Leap Fearlessly.

by Lise Lozelle

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

My trailblazing ways started young, I was a tomboy, with an anti-dress policy, a heart for bringing home stray animals and a knack for doing things the hard way. In elementary school I picked cello as my instrument of choice, because it was super easy (not!) to carry to and from school every day. I loved to ski both water and snow. Growing up in Michigan, the water ski season kicked off on Memorial Day weekend in water so cold you had to wear a wetsuit. I think that’s where I learned to jump and hit it without overthinking. Snow skiing was also a cold pursuit. With no mountains in Michigan our skiing meant short runs, with lots of ice. Not ideal conditions, but a perfect place to hone your skills and prepare for mountains in the future. When it came time for college the west was calling and my parents made it clear that going to California was not an option. So, naturally I looked at a map and settled on the University of Arizona.

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52 Weeks, 52 Rivers
by Shelley Walchak

Fly-fishing a river a week, writing essays, following my passion, hoping to inspire others, and highlighting issues that affect this most valuable resource.

As a teacher and librarian, it’s been interesting to note the variety of ways people learn. There’s been a ton of research on this and it has certainly been a personal challenge over the years to address all my students and patrons (library) learning styles.

When I cast my first line in the Uintah River in Utah 18 years ago, I had never read a book or manual about the intricacies of the sport. I wanted to learn by getting my feet wet and just having fun. On the other hand, my husband told me he had read about how to fly-fish for over a year before he made his first cast. And, during the first year he fished, he never caught a single fish! Wow, to have that kind of patience.

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“To Everything-Turn, Turn, Turn”

by Heidi Meares

In 1965, folk-rock band The Byrds, lit up the music scene with some lyrics borrowed from the Good Book itself: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” With nothing but a sneeze between me and 40, I can say with total confidence I have found that to be true—in both life and fly-fishing. I personally believe it is living in the tension of this truth, and our fundamental inability to control it, that causes many sleepless nights, chiropractor visits, and break-ups. And yet, there is freedom to be had if we dare to embrace it.

Anyone who has spent some time outdoors, be it waist-deep in a clear stream or elbow-deep in the soil of a field, can attest to the indisputable evidence of change at work. Water moves, wind moves, the sun moves, and we move. We move in large ways, like state-to-state, as well as in small ways, like from opposite sides of the couch to alongside each other. The question is, what do we do when things change? At times we are the initiators of change, but often it initiates us.

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It’s Just Fishing.

by Whiteny Milhoan

“I knew joy when I landed my first trout.”
– Casting for Recovery participant

The best part about my job is witnessing the joy that comes with learning to fish.

Casting for Recovery provides free fly fishing experiences for women facing breast cancer. These fly fishing retreats are often the grounding, renewing, empowering physical and emotional release that the women who attend have been needing.

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The Bad Streak
A female fly fishing guide’s journey through the hardships of fly fishing

by Kaitlin Boyer

There are many things in fly fishing that are left unsaid. The simplest of details, such as, what flies are working, where you went fishing, and how many fish you caught can often slip into a vague abyss between pride and honesty. Whether you are a guide, angler, novice, or pro, we all strive to be the best we can be, yet when we fail, why is it so difficult to confront?

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Protecting Water and Fish

by Kara Armano

Fly fishing takes you to some of the most incredible places in the world. From the Animas River to the Piedra to the Hermosa to the La Plata and more, we live in a special place and there are millions more just like it. Keeping the water cold, clean and fresh isn’t just a fluke that allows spectacular trout places to thrive, maintaining access to public waters doesn’t just happen when anglers dream it to be; conservation, hard work and voices of anglers like you help maintain these pristine rivers and the species in them in locations we can all access.

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The Pregnant Fly-Fishing Case Worker.
Breaking the Rules for Trout

by Kaitlin Barnhart

I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, but when my boss handed me the Psychological Social Rehabilitation services case file for a 15-year-old boy who had already been through four caseworkers that quarter, I paused. “What am I going to do with a 15 year old? I’m certain he doesn’t want to drive around with an obviously-pregnant social worker, trying to help him make friends,” I thought.

I read through James’ list of casework goals– improve social skills, build self-esteem, manage anger issues, and develop coping skills for foster care. Since I was new to the community, I asked what other caseworkers used for tools in a small country town where everyone’s business was shared and the library was the size of my living room.

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My to 10 “must have’s” when fly fishing.

by Amelia Jensen

The majority of fly fishing I do is walking and wading. This style of fishing is where I feel the most engaged with the water, trout and nature. We put on a lot of miles of exploration and that often keeps me outdoors a long time, so I strive to keep my pack light, with a few quality items. These are the ones that I can trust to help me be successful, comfortable, and to fully enjoy my time on the water.

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The Braided Snake River

by Lori-Ann Murphy
co-founder of Reel Women Fly Fishing Adventures

In my sweet dreams I’m sitting on my truck’s tailgate  – Victor, Idaho. We are hanging around after guiding being loud and obnoxious I guess. All of my favorite things were shaping my next adventure in life. Fly fishing, strong women fly fishing friends, a great place to live and explore as well as a place to ignite a strong curiosity for distant waters.  I remember being so excited because I had found a home and a community that fit my personality. This is where Reel Women Fly Fishing Adventures was born. Reel Women Fly Fishing Adventures has always been supported by passion. Thank God. That original posy of strong fly fishing women and excitement is what started a new life for me. I knew that this drive to become a solid fly fishing guide and share my journey was bigger than me. The business and the people I have met through Reel Women show me everyday that it is OK for a woman to love fly fishing, and also find a way to share this thrilling life I lead through my work.

I just got back to my home in Montana from our “Jackson Hole Sampler,” in Victor, Idaho. We stay at a ranch I have always loved nestled along the pass from Victor to Jackson. It’s actually on the old mail trail used to deliver the mail via horseback in the day. Standing on a hillside covered in sagebrush, I breathed the “west” and remembered what brings people together in a time when things are changing so fast.  Sometimes it’s just nice to hang out in a landscape that has not changed much. It allows us to feel who we are and listen to our hearts.

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My 10 Favorite Things
(to have when fishing)

by Corinne Doctor – Co-Founder of RepYourWater

#1

The sport is impossible without a good rod.  I tend to prefer medium-action rods, but it really varies depending on the type of fishing I am doing.  On small creek pocket water I love my Redington Classic Trout 9’ 6” 4wt.  It is easy to flip cast and has enough reach to get across small currents on the other bank.  It is also incredibly affordable and a great all-around rod.  For streamers on bigger water I have been loving my 9’ 6wt Sage X.  It is faster action than most of my other rods, but because of that, it throws streamers really well but with more finesse than previous faster-action rods I have used.  All the fuss of the X was right on point.

#2

Now that I have my rods figured out, onto my favorite reels.  I have been fishing Cheeky reels for a few years now and I have a Boost 325, Boost 350 and the larger Limitless 425 in my arsenal.  Cheeky makes high quality reels without a ridiculous price tag.  Their bright colors, though you can get the Limitless in all black, are a draw for me as well.

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