If we stop to think about where we learned to fly fish, most of us would probably say a friend or relative taught us, but there are those out there who learned the hard way — on their own. I was one of those fly anglers.
I grew up with a father who fished, but didn’t fly fish. Something in me wanted to try whipping around a long rod that worked so differently from all the conventional tackle I grew up using. Although trying to do this in the Deep South in the early 1980s wasn’t easy, it was still somehow reasonable for me to try. Maybe it was just my own attitude, or perhaps it was because boys where I grew up were expected to spend time outside, no matter what they were doing.
Since those days years ago, I have been lucky enough to be involved in and around the fly-fishing industry in a variety of capacities for over two decades now, and when I look around a crowded room of industry professionals, one thing has always stood out — everyone is like me: a middle-aged (or older) white man. I’m not trying to start an argument or anything — it’s just an observation that industry statistics support. Sure, there were and are a handful of women involved, and even a few female guides far more now than there used to be but industry reports have stated for years that women and minorities are the future of the sport. And for as long as I can remember, women have been the fastest-growing segment (in some cases the only growing segment) of the sport of fly fishing, but they still fall far behind men. But statistics also show that women are the fastest to leave the sport, as well. Why? Probably because learning to fly fish is one thing, but being able to get out or travel to fly fish safely and comfortably is something else.
Like the men who fly fish, most of the women who fly fish are introduced to it by friends or family. Most. But what if a woman decides that fly fishing appears to be an interesting endeavor to try, and she has no resources or clue about where to start? What if she’s from a large city or other urban background, or was never raised to be “outdoorsy,” or she’s from a background that didn’t see recreational fishing as a sport for them? What if she is so new to the sport that she isn’t even aware there are special shops that cater specifically to fly fishing? Or what if she has wanted to try fly fishing all her life, but due to the circumstances of life, never had the chance to learn or try?
Some might argue that men in this situation face the same issues, but to make matters more difficult, traveling to fish becomes even harder as a woman. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a significant other or a good friend who also fishes, then you’re stuck being a single in a double-occupancy room at a lodge — if you can afford it. And for any woman, single or involved, traveling with men you aren’t married to presents its own issues, even if the issues are only matters of perception. “When I first started fly fishing in 2017, I immediately ran into issues trying to find locations in California that I could fish,” says founder of SoCal Women on the Fly, Jennifer Holbrook. “Plus, I’m married with two sons. I can’t just travel with a group of men I don’t know. And issues can arise for men who are attached when their significant other finds out a woman was on the trip. That’s why I started SCWOTF, to connect women in California who want to fly fish.”
It’s hard enough for a man to walk into a fly shop without any knowledge of the sport, techniques, or gear and not be hugely intimidated. In fact, it’s one of the biggest barriers to bringing new people into the sport. And we all have heard stories of women who have walked into a fly shop to get information, only to be hit with the “Oh, are you looking for something for your boyfriend or husband?” line and become so frustrated that they walk out, never to try again. As a guide and captain in Southern California, I once sent my best client — a woman — into a local fly shop with the intention of seeing how its staff reacted. After fifteen minutes, I walked in to find the two employees sitting behind the counter chatting with each other and completely ignoring her while she looked around. When I walked in, their attention immediately turned to me. Big mistake. But not all fly shops are like that. I’d venture to say most are not.
So what do you do if you’re a young woman growing up in urban Sacramento, where outdoor activities normally consist of football, basketball, or baseball and no one in your family, including fathers, uncles, or brothers, hunts or fishes, and despite all of that, fly fishing still appeals to you as something you really want to learn? Such was the situation for Amanda Vasquez, who luckily found an all-women’s fly-fishing clinic half a state away. In fact, such were the stories of many of the women who attended the fourth annual Celine’s Fly Gals Weekend in Kernville, California, organized by the Southern Sierra Fly Fishing Club (SSFFC). In previous years, women have traveled from as far away as Texas and Colorado to attend this event in California’s storied southern Sierra. This past year, after postponing the previous year’s event due to Covid, over seventy women registered, but due to wildfires (and perhaps lingering Covid fears) that forced last-minute rescheduling, only around forty were able to make it. In other years past, as many as sixty women have attended this event, again from all over California, as well as from out of state. Clearly, there is a need and a demand for such all-women events, and they are occurring more and more frequently, but with varying degrees of success and attendance. Meanwhile, this event continues to grow, and previous participants return, often bringing friends with them.
So why is this women’s event so successful? After having the privilege of attending and teaching at the last two events, the reason for its success — beyond the demand — is simple and can be summed up in a single word: heart.
Celine’s Fly Gals Weekend was the consuming passion for SSFFC club member Celine Bayla, whose journey to becoming a fly angler, before her untimely passing at age thirty several years ago, was as extraordinary as they come — and her influence remains just as extraordinary. Celine, a Filipina, grew up in Los Angeles and was a dynamic part of the demanding LA fashion industry until she met Jon Hart, moved to the southern Sierra, and became an avid — and by all accounts enthusiastic — trout bum. But everything with Celine was about being social, as well as active. She loved getting people out on the water, including many of her LA fashionista friends, who were confused by her complete change in lifestyle. But Celine didn’t just invite her friends, she welcomed anybody and everybody to spend time on the water with her and Jon. She brought her usual exuberance and enthusiasm to the river, often blaring Beyoncé and singing and dancing between fish. And she saw a need to involve more women in the sport that she had grown to love, so she began to develop a program to make it happen.
“She had this way of making you feel like you could just be yourself, and that was OK,” says Justin Bubenik, one of Celine and Jon’s best friends and a driving force in the growing outdoor LGBTQ movement, as well as one of this past year’s instructors. “Celine wanted to involve everyone and anyone, regardless of their background. She wanted to empower people who didn’t have regular access to the outdoors, and her attitude and enthusiasm made everything she did, including this event, approachable and fun.” Bubenik, a former LA resident now living in Colorado, flew in just for the event. Bayla had very specific ideas for the weekend-long program, including perhaps the most unusual part of the event: starting the first morning off with a yoga class. “As a club, we are ardent supporters of the 50/50 On the Water program, but for Celine, it was about more than fishing, it was about well-being and being physical. Mostly for her, though, it was all about connecting with others,” says Chiaki Harami, the SSFFC’s president. “She had this idea about mentorship and helping those that attend the event create relationships with other women at the event.” Her idea may seem simple — have an event in a great location, make sure the women who attend not only get to learn but also fish with a mentor, and break the large group into smaller groups to help foster relationships — but her enthusiasm and spirit were not only the driving force, they were also contagious. And the sense of inclusiveness was inviting. Her spirit and mission live on in the club and continue to be the core of the event that now bears her name. And that’s exactly why Amanda Vasquez decided to drive halfway down the state to spend her weekend on the Kern River with a bunch of women she didn’t know. Yet. “I’ve always wanted to fly fish, but because I grew up in a family that never really did anything outdoors, I never really knew where to start. Then I heard about this event on Instagram,” Amanda said. “I saw they taught all the small things, like knots, gear, fly tying and even entomology, but I was really interested in finding friends to fish with. I’ve been fishing for a few years now, and I’m usually the only woman out there. It just feels more comfortable fishing with other women. The drive was worth it just to meet these women who fish, too.”
Along with constant laughter, seeking connections was a consistent theme I heard throughout the weekend. “I was trying to find other women to fish the Kern River with when this exuberant young woman contacted me and invited me up to fish with her in a tournament. I was a total newbie, but she was so encouraging I decided to take her up on it. Then when I told her I couldn’t find a place to stay for the event, she immediately invited me to stay with her for the weekend,” Holbrook says of her first encounter with Bayla. “She was so enthusiastic that she made the whole idea sound inviting. That’s who she was. And she’s the inspiration at the core of SCWOTF.”
Comradery and potential friendships aside, a good fly-fishing course still needs to present the basics. “We were looking for a social event and something to do outdoors and found this class online,” said Toni Cacciatore, who drove up for the weekend from just north of Los Angeles. “This event is so much more organized than so many of the other ones I’ve seen, and no one was trying to sell us anything. The instructors have all been amazing, and we actually get to fish on top of it all.”
“And I came because Toni asked me,” said Susan Clarke, Cacciatore’s friend and neighbor. “I was really interested in trying it, because it was something to do outdoors, and I felt it would be a great way to meet other women interested in being active outside.”
The event consists of two days: a day of instruction that begins with the now-famous morning yoga class and then moves into forty-five-minute hands-on sessions, broken up by lunch at midday. As part of a small group, students rotate though the sessions, which include understanding equipment and gear, casting instruction, knots, fly tying, entomology, and even a session on places to fish. The second day is all about putting that information to use. It’s spent on the river, with each woman paired with a mentor for the day. All equipment and materials are supplied, and at the end of the day, raffles are held for all manner of equipment donated by manufacturers and individuals alike. While not all instructors are women, most of them are. This past year, eight of the twelve instructors were women, including multiple world record holder and women’s grand champion tarpon angler Kesley Gallagher and Team USA Fly Fishing member Lesley Smith. “I first met Celine at a Carp Throwdown tournament on Lake Hodges and immediately connected with her,” Smith said. “The main reason I volunteer as an instructor is that I believe in Celine’s vision. The mentoring part is fantastic; most clinics are missing this. And you absolutely have to get out on the water if you want to reinforce what you learn.”
“This clinic provides a safe environment for women to ask questions,” Gallagher said of her reasons for being involved. “A lot of women who are new to the sport can be intimidated by male fly fishers. The Kern River is also a perfect setting. You don’t get a real sense of what this sport is all about being in a big conference room.”
Marisol Moreno took over the week- end after Celine’s passing. “I felt like it was something I had to do for Celine,” she says. “I saw what the event did for the women who attended, and it became clear to me why Celine did this. There’s no ego involved, and it’s all about fun. Fly fishing can be competitive. Celine was all about the adventure and the fun, not about trying to out-do anyone. She invited everyone she met out to fish with her. We should all be more like that.”
According to Harami, about 10 percent of the women who attend the weekend remain active with the SSFFC, and many have returned each year. Almost all the instructors and past attendees have made connections they have kept up with over the years, and many of the women continue to fish around the world with friends they made during the weekend. “Part of the fee for attendance includes club dues for the year; the rest goes to cover our costs,” said Harami. “None of the instructors or organizers get paid for this. It’s all volunteer. First and foremost, it’s about providing a place for women to make connections with other women who share the same interests. Clubs should be a place where people can come to learn the basics, and we feel providing the students a membership gives them additional access to events and resources as they continue their fly-fishing journey.”
For some women who attend, the goal is just to be able to fish their home waters. For others, fly fishing is a gateway to other waters and an excuse to explore.
“Ultimately, my biggest goal is to make a trip up to golden trout territory and catch a golden trout on my own, hopefully on a fly I tied,” Vasquez said. “And I’d love to meet some people at this event to do that with. It definitely is encouraging seeing so many other women with the same interests I have.”
In the end, this past year, with the rampant drought affecting river flows on the Kern, fishing on the second day of the event wasn’t the best, but most of the women took the time on the water as the learning experience it was intended to be. “I remember looking upstream and just seeing the most beautiful mountains, rocks, the flowing river, and the peacefulness. It was so beautiful,” said Cathy Surgeoner Deibler, an artist from San Diego who drove up to learn to fly fish so she can fish with her father when she goes back to Ireland to visit him. “The sound of the fly swishing brings back lots of memories in Ireland. I didn’t catch any fish, but the experience alone was great.”
We all have our own reasons for fly fishing, and for most of us, the experiences and the friendships are at the core of it. And it’s a sport that should be accessible to anyone. To paraphrase angling legend and author Zane Grey, if it was only about catching fish, most of us would give it up. And while you might think standing in a river, casting flies at rising fish, is about solitude, all anglers live to tell stories and share their experiences. We are, at our core, social creatures, and our connections define us. Besides, helping and including others, no matter who they are, brings out the best in all of us. That’s what Celine would say, anyway.
More Opportunities for Women
The 2022 Celine’s Fly Gals Weekend will be held on September 17 and 18 (barring wildfires or another pandemic) on the home waters of the Southern Sierra Fly Fishing Club. You can find out more about the event online at https://ssffclub.org/flygalsweekend. The SSFFC also offers their core Fly Gals Weekend program to other clubs and organizations to keep Celine’s legacy alive and help grow the sport. Several Southern California clubs will begin offering events based on this program, including the Deep Creek Fly Fishers in Riverside (https://www.deepcreekflyfishers.org). If you or a club or other organization you know are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Chiaki Harami at haramic@aol.com.
For more information about the 50/50 On the Water Program sponsored by Orvis, visit https://5050onthewater.orvis.com. For more information about SoCal Women on the Fly, visit them on Facebook @socalwomenonthefly. Another group of interest is the United Women on the Fly. Their website, https://uwotf.com, has links to other women’s fly-fishing clubs in California, including the Golden West Women Flyfishers, NorCal Women on the Fly, Northern CA Fly Fish(er) Women, Sierra Fly Girls, and Women of the Sierra Pacific. A continually growing number of local and regional women’s fly-fishing clubs are easily found online.
— Scott Leon
