By Mary N-P

My sister and I prefer to gift each other activities and adventures rather than stuff. In 2017, we hired a fly fishing guide for a half day river float, and I fell in love with a new sport.

I knew I wanted to continue fly fishing, but didn’t know quite where to look for guidance. Mom dug out Grandpa’s old Eagle Claw rod, and I went to a store to get a fresh line. I lost a bunch of flies, got tangled in many trees, and even caught a fish or two.

I met a woman at our local fly shop, and she told me about a group of women that taught other women to fly fish. This was an opportunity better than I had imagined. Basically, it is a three day fly fishing summer camp for adult women!

I showed up at WOWSCI last summer with a 7 weight rod to fish for trout in the Driftless area of Wisconsin. Oops! I had a lot to learn! Everyone was gracious and helped me to better use my own rod. Each guide allowed me to cast their personal fly rods to better understand rod weight and different kinds of fly lines.

At the three day clinic, I went out on the water 1:1 with a guide three times. I learned about native plants, birds, entomology, knot tying, how to read the water, and so much more. The guides shared their love of trout fishing and the Driftless, and I caught that bug. I decided after my first outing that I wanted to come back and keep learning. I signed up for the 2024 session as soon as it opened.

The guides welcomed questions about how to access DNR water in Wisconsin, how to hold onto a rod and be able to release the fish, and freeing lines stuck in trees, grass, and rocks. Meeting people with different fishing experience and with interest in different parts of the sport helped me to understand how it can take a lifetime to learn fly fishing.

The women at WOWSCI are excellent instructors, tell top notch fishing stories, and have graciously allowed me to trial and borrow equipment. The time on the water focuses on basic skills like casting, allowing the fly to drift, and setting the hook. For more experienced fisherwomen, it’s a chance to match the hatch, explore new waters, and to spend one on one time with an experienced guide and instructor. There are chances for women to talk with one another about safety and respect for private land while accessing the water.

WOWSCI has become one of my favorite weeks of the summer. The bunkhouse has real beds, hot showers, the best food, and hands-down some of the best women anglers in the country. Every person welcomed us to fly fishing and helped us to learn and grow as anglers. I am now fortunate to have a small, but growing group of “fly girls” to fish with in the Driftless and closer to home.

(Photos are of people at the clinics and not necessarily the author.)