a 2-hour fly tying clinic where the women will have the opportunity to learn about fly tying taught by a local expert fly tier.

In addition to these fly-fishing clinics, FlyGals also holds fishing and educational events. This year, they will tour the historic Leadville Fish Hatchery to learn more about how fish are reared in hatcheries. They are planning an outing to Crystal Lake and to a private, stocked fish pond.

For one outing, experienced fly fishing members of Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited are paired with a FlyGal for a river fishing experience. Moreover, the FlyGals will be fishing the Blue River again this fall when they make their second annual overnight fly fishing trip to Breckenridge.

Through these events, FlyGal participants learn about fly-fishing and aquatic habitats and to appreciate the need to protect our cold water fisheries. They often enjoy meeting other women interested in fly-fishing. When more women participate in FlyGals, gender balance of fly fishers can be improved.

In the future, mothers may be taking their daughters fly-fishing.

For more information about Collegiate Peaks Chapter, FlyGals and other events, visit collegiatepeaksTU.org.

Barbara Plake is co-chair of FlyGals and a current Board Director of the Collegiate Peaks Chapter – TU.