By Mike McKenna

FROM THE WATERY PERSPECTIVE of the trout, a fly fisher is really just someone standing above the water waving a stick.

For all the average trout knows, the person waving the stick might be trying to catch a butterfly or hammer an imaginary nail or conduct an orchestral version of a Cyndi Lauper classic. You see, trout, except for when this writer’s trying to catch them, aren’t known for their intellectual prowess.

Of course all that changes as soon as the trout gets hooked in the lips. Just exactly what goes through the fish’s mind at that moment, outside of some fish cursing, no one can say for sure. But the one thing the trout could care less about is whether the person at the other end of the line is a man or a woman.

Angling, particularly of the fly variety, has long been a male dominated sport. But those days are disappearing faster than tiger midges during an epic spring day at Crowley Lake. It’s estimated that currently more than one out of every five fly fishers is a woman, and the numbers of female fly anglers are rising like caddisflies on a mid-summer morn at the Lower O.

“It really used to be a man’s world, but not any more. More and more women, even girls, are getting into fly fishing–and a lot of them are diehards,” explained Susie Greilich, aka “Felicia Flycaster,” who’s been an Eastside fly fishing guide for a quarter of a century.

“My girlfriends have always wanted diamonds and necklaces for birthdays and special occasions. I wanted fly rods and waders. It’s just what I like doing, being outdoors. Fishing is really just a bonus. It’s about being outdoors, enjoying wildlife, the mountains. That’s why a lot of women get into it,” said Susie, a fly tier who also runs the shop at Performance Anglers in Mammoth.

“For a long time women just wanted to be out there, outdoors, spending time with their husbands who were fishing. Now they want to be out there catching fish, too. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

Unfortunately, there are some men out there that have trouble with the joining ‘em part—or maybe it’s just the beating ‘em part. After all, growing beards, swilling beer and fishing have long been the primary ways men measure themselves, with fly fishing being the holy grail of measuring mugs. So it’s understandable why some men might have trouble with women fly fishing, especially since they now sell pink fishing vests, purple waders and since most women — unlike most fishermen — know the difference between six inches and a foot.

“Three things happen when I go fly fishing,” explained Juli Ann Sprunger of Crowley Lake’s Bounty Fly guide service, booking trips out of Rick’s Sports in Mammoth. “The men will ignore me. The men will be impressed I’m landing some big fish. And sometimes, but luckily not most of the time, the men will be wankers and do things they’d never do to another man like fish the same small hole I’m fishing.”

Ego, like the need to pee outdoors, is definitely a character trait most men wrestle with — and usually lose to. It’s also one of the biggest differences between most fly fishermen and fly fishing women, especially beginners.

“Women tend to learn the sport more quickly than men do,” explained Beryl Rea of The Trout Scout, a Bishop-based guide who’s been leading walk-and-wade fly trips for almost two decades.
“It’s less about ego for women. They tend to listen better.”

At least that’s what I think she said. I really wasn’t paying attention. But when I started focusing back in, Beryl was further explaining the differences between the fly casting genders.

“Women also don’t try to over-power casts. They let the equipment do the work for them, like it’s supposed to. They also take tips better. They don’t take them like an attack.” said Beryl, who describes fishing as her “religion.”

As for tips for women trying to get into fly fishing, Beryl highly recommends taking a lesson or two from a pro. As she explained, “If you’re going to try to have your spouse teach you how to fly fish, now matter how good your spouse is, you’d be better off just signing the divorce papers.”

As for the long held myth that there’s a divorce between women and angling, it appears the ladies have found a good marriage counselor. So whether the manly world of fly fishing is ready for it or not, women fly fishers are on the rise. Just ask the trout — even they already know.