Women Fly Fishers Have the Potential to Dig The Industry Out of the Red
Who says the sport fly fishing is shrinking? Ok, maybe as a whole it is, but the last couple of years, women fly fishers have been on a steady rise, and just about everyone seems to be taking notice of the phenomenon. The past eleven years, I spent very little time on the water guiding female anglers. On occasion, I’d book a husband and wife trip, but the brunt of my guiding in the sport was male dominated. The past year and a half though, I’ve noticed a substantial shift in my client demographics, with women increasingly making up more of the pie. I’m guiding many more married couples and I’m even booking quite a few trips from solo female’s, who are taking the initiative to go out and learn how to fly fish on their own. Noticing this change in my day to day guide business, I couldn’t help to think, this could be our golden ticket to turning around the shrinking industry, and finally have a good chance at putting fly fishing back in the green (growing sport). Intrigued by what I was seeing in my guide service alone, I took the time to make a couple phone calls and contacted my local women’s fly fishing club (Georgia Women FlyFishing), as well as, Kara Armano, a key female fly fisher who’s employed at Backbone Media, a public relations media company, focusing on driving awareness of brands and new products in outdoor industries. Kara said, “I’ve been heading many woman fly fishing clinics lately with great success, and each clinic I do is more popular than the last.” Deb Bowen, from Georgia Women Fly Fishing and a FFF Certified Casting Instructor said, “Our numbers have more than doubled this year alone, and we’re continuing to get new memberships weekly.” Thank you ladies … Continue reading
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / Fly Fishing For Peacock Bass Part 1
I’ve been very blessed to have fly fished many destinations around the world. All have been amazing trips, but one destination in particular I hold close to my heart. Every time someone asks me what’s the coolest place I’ve fly fished, without any hesitation, I always reply fly fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon. Combine the extreme beauty and remoteness of the Amazon Basin with the opportunity to battle one of the most powerful freshwater gamefish on the planet, and it’s pretty easy to see why it ranks at the top of my list. That’s not even factoring in the other bonuses you’ll receive, like catching several other species of fish and witnessing all the diverse wildlife. “While beginners always seem to catch fish, the persistent skilled angler wielding a precise cast is more often than not rewarded for his/her hard won mastery. Make a good sidearm cast between two logs under a tree and it might be rewarded. Hit that bit of flashing neon green or quickly reload to hit a laid-up chunk of muscle and madness 20 feet off the boat’s bow and it just might work. Peacock bass fishing is intriguing fishing. It is shoulder burning, forearm aching and finger cramping to be sure. There will be snags hooked, lines fouled and fish missed. It is at times maddening, frustrating and patience testing, but ultimately exhilarating, very satisfying and all consuming…and yes, as cliched as it might sound, addicting.” Scott Heywood Making a trip to the Amazon used to be one of the most economical international fishing trips you could book at a very reasonable $2995, for a week of fishing and lodging. But with the falling US Dollar and economic turmoil we’ve been dealt the last several years, the cost has almost doubled. But in … Continue reading
Read More »Saturday’s Shoutout / The Rusty Spinner
This weeks Saturday Shoutout goes to The Rusty Spinner blog. I’ve really enjoyed following this well written and entertaining blog lately. It covers a wide range of fly fishing topics and it’s generally updated with regular posts throughout the week. I really like that it’s a breeze to read, yet the information is emotionally deep. More times than not the content hits home with me on a personal level, and that’s not always the case traveling throughout the blogosphere. Check it out when you get a chance. Below are a few of my favorite posts on The Rusty Spinner the last couple weeks: Blogging and Fishing The Flat When Choosing Friends Keep it Reel, Kent Klewein Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »A Closer Look / The Dreaded Lionfish
Exotic, Poisonous, the mother of all invasive species but they sure are pretty. Read why you should kill this beautiful creature on sight! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Fighting Big Bonefish
We’ve talked about casting to bonefish in a variety of conditions. We’ve talked about the propped retrieve to get the fish to eat. Now that your hooking up with all of these big bones owe buddy Bruce Chard is back with some advice on fighting bonefish. Check out the video and Bruce will show you how to get that fish to the boat as efficiently as possible. If you missed Bruce’s earlier bone fishing posts, check them out now. Better Posture For Line Speed Snap Your Wrist For Line Speed The V-Grip The Belgian Cast Better Bonefish Retrieve Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Guide Dos And Don’ts
I fully expect to catch some heat for this. When I wrote the list of client dos and don’ts I quoted my friend Kirk and agreed whole heartedly with the glowing things he had to say about fishing guides. I took that one step farther by emailing a bunch of my friends who guide and putting together a list of the stuff they would like to tell their clients but don’t feel like they can. I’m sure there were some things on that list a lot of guys didn’t want to hear so, in the interest of fair play, today the guides get their list of dos and don’ts. I fully expect to catch some heat for this, so please try to understand where it’s coming from. I’m a big fan of fishing guides. As I’ve said most of my friends are fishing guides and I have a great deal of respect for the men and women who do that job. I will quote Kirk Deeter again, “I think the sun rises and sets on the fly fishing world where guides collectively say it does. They are stewards of their rivers. They are the innovators, and the teachers. And a good guide is, for fly fishing and trout conservation, worth his or her weight in gold.” I have however fished with guides who were less than stellar, for one reason or another. Since I did a list of dos and don’ts for clients, it seems only fair to do the same for guides. I expect most of the guides who read this will agree with what I have to say. Most of it is very obvious and simple. If you do not, I encourage you to look at it from the other side of the boat. I’ve seen everything on … Continue reading
Read More »Sunday Classic / Shoot Raw Files
Here’s another tip for the shutter bugs. Most cameras default to shooting a jpeg file. Jpeg files are great for looking at on your computer, sending in email, posting on the web and even for casual prints. But if your camera has a raw file setting, there is a whole world of rich color and contrast control at your fingertips. Raw files are intimidating for most people and with good reason. You will need special software to process these files before you can really do anything with them and this will require an investment of money and time. But if you really want to take your photography to the next level, raw files are a valuable tool. I don’t usually recommend specific products or brands but I feel so strongly about Adobe’s Lightroom application that, in this case, I am going to say you should seriously consider it. I know of nothing on the market that comes close for processing raw files. I’ll take a break on photo tips now. If you want more, let me know. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Saturday Shoutout / 3 Worth a Read
Here’s your spring reading list for 2012. Three great pieces from three great writers. Bonefish on the Brain Know Thyself Bjorn Stromsness writes about his doubts as an angler in this wonderfully honest piece. This is an exercise we should all undertake. Thanks Bjorn! Nicely done. The Fishing Poet The Gift of Memory Matt Smythe receives a posthumous gift of a fly rod from his Grandmother. A touching reminder of those loved and lost. Mysteries Internal Songs in the Dark and a Stonefly The final chapter in Erin Block’s bamboo rod saga…or is it? I have really enjoyed reliving the thrill of the first bamboo rod through Erin’s writing. Thanks Girl! Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Caption Contest Winner
Thanks to everyone who participated! I guess we never get tired of fart jokes.We had some great entries for the caption contest. A few of my favorites were: “He puts the gas in Gink and Gasoline.” By Jake “If you are not going to spin me I’ll do it myself….activate bow thruster now!” By Chris Lewis “Business in the front, party in the back. ” By Patrick After careful consideration, the winner is Russ with: “I knew the guide was blowing smoke up my ass.” Congratulations Russ! Send me your address and I’ll get your print in the mail. Louis Cahill Gink & Gasoline www.ginkandgasoline.com hookups@ginkandgasoline.com Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter!
Read More »Sunday’s Classic / Choosing The Right Color Lens For Your Fishing
Polarized sunglasses are one of the most critical pieces of gear an angler can equip themselves with on the water. They significantly cut down the glare on the water so you can spot fish and read water more effectively. Without them an angler can feel naked and ill-equipped. Polarized sunglasses play so many important roles in everyday fly fishing, and making a point to choose the right lens color before you hit the river can end up adding or subtracting to your overall success on the water. I carry two different pair of sunglasses with me at all times. Depending on the fishing location, time of day, and available light, I’ll choose one over the other. Yellow Lens (Low Light Conditions) Early morning and late evening hours when the sun is low in the horizon and off the water I prefer to wear polarized sunglasses with yellow lens. They increase the contrast and brighten everything a couple notches. I also prefer yellow lens when I’m fishing heavily canopied streams. Sometimes even in the middle of the day, there are many places where the sun doesn’t penetrate the canopy, and you’ll find yellow lens are the only way to go for these shady low light conditions. Nasty weather days when its cloudy and rainy, yellow lens perform well. The winter brings with it limited sunshine on the water, since the sun doesn’t move across the horizon as high, and wearing yellow lens solves this problem. You don’t want to go 100% with a yellow lens for every day fishing though. During high light levels you won’t get the contrast you’ll need, but they do perform extraordinarily well in niche low light situations. Amber Lens (Moderate to High Light Conditions) If you only had the luxury to choose one color lens for fishing, … Continue reading
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