Women Fly Fishing

Why Fly Fish?
Women probably have been fly fishing for as long as men. The first book about about fishing published in the English language was written by a women. The following is quoted from The Origins of Angling a book written by John McDonald in 1957, "Surprisingly, what is thought to be the first published essay on sport fishing - The Treatise of Fishing With an Angle - is also believed to have been written by a women: Dame Juliana Berners, by legend a nun and a noblewomen and the first of her gender to write a work published in English." McDonald goes on to translate the Treatise from old English into modern readable English. The book describes many aspects of fishing and the fishing tackle used in 1496 when the manuscript was published. There is even a chapter about how to forge a fish hook from a needle. Why not needles were most likely a women's tool. Evidently steel hooks weren't readily available.

People were fishing with flies part of the time during this era. The original twelve fly patterns to appear in the English language are in the Treatise. The book is very informative and well organized. Angle means angel. Hence the words "angling and angler". The oldest artifacts that could be called flies are bird feathers and hair attached to bone or ivory hooks and are thousands of years old. Some were probably made by women. It just seems natural. Certainly Dame Juliana tied and caught fish with her own flies more than 500 years ago. There is no doubt that women can excel at the sport of fly fishing. They probably always have, when given a chance. This page is an attempt to make the sport of fly fishing more accessible to women.

Babes In Spey Land Steelhead are notoriously hard to catch with a fly rod. From my perspective winter steelhead are probably more challenging than Permit, which are considered the most vexing of flats fish. At least when fishing for Permit you usually know that you are fishing where there are fish because you can see them. Often when fishing a big river for steelhead, you really don't know whether steelhead are around your fly until one pulls on your line. To take the sport to an even higher level, steelhead are even trickier when fishing the swung fly. And maybe the highest level of achievement might be considered learning how to cast and catch steelhead with the two-hand fly rod. Nearly every fish in this pictorial essay was caught with a two-hander from big water draining the west coast of North America. Every one was caught by a female angler. Women excelling in the sport of fly fishing hasn't just happened since the liberation following WWII. Fact of the matter is, the first book on fishing published in the English language was authored by a woman, a nun, Dame Juliana Berners. It's title "Treatyse of Fysshynge Wyth an Angle" gives us the word "angling". It's fitting that the "birth" of our sport starts with a women. This year's Sandy River Spey Clave starts with an all female cast of performers and presenters. All of the women on this page will be involved with the 2009 Clave. Some will be teaching. Others will be managing the various events and making sure we are all having a good time. Girls and steelhead seem to go together. In my nearly thirty years of guiding no more than 5% of my clientele has been female, but I have a huge portfolio of pictures of women holding steelhead they have caught. It stands to reason that girls would adapt to the two-hand rod, a tool that demands finesse. May 15 will feature the first all female program of presentations by female spey casters. We say welcome ladies! We're glad to share our water with you. Click each picture for more information about the women who are adding this new dimension to The Sandy River Spey Clave.

Some girls like diamonds. Some girls like jewelry grade fly rods.

JOAN WULFF FAVORITES
One of the foremost authorities on fly casting in the world, Joan Wulff believes women anglers need lighter rods and smaller grips. Consequently, she helped design a specialized grip for her favorite trout rods, a Winston 5-weight WT Series, and also her favorite salmon/steelhead/saltwater rod, the 9 foot 8-weight BIIX. All of these rods, are extremely lightweight and a delight to cast. They come equipped with a special smaller diameter grip which features a thumb grove for proper hand positioning.
About JOAN WULFF:
These links list some of her honors and accomplishments:
Girls Can Fly Fish!
JOAN WULFF INDUCTED INTO CULLMAN INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME
What R.L. Winston Rod Company Says About: Joan Wulff Favorite Rods

JOAN WULFF FAVORITE TROUT ROD
3 pc. - 8 1/2' #5 - IM6 - Joan Wulff Favorite trout rod.

Joan says, "A good trout rod becomes an extension of your arm. The action should be soft enough to give great feeling in each cast, yet strong enough to present the line well in a variety of conditions. My favorite trout rod, 8 1/2 foot Winston WT, does just that, and the grip will help make sure that your hand is positioned properly."

JOAN WULFF FAVORITE 8-WEIGHT ROD

Joan says, "In Salmon/steelhead/saltwater fishing, the fly must be presented in both calm and windy conditions to fish that are often moving. A good rod must be able to deliver the fly up to sixty feet away in just a few seconds, with no more than one false case. This rod not only meets these qualifications for speed, but has the wonderful feeling that the words "Winston Action" have always defined. It's a great rod."

Casting For Recovery Cancer patients get help from Temple Fork Outfitters when your gal gets one of these new rods!

Casting For Recovery, founded in 1996, is a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer. CFR provides an opportunity for women whose lives have been profoundly affected by the disease to gather in a beautiful, natural setting and learn fly-fishing, "a sport for life." Just as importantly, they offer an opportunity to meet new friends and have fun. CFR offers free retreats throughout the country, incorporating counseling, educational services, and the sport of fly-fishing to promote mental and physical healing. Fly fishing techniques provide a gentle exercise for joint and soft tissue mobility. The dynamics of fly fishing provide a healing connection to the natural world, relieving everyday stress, and promoting a sense of calm. These retreats also offer a forum for women with similar experiences to meet, learn a new skill, and gain a respite from their everyday concerns. Any woman who has experienced breast cancer is eligible to attend a retreat (with medical clearance from their physicians). Casting For Recovery relies on local volunteers and organizations to support their community based retreats. CFR is holding 34 retreats in 23 states this year. http://www.castingforrecovery.org/ Through the combined efforts of Wanda Taylor, Donna Teeny, and Lefty Kreh, Temple Fork Outfitters has created two unique fly rods built specifically to benefit "Casting for Recovery"; an 8'6" 5-weight and a 9' 8-weight. CFR rods are built on translucent purple blanks with pink lettering inscribed with the words "Supporting Casting For Recovery & Hope" and will include a distinctive pink rod sock. A $25 contribution will be made to Casting For recovery for every CFR rod that is
purchased through an authorized TFO dealer such as: The Fly Fishing Shop Weches, Oregon. Proud to help!

TFO-05864C				Length: 8' 6" Line: #5 Pieces: 4

Very popular all-round trout rod. Is very lightweight, but is an authoritative casting tool at any normal fishing range. Fishes all sizes of trout flies. Rod weight: 3.8 Ounces.
Item	Series	Line Wt	Action		Handle	Price	To Top
TFO-05864	CFR	5	Med-Fast		1	$149.95

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	Why Fly Fish?
	Women's Spey Clave
	Babes In Spey Land
	Women's Fly Club
	Winston Rods
	Temple Fork Rods
	Fashionable Hat

Model	Length	Line Weight	Sections	Rod Weight	Price	To Top
JW586-3	8' 6"	#5	3	2 5/8 oz.	$665

Model	Length	Line Weight	Sections	Rod Weight	Price	To Top
JW890	9'	#8	4	3 1/2 oz.	$695

LT6KOL-7-18	Tilley LT6 Hat, khaki with olive, 7 1/8"	$65
LT6KOL-7-14	Tilley LT6 Hat, khaki with olive, 7 1/4"	$65
LT6KOL-7-38	Tilley LT6 Hat, khaki with olive, 7 3/8"	$65
LT6KOL-7-12	Tilley LT6 Hat, khaki with olive, 7 1/2"	$65

		5-Weight Rod
		8-Weight Rod

	Winston JOAN WULFF FAVORITE Fly Rods

TFO-08904C				Length: Line: # Pieces:

Very popular rod for big bass, steelhead, salmon & light saltwater fishing. Is based on popular Pro Series rod. Rod weight: 4.4 Ounces.
Item	Series	Line Wt	Action		Handle	Price	To Top
TFO-08904	CFR	8	Med-Fast		2	$159.95

Women Fly Fishing

Tilley Lighterweight LT6 Hat