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There is no way I can write this without
peeing off some, if not a whole lot of,
folks. Subjects like this are both
subjective and objective, mostly the
former and damn little of the latter.
There has been some chatter on the
bulletin board of late on this and I got
my nose bruised there too. So, just what
about girls fly fishing anyhow? Back a few
years we let them vote. The results of that
are not tabulated in all circles. Some suspect
discrimination. See what I mean? Hard to play
with this subject without trouble at every
point.
More power to 'em, I say. Some would suggest
they should have to pay more for a license as
they tend to be better than men at getting the
job done. Perhaps. Tenacity is one of their
strong points. Give them a stream, a rising
fish and a fly rod, my money is on the girls
every time.
Us guys would, after a few 'perfect' casts,
move on to a fish more suitable and worthy
of our great abilities. Not some one-eyed,
stuffed to the gills, obnoxious, stubborn
unworthy dumb fish. Not so with 'her.' The
crouches become lower, the gaze more intense,
the casts smoother and more deliberate, over
and over, and over... "Fish on!" Game, set
and match.
I am speaking now of those few who actually
do understand fly fishing. Here is where I go
over my waders. Darn few do understand it.
Darn few want to. Not that they are not capable,
heck yes, most just do not want to do it. And
that is alright. Just ducky with me. Not a slam
if they do not want to stand in a swollen river,
waist deep, waving a stick at some stupid fish.
"Don't gotta, ain't gonna!" Archie used to say.
(A guy from Michigan). No, now don't blame Archie
either. If you are going to get mad, it's me you're
after.
We ran a few casting classes out here a few years
back, disaster mostly, the ones for "Ladies Only,"
that is. The ones who showed up wanted to learn
how to fly cast because it looked so very artistic
and graceful. Yes we served lunch, well no, it was
catered. Big mistake. Fancy stuff. Chef done on site,
gourmet. Better had we served buffalo chips. Few
learned much, but... all had a wonderful time. Wanted
to do it again next year.
Sometimes we get a female in one of our 'unisex'
classes. There are two basic types, those who are
doing it because their 'partner' has pushed them
into it, and the ones who actually want to learn
something. It does not take much to find out which
are which. I zero in on the ones who really don't
want to be there. I take them as far and as fast
as I possibly can in casting. Often well beyond
their 'partners' within less than an hour of work.
The rest is up to them.
The dedicated ladies, of whom there are far too
few, are a joy. Enthusiastic, willing, capable
and sincere. With that attitude they make any
instructor look good. So far I have not had one
be able to out cast me on the first day, but am
not sure I would like to meet them in a casting
contest some day. Not true. Really, I would love
it. Actually I would hope all who I may have
helped along the way be able to cast far better
than I was ever able to.
So, is that it? So much for girls in fly fishing?
No, probably several books left to be written on
it yet. But for here and now that is about it. I
am sorry most seem to feel they are not considered
more than a sleeping-bag warmer, and camp helper,
and cook. Well, sorry, some are just that and they
like it that way. More power to them. In fact, more
power to all of them, no matter how, why, where,
when and with whom.
So, with that said, let's make this formal.
"Girls, welcome to fly fishing, what the hell kept ya?"
~ JC
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