1 twff.net May 2014 TWFF Business Update 1 From the President 2 Llano River Outing 3 Upcoming Tyler River Outing 4 Paying It Forward... 6 Hot Flasher’s Paradise 8 TWFF Bits 11 Patagonia Introduces Women’s Fly Fishing Clothing and Gear 12 Mark your Calenders - Upcoming Outings & Events. 14 Membership Renewel 14 Next Fly Lines 14 TWFF Officers 15 Publishing Information 15 Advertising Rates 15 CONTENTS TWFF Business Update FIRST VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT, submitted by Cindy Organ: The members of our illustrious club continue to use their many charms, as they request donation items for future silent auctions. Recently donated by Cabela’s are 2 rods, a chest pack, a net, and FF tools. All proceeds from TWFF fundraising are used in the following ways: educating fly fishers through TWFF, supporting Casting for Recovery, and enabling conservation efforts. Many thanks to all those who help us achieve our goals! SECOND VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT, submitted by Karen Gabhardt: Our membership continues to GROW….that is because all of you great ladies have such a great reputation as super anglers, fun women and just about the best welcoming attitude around. With that intro here are our newest members: Cindy and Warren Norried, Beckye and Lawrence Estill, Janet and Emery Baca, Gwen Hansen, Lise Lozelle, Maryruth Manahan, Stephanie Sobotik and Julie Jordan This brings our total membership for 2014 to 117 members. We look forward to meeting all of our new members …Welcome. TREASURER’S REPORT, submitted by Marilyn Young: The first quarter of 2014 has been very successful. The new TWFF merchandise has been selling well and following the first silent auction, we are well on our way of our projected goal of $2000 for TWFF Funding. As a result of selling flies at Trout Fest, Fly Fish Texas, and at our outings we are now only $82 short of our 2014 goal of $1950 for Casting for Recovery and our sponsorship of two ladies this year. Quilt raffle tickets are still on sale and the quilt will be on display at our next outing so everyone can see what a prize it would be to own. I know everyone is looking forward to some fun fishing at Tyler State Park in June! WEBSITE REPORT, submitted by Sheila Setter: Total visits in March and April as of 4/4/14: 8480 Most popular webpages in March: Photo Gallery and newsletters Most popular searches: Women fly fishers and White bass FACEBOOK stats: 328 “friends” on the www.facebook.com/texaswomen.flyfishers page 198 “likes” on the public www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Women-Fly-Fishers page We have disabled the original Message Board webpage and links and removed all of the content from the phpBB site. Information that was relevant was ported over to the Fly Fishing Resources pages at http://twff.net/Fly%20Fishing%20Resources/Fly%20 Fishing%20Resources.htm Submitted by each officer. “Our mission is to create opportunities and encourage, educate, and mentor women’s responsible participation in the recreational sport of fly fishing. We support the policies/goals of the International Federation of Fly Fishers, are open to women, men, and children from beginner to experienced through programs sponsored by women from the Texas Women Fly Fishers.”
Transcript
1twff.net May 2014
TWFF Business Update 1
From the President 2
Llano River Outing 3
Upcoming Tyler River Outing
4
Paying It Forward... 6
Hot Flasher’s Paradise 8
TWFF Bits 11
Patagonia Introduces Women’s Fly Fishing Clothing and Gear
12
Mark your Calenders - Upcoming Outings & Events.
14
Membership Renewel 14
Next Fly Lines 14
TWFF Officers 15
Publishing Information 15
Advertising Rates 15
CONTENTS TWFF Business Update
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT, submitted by Cindy Organ:The members of our illustrious club continue to use their many charms, as they request donation items for future silent auctions. Recently donated by Cabela’s are 2 rods, a chest pack, a net, and FF tools. All proceeds from TWFF fundraising are used in the following ways: educating fly fishers through TWFF, supporting Casting for Recovery, and enabling conservation efforts. Many thanks to all those who help us achieve our goals!
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT, submitted by Karen Gabhardt: Our membership continues to GROW….that is because all of you great ladies have such a great reputation as super anglers, fun women and just about the best welcoming attitude around.
With that intro here are our newest members: Cindy and Warren Norried, Beckye and Lawrence Estill, Janet and Emery Baca, Gwen Hansen, Lise Lozelle, Maryruth Manahan, Stephanie Sobotik and Julie Jordan
This brings our total membership for 2014 to 117 members.We look forward to meeting all of our new members …Welcome.
TREASURER’S REPORT, submitted by Marilyn Young: The first quarter of 2014 has been very successful. The new TWFF merchandise has been selling well and following the first silent auction, we are well on our way of our projected goal of $2000 for TWFF Funding. As a result of selling flies at Trout Fest, Fly Fish Texas, and at our outings we are now only $82 short of our 2014 goal of $1950 for Casting for Recovery and our sponsorship of two ladies this year. Quilt raffle tickets are still on sale and the quilt will be on display at our next outing so everyone can see what a prize it would be to own. I know everyone is looking forward to some fun fishing at Tyler State Park in June!
WEBSITE REPORT, submitted by Sheila Setter: Total visits in March and April as of 4/4/14: 8480Most popular webpages in March: Photo Gallery and newslettersMost popular searches: Women fly fishers and White bass FACEBOOK stats: 328 “friends” on the www.facebook.com/texaswomen.flyfishers page198 “likes” on the public www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Women-Fly-Fishers page
We have disabled the original Message Board webpage and links and removed all of the content from the phpBB site. Information that was relevant was ported over to the Fly Fishing Resources pages at http://twff.net/Fly%20Fishing%20Resources/Fly%20Fishing%20Resources.htm
Submitted by each officer.
“Our mission is to create opportunities and encourage, educate, and mentor women’s responsible participation in the recreational sport of fly fishing. We support the policies/goals of the International Federation of Fly Fishers, are open to women, men, and
children from beginner to experienced through programs sponsored by women from the Texas Women Fly Fishers.”
Sitting here in the middle of April, I am amazed at the accomplishments of this organization already this year.
When we approved our 2014 budget, we really stepped out with approving a contribution to Casting for Recovery of almost $2000. In past years we have not nearly reached this level of earnings yet we felt confident that this would be accomplished. A very successful silent auction at Broken Bow, some very generous donations, and wonderful sales of flies and other items at Troutfest, Fly Fish Texas, and recently at Cabella’s Ladies Outdoor program has allowed us to already to be within a few nickels of reaching this goal.
Besides our monetary successes, our volunteer work is pride inspiring. We have ladies (and gentlemen) that freely offer their time and talents to a variety of opportunities around the state. The results of the above mentioned events would not have been possible without the folks that helped at the tables. These ladies not only conducted sales but in talking with patrons of the events brought in several new members. Our presence at Cabela’s resulted in the store manager offering a shopping spree through the Fly Fishing Department. Among several other items, we were able to freely acquire a Winston Rod with a Sage reel. This will be one of the many prize items available to our members at the next silent auction.
We have one lady who has been selected to be the Chairwoman of the Woman’s Initiative for the Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited chapter. Please see her article later in this issue for details of that initiative. Three other ladies are working with Texas Council to put on a program and work with the Women’s Breakfast during the June Expo in New Braunfels. Several others have joined the program to help American Heritage Girls in San Antonio work on their Fishing awards.
Lastly, but not least, involves our help with the latest CfR retreat at Joshua Creek Resort. What an honor to be able to work with such remarkable women who have endured so much in their lives. Most of the staff and many of the volunteers are TWFF members. My husband and I are proof that you do not have be an expert with many years of experience to volunteer to help in some way. We often hear how much the participants get out of these retreats but, I believe the volunteers get equally as much. We certainly drove home with happy hearts.
Llano River OutingKingsland, TX March 14-16, 2014Submitted by Outing Coordinator, Karen Gebhardt & Pat Carlson
Well if you missed the “Crock Pot Cook Off” in Kingsland you missed too much fun. I think I laughed the entire week-end. The winner of the cook off was Beverly Gordon with her GREAT Mexican dish.The setting at Rio Vista Resort was just perfect on Lake LBJ, comfortable accommodations and room to sit and chat (and LAUGH).
Pat ran the business meeting at the Mullet Mixer and we met several new members, Janet and Emery Baca, Mary Lieberman, Maryruth Monahan, Julie Jordan, Stephanie Sobotik, and Beverly Gordon.Fishing was good…we even caught some white bass! And I believe Beverly Gordon was the Week-end Winner…she had a grand slam-caught the biggest Guadalupe Bass and won the Crock Pot Cook-off!
Those of you who did not make it, know that you were missed and volunteered to coordinate an outing for 2015…LOL! Not so but you really were missed. See you at Tyler State Park in May.The following folks enjoyed this outing:Sheila Anderson, Janet and Emery Baca, Jan Bates, Annette Blythe, Pat & Don Carlson, Coco Davenport, Joyce Davis, Amber Day, Marilyn Evans, Karen Gebhardt, Beverly Gordon, Carrie Helmcamp, Jørgen Høg, Pam Holland, Mary Hulett, Julie Jordan, Mary Kain, Diana Kunde, Nancy Lappin, Mary Liebermann, Sharon Leissner, Linda Love, Ellen Matthews,Maryruth Monahan, Tammy Notely, Theresa Powell, Mary Rohrer, Paula Simpson, Stephanie Sobotik, Debbie Williams, and Marilyn Young.
Check out more photos from this outing in our Photo Gallery.
Get your kayaks ready cuz’ we’re trying a new place for a TWFF May Outing: Tyler State Park, located 2 miles north of Interstate 20 on FM 14 north of Tyler on Park Road 16, and 8 miles from town.
The outing is scheduled for May 30-June 1 which should be a pleasant time of year. We have lots of educational opportunities planed for beginners to seasoned fly fishers including casting lessons and fly tying instruction. If you want to book a half hour of casting instruction on Friday or Saturday, go to http://calendar.yahoo.com/ldianeblair and check availability, then send an email to [email protected] to let her know the time you have selected.
And, if the fishing is tough, the tough can go shopping at nearby Canton, as it is the famous Trade Days weekend! Canton boasts one of the largest outdoor flea markets in the nation! You might want to plan on visiting Canton before arriving in Tyler!
Diane Blair and Stormi Johnson are your “cruise” directors during the outing. Kay Jackson has been on the Lido deck helping with pre-logistics, but alas, she will be in Alaska that week.
The park has a spring-fed lake so we don’t have to worry about low or no water! This lake is perfect for kayaks or small motor craft. If you’ve never fished from a kayak, you can rent one from the park, but there is plenty of bank and pier fishing available.
The lake is full of blue gills, varieties of sun fish and largemouth bass. In the winter, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. According to one of our East Texas sources, any surviving trout after March tend to commune deep near the springs because the water is colder. The bass have figured this out and also commune…and dine…on the trout which makes the bass VERY large in this lake.Please note: if you are not staying in the park, there is a $5.00 per day entry fee.
MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND SOONER RATHER THAN LATER DUE TO IT BEING CANTON WEEKEND!
• There are no longer any cabins or screened shelters available in the park. • As of Thursday, 4/24, there are currently 39 campsites available.
Reservations: (512) 389-8900 or online at http://texas.reserveworld.com/Home.aspxNOTE: Reservations should be made a.s.a.p.
For those needing hotel accommodations, we have arranged a block of 20 rooms at
America’s Best Value Inn/Tyler2828 West NW Loop 323903-595-2681http://www.americasbestvalueinn.com/bestv.cfm?idp=1021
The hotel is located 10.5 miles from Tyler State Park (16 minute drive).The TWFF special rateis $50 per night. They have double rooms with queen-size beds or single rooms with king beds. When making reservations, tell them you are with Texas Women Fly Fishers to get this special rate. Also, reservations MUST be made by May 23—seven days before the outing.
This rate is only available until May 23. After that, the remaining rooms in our block will be released. If we don’t make our 20 room commitment, the rate for everyone will increase to $55 per night/per room. The hotel has complimentary breakfast, WiFi, pool, gym and other amenities.
If you have an extra space where you are staying, or if you are trying to find someone to share with, whether in the Park or at the hotel, please put the word out on [email protected].
WEEKEND EVENTSThe TWFF headquarters for our evening events will be the Dining Hall inside the Park (it is air-conditioned!!).
On Friday, we’ll have our Mullet Mixer beginning at 7:00p.m. to give people time to finish fishing or shopping at Canton.
Everyone is encouraged to bring snacks for a light dinner and BYOB.
We also have a special guest speaker, Bryan Nims.Bryan Nims has always been passionate about fishing and an avid fly fisher for 19 years. As a beginning fly fisher, his uncle Tom White took him under his wing and taught him to cast. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, his first fishing mentor was his step dad who was a Steelhead guide on the Skagit River. His fly fishing and casting mentors include - Dr. Harley Reno, and Dr. Gordy Hill, Joan Wulff, the late Mel Krieger and his uncle - the late and legendary Tom White .
Bryan is a Certified Casting Instructor and working towards his Master Casting Instructor Certification. In his free time, he guides for Striped Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass and White Bass on Lakes Ray Hubbard and Tawakoni east of Dallas.
On Saturday evening, we’ll have a BBQ dinner brought to the dining hall. The cost will be $12 per person.
After dinner, we’ll have a short business meeting, then a fly tying extravaganza with ANOTHER special guest, Jeff Tomlinson of the Red River Fly Fishers. Jeff has offered to teach fly tying. Bring your vises and materials, if you have them. If not, this is a great time to learn! TWFF has vises and materials you can borrow for this evening. This is a great time to learn or hone your skills.
So be sure to come out and join us in the piney woods of East Texas. Should be fun!!
We live in an age where our cosmic consciousness has matured and we make more of an effort to do the “right thing”. I imagine this is due in part to the Baby Boomer generation aging and venturing into their Golden Years with constant reminders to dust off their slates, put their houses in order, and accumulate as many good deeds as possible before their heavenly date at the glorious Pearly Gates. Or it could just be the product of everyone’s newly found hobby as a Photojournalist, eager to share every move or incident in their lives while ultimately seeking their five minutes of fame on Facebook and on the various other “shoot ‘n share” venues. Or perhaps we are Orwell’s Big Brother in Nineteen Eighty-Four as we monitor each other’s essence and spirit. With the reality of our daily acts being recorded looming over our banal existence, we are all mindful to be captured at our best, giving and caring for our fellow man, child, and the occasional feral cat or orphaned puppy. Whatever the reasons, we all live in a “Pay it Forward” society. We will be recorded for all eternity doing the “right thing”, eliciting warm and fuzzy feelings, and making our world a little better place for all of us. And of course, it’s a good thing too!
As I reflect about our club and its development, I realize how many things we get right, enriching women’s lives through the gentle art of fly fishing, making friendships that will endure the test of time, sharing our skills and passions with others, as well as garnering support for various conservation efforts. We do a beautiful job as a club!
However, now it is time for us to “Pay it Backwards”. Strange concept, you say. In going over the records of the club, it has become apparent that we need to bestow honor upon one of our members that has worked tirelessly, and somewhat thanklessly for many years in making us a premier fly fishing club both through her graceful communication skills and through her talents in giving us the best fly fishing website around. She continues to take the burden of member recruitment off the club by consistently “catching” new member for us. Our club has grown immensely and effortlessly due to the allure of our website with its gorgeous photos, practical content, and on-going updates of our outings and events plus featuring recaps of all the places we’ve traveled to and fished. Our website is, without doubt, the greatest angling scrapbook and a true testament to our fishing adventures and accomplishments. We are also able to operate as a virtual club encompassing all of Texas because of the organization and timely communications on the website. If you haven’t explored the depth and beauty of our website, set aside some time to visit http://www.twff.net/ and learn more about the beauty of fly fishing and of TWFF.
Recently, the Board unanimously approved granting Sheila Setter and family an honorary membership to TWFF and a small stipend to Sheila for her years of work and dedication to TWFF. Sheila is our Webmaster Extraordinaire, our creative writer and genius artist, our websites legal consult, our message board fixer, and our “get ‘er done” gal and hand-holder. Sheila always gives TWFF her very best. In the past, the club hired another member to make additions and changes to our website. After a time, Sheila volunteered for the job in order so save the club money when our coffers were not as robust as they are today. This offer blossomed into one of the best things that has happened to us.
Sheila came to TWFF looking for a group for her husband, Greg, to fish with. She also wanted to make a contribution to TWFF and signed up as our newsletter editor, with the one request, that we did not ask her to serve on the Board. We have honored her request and she has gifted us with her incredible talents. She is also teaching her daughter Amy, (our latest TWFF member of the Setter family) a few of the ropes as moderator of the message board.
In keeping with our theme of “Paying it Backwards”, be sure and give Sheila a hug and a big “thank you” for her time given to TWFF. She’s always behind the scenes making us shine and guiding us to be the best club we can be. There is nothing that she enjoys more than hearing that a member spent time on our website and came away enriched with fishing knowledge, club history or a moment of pure piscatorial enjoyment and daydreaming. Our website is like a good book in that it’s just hard to put down once you delve into its pages
and get hooked on its beautiful women, fabulous fish, and memories of good times shared by all!
“Thank-you” Sheila for your artistic input and all the time and love you’ve bestowed upon TWFF, and our Website!
I sort of like this “Paying it Backwards”. What about you?
Our annual summer trip to escape the Texas heat began in early July, but really, for me, it began in February when I made reservations at the Ridgeway State Park in Colorado. After our first visit to this area last year, I couldn’t wait to return to fly fish once again. I was even more excited having received a couple of hours of instruction from Chris Jackson of Action Anglers, and also having joined the newly formed New Braunfels Fly Fishers club.
This is our third summer fly fishing in Colorado with friends. But this trip started off a little differently. Our friend Tina joined us and a group of RVing girlfriends. She’s been fishing all of her life, and at 83 years young, she couldn’t wait to get her pole in the water. We were camped at the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground and our site overlooked the beautiful, gushing catch-and-release Uncompahgre River (Ute for red rocks) and two large fishing ponds. After setting up our campsites, we made a run into the small town of Ridgeway to purchase our licenses and find out the fishing conditions on the river. Tina had no desire to learn fly fishing, not that I could instruct her, so I agreed to spend the day fishing the ponds with her using our regular fishing gear. We used power bait to snag our daily limit of rainbow trout and thoroughly enjoyed cooking them over the campfire
for dinner. A little salt, pepper, and garlic; a few slices of lemon and onion; and a pat of butter over the fish, wrapped in foil; 8 minutes on each side….along with a Caesar salad and an ice cold beer….. yummy, doesn’t get any better.
Day one on the river. Having been pretty successful last year on the river, I had high hopes for this season. I started early in the morning and made my way to last summer’s favorite spot. After spending an inordinate amount of time rigging my line for nymphing, I was euphoric taking my first steps into the icy cold Uncompahgre River, a hot-flasher’s paradise. I started casting, trying to do what I’d learned from Dennis and others at our June club meeting….don’t bend the wrist, don’t throw the line or take it back too far. I moved around to various spots where I thought the fish could be lurking, and finally had my first bite. The pink and green strike indicator went under and I just knew it was the “big one.” The fish fought me for all of five seconds and then nothing… no struggle, no fish, and no BH Aggravator fly.
Disappointed but not discouraged, I continued to fish that spot for another half hour. Finally I said, “OK, you win this round.” I decided to change locations and upon turning toward the bank, I lost my balance and my foot slipped down a large boulder. Before I knew it I was lying in the river and my waders were filling with that bone chilling water. All I could think about was don’t drown, and don’t lose the rod and reel. As I struggled to stand up, I felt my left knee throbbing but was happy I still had my gear. I looked around hoping there weren’t any witnesses to my spill, but alas no. Amber, my partner, and Tina were taking pictures and Sadie, my 3-year old rescue dog, wanted to join me in the water!
I thought the best thing for my knee was a couple of Aleve and an ice compression, but decided the water was better than ice and I’d take the Aleve when I got back to the RV. I couldn’t give up this early. I went to the bank where I’d wedged my water bottle in the river between a few rocks, and low and behold it was gone. Amber laughed and yelled from the bridge, “I think I saw your water bottle floating down the river!”
Hot Flasher’s ParadiseSubmitted by Mary Liebermann
Now I’m thinking, I’m wet, thirsty, and feel like this is the first time I’ve ever been in a river trying to fly fish (although my initial fly fishing excursion at Hahns Peak Lake, CO, was much more successful than today). I was so wishing one of our club instructors was here. I have so much to learn and practice: how to tie knots with eyes over 50; how to select where to place the fly; the difference in fishing rivers versus lakes; casting, casting, and more casting; and probably so much more that I don’t even know about. Yes, I thought about hiring a local guide, but given the cost of diesel for our truck and that Ridgeway was our first stop on this 3-month trip, my wallet spoke up and said, “Maybe next year.”
In spite of a disappointing morning and a sore bruised knee I still loved being in the water trying to refine my basic skills, although staying dry would have been nicer. There is something very special, almost spiritual, about being one with nature on this beautiful river. I’ll be back tomorrow to continue basking in my “Rocky Mountain High.”
Day two on the river. I spent a little time at Rigs Fly Shop and talked with the guys about what was hitting. I told them I hadn’t any luck so far, but they said the
fish were hitting above and below the bridge, which is where I’d been. So, I picked up a couple of new flies they recommended and decided to hit the river after dinner. As I approached the bridge, I saw a guy staring into the river. I asked if he’d had any luck and he said he had a good day. He says, “Yep they’re in there. See that big one right down there?” He pointed to a long gray spot directly below us.
We got to talking and he volunteered to show me where I might have some success. Where do you suppose he took me? Yep, right back where I’d fallen in the river. His name was Ty and I couldn’t have asked for anyone nicer to help me out. Ty showed me how to tie a strong knot, how to present the fly, and he talked a lot about “the drift.” After correcting my casting a few times, I got the hang of what he was trying to show me. And then it happened….I had a huge hit! I was so surprised I thought I was going to jump out of my waders. But it got away. A few casts later and there it was….the biggest fish I’d ever caught in my life. Ty was as excited as me. I reeled it in under his instruction and he netted it. It was a 16” gorgeous rainbow trout. I felt like I was 10 years old again when my Dad had taken me fishing and I’d landed my first catfish!I couldn’t thank Ty enough for his instruction and willingness to help a stranger. My day was complete. I didn’t have my cell phone or camera for a digital memory, but that was ok. I would cherish the memory of a very kind fellow angler who helped me land the big one. And I hoped that one day I’d be able to do the same for someone else just getting started in this incredible sport.
P.S. The day before leaving CO, I went into Montrose to visit the shop Ty recommended—CJ’s Fly Shop. And who do I run into?? Ty is there with a friend. I met CJ and he said Ty had already told him all about my big catch. That brought a smile to my face. I told him I needed a good pair of polarized sunglasses. He showed me his selection of Native glasses and Ty said they would really make a big difference in seeing the fish and flies….so I bought them, expensive, but hopefully well worth it.
I would have loved to talk more with the guys but had to go. I thanked Ty and CJ and told them I would definitely look them up next year.
Oh my gosh, time is flying by and it’s almost time to start packing the RV for this year’s trip. I’ve had a very exciting six months since arriving back home in Texas. After rehabbing my broken ankle and torn tendons (which ended last summer’s trip a month early) I was finally able to drive on my own and started attending New Braunfels Fly Fishers (NBFF) monthly meetings. There I met Mary Hulett, who, it turns out, lives in the same New Braunfels development that I do, and she talked to me about the Women of Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited (GRTU) and Texas Women Fly Fishers (TWFF), both of which I’ve joined. Wow, who knew there were so many women out there that enjoyed fly fishing.
In February, I attended the New Braunfels Troutfest and went to seminars on spey casting, equipment that women should consider for fly fishing, and fish food; helped at the Women of GRTU table; and met some
incredible women from TWFF and Casting for Recovery (CFR). When the weekend was over I knew I had finally found what I’d been looking for: other women who felt passionate about fly fishing and the outdoors.
This month I had a wonderful time at my first TWFF outing in Kingsland, TX. Everyone couldn’t have been more welcoming and willing to share their expertise and fish stories along with some yummy food. Pat, Don, Karen, Sharon, and Stephanie….thank you SO much!
April will be very special. I’ve been blessed to be selected to attend the CFR retreat at the Joshua Creek Resort in Boerne, TX AND I will be one month shy of being a nine year breast cancer survivor. Wow, I can’t express how excited I am! Stay tuned….I’ll tell you all about how your donation dollars go towards making these retreats a once in a life time opportunity.
TWFF BitsDestination Texas Expo June 12 – 14, 2014Stronger emphasis is being placed on conservation, including water conservation. There is a tight focus on the future water There will be a breakfast for women attending the event on Saturday. Jen Ripple, editor of Dun, The Magazine, will be featured at the breakfast and will be the instructor for some classes. Sharon Leissner, Keira Quam and Joyce Davis have volunteered to represent TWFF and make a short presentation at the Women’s Breakfast and later to sell CFR flies at a table. The schedule of events and ticket pre-sales are available on line. Come join us at the EXPO Women’s Breakfast and enjoy the tiers, vendors, auctions and classes throughout the day.
Keep following the Council on the TexasCouncilIFFF.com website.
TU Women’s initiativeTrout Unlimited is running a special membership drive geared at women. It started on March 1st and runs through May 31st. We are offering free one-year trial memberships for women, and they can sign up at www.tu.org/womenjoin. Please share this information with any of the women that attend your chapter and community events, and help us spread the word about the work that TU does among the women in your area.
For the first time, TU is offering a reduced-rate renewal for the women who have signed up previously via our women’s membership drive last year. These women are able to sign up at the rate of $17.50. Women wanting to renew their membership can go to www.tu.org/womenrenew.
Trout Unlimited does excellent work at preserving our nation’s coldwater fisheries. More than 85% of funds from membership goes toward the conservation and preservation of our beautiful rivers and streams. This is an unprecedented % from a charity going toward good works and not overhead. All the more reason to support Trout Unlimited. Anyone joining TU from Texas will be put into the GRTU chapter (Guadalupe River TU). I hope to provide information and activities for women anglers in the months to come. My goal is to provide something for women at the major centers in Texas (DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio). Come be a part of this women’s movement and have fun while helping to preserve the future of our coldwater lakes, streams and rivers.
For more information, contact Mary Hulett, GRTU Women’s Initiative Chairperson, at [email protected]. I welcome your suggestions and any questions you might have.
Next Fly LinesOur next issue of this Newsletter will be out in late June. We are really looking for articles for all to enjoy. Let us hear about your latest adventures. Submissions are due by June 13, 2014.
New for Spring 2014, Patagonia introduced a line of women’s fly fishing clothing, waders and jacket. I went to my local fly shop, Sportsman’s Finest, and tried on the clothing for review and comparison to other lines I am familiar with. While I believe that Patagonia clothing may not be priced with the budget shopper in mind, the quality of the items I own from them is very high and the company warranty of their products is extremely good.
The first item that caught my eye is the coral color Sunshade Crew shirt, a flattering, femininely tailored sun shirt made with ultra-light, airy 3.54-oz polyester double knit fabric and 45-UPF sun protection. I tried on the medium and was surprised to see that it fit me well around the bust, torso, and in the shoulders. The sleeves were long on me, but I have known this about Patagonia women’s shirts from past experience. They may be long intentionally to keep hands and wrists covered while casting on the flats or in the stream. They have a thumb hole for use to keep your hands covered from the sun. The Sunshade Crew comes in three colors: my beautiful Coral, White, and Ion Blue (very light pastel blue). I purchased the coral shirt and will be happy to wear it. There is also a Sunshade Hoody in a pink and a blue color.
Two other shirts, the Sol Patrol snap front, long sleeve shirt, and the Island Hopper long sleeve button down shirt, are attractive and are feminized versions of the men’s shirts of the same name. The Sol Patrol shirt has a crisp, clean design and ultra light, 2.4-oz polyester ripstop fabric with breezy, knit side panels. It blocks the rays with 30-UPF sun protection, and helps you stay organized with two front snap-closed utility pockets, a hidden lower zip pocket and an upper left gear keeper. Roll-up sleeve tabs keep cuffs out of the water and out of your way. I bought the Sol Patrol shirt in Ion Blue, have worn it and I love it. I need to roll the cuffs up because the sleeves are long on me.
Patagonia Introduces Women’s Fly Fishing Clothing and GearBy Sheila Anderson
I tried on the Island Hopper shirt in a medium but wasn’t comfortable with the tighter fit and heavier fabric. The colors are pretty, though, and the shirts may work well if you prefer the heavier more formed fabric.
Patagonia also introduced women’s waders and jacket. Both are very good looking with feminine design and colorful trims and zippers. The waders have a detachable back suspender fastener for those times when one must use the “outdoor ladies room”. The quick release allows the waders to slide down the backside with no dangling shoulder straps to drag the ground. The stocking feet in their waders do not fit as well as the Simms stocking feet and that’s a drawback for me. I do own the Patagonia Ultralight wading boots and I love them!If you enjoy Patagonia products, you might love the new fly fishing line. Visit your local fly shop or Patagonia store to try them out for size.
Next Fly LinesOur next issue of this Newsletter will be out June 27. We are really looking for articles for all to
enjoy. Let us hear about your latest adventures. Submissions are due by June 13, 2014.
2014 TWFF Events
June 12-15
October 17-19
FFF TX Council Expo, New Braunfels
Oktoberfish, Junction
Month 2014 TWFF EVENTS
Dates TWFF Coordinated Outings Coordinators
May 30 – Jun 1 Tyler State Park Diane Blair Kay Jackson
July 25-27 San Marcos River Sheila Anderson Kerri Stephenson Lori McElroy Sept 5-7 Port Aransas Mary Rohrer Gretchen Gettelman Sammie Aden
Nov 14-16 Broken Bow Marilyn Young Janet & Emery Bacca
Mark Your Calendar Now!!
TWFF Membership Renewal---We are well into the New Year and if you find that you have not yet submitted your renewal, please send it in in today. You can mail your renewal to: Karen Gebhardt PO Box 229 Johnson City, TX 78636
If your personal email address changes, please contact: [email protected].
TWFF Publishing Dates2013 TWFF Newsletter publication dates: Submissions guidelines: Please send text for newsletter articles in Word or the body of an email. Attach photos independently of the text documents rather than embedding them in your Word docs. Please also include photo captions or name the photos to indicate captions. Any items received less than a week before the publication date will not appear in that issue of the newsletter. Thank you!!!
Submissions due in by: Publication date: June 13 June 27July 25 August 8October 3 October 17
TWFF Advertising Rates One Annual Issue (6 issues)
Swap/sell items–(members): Free
Text Ads (nonmembers): $5/inch
Business Cards (members): $5.00 $25
Business Cards (others): $7.50 $40
1/4 Page Display: $20 $100
1/3 Page Display: $30 $150
1/2 Page Display: $35 $200
Full Page Display: $50
All ads must be prepaid. Ads with graphics should be submitted electronically as high-resolution JPG files. Please send your ad requests to Lisa Bellar at [email protected]
Thank-you!
Calling all writers, photographers, and artists!
We are looking for stories, articles, photographs, and illustrations. If you’d like to submit something for the
newsletter, please send it at least three (3) weeks prior to the
