"To go fishing is the chance of washing one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook, or with the shimmer of the sun on blue water."
- Herbert Hoover, devoted angler and thirty-first President of the United States.
Why are women lured to fly fishing? Here are five reasons:
1.Peace and Mindfulness
A light breeze drifts out from the overhanging trees and mixes with the cool air rising from the misty stream. Under the warm touch of dappled sunshine, your muscles melt and stretch luxuriously. Your slow, deep breath can almost taste the pine in the air. Pure concentration focuses your world into this one perfect moment. The past and future slip silently away in the rushing of the stream. An elegant, looping cast unites your body and your mind with the three elements of earth, air and water. What mystery will rise to meet your lure?
2. Connection to Nature
Immerse yourself in the healing quiet of the woods, the vital dance of the river and the exotic wonder of a fish's world. Gentle and respectful of all life, catch-and-release fly fishing is about the equation of life, not the capturing of prey. Fly fishing brings you into balance with nature and reminds you of your place in the natural world.
3. Excitement
You head out in the evening when other normal people are heading home. Dusk creeps in across the meadows and the crickets take up their evening song. Unseen creatures stir in the bushes on the path down to the stream. Excitement builds as you and your friends draw up a plan. You size up the night and choose your lure. Like a magician, you cast a spell to bring the spirits of another, darker world to light.
4. Skill
To learn is to stay young forever. Learning to fly fish provides an integrated course about biology, science, flies, fish, weather. You'll also learn-the-world about yourself as you practice concentration, patience and coordination. It's a non-competitive sport--you set your own goals and progress at your own pace. As in yoga, you must learn to unite the mind and body and accept what comes. Fly fishing gives women in particular a great sense of achievement and pride. Women are often better suited to fly fishing than men because they tend to be less competitive and less goal-oriented.
5. Camaraderie
Fly fishing combines the peace and mastery of a solitary activity with the joys of belonging to a group. Women learn best from one another. We need a group to belong to. We love to laugh together. We thrive when sharing a common activity. You'll bring home so many stories, you won't even need to catch a fish.
And what better way to learn the hypnotically beautiful sport of fly fishing than with a relaxed, supportive group of women? Tracks of Vermont, a small business in southern Vermont, dedicates its women-only retreats to all women searching for balance in their busy lives.
Through yoga, hiking, fly fishing, kayaking and massage, every woman can recharge her energy and learn to care for herself physically, mentally and spiritually.
Leslie Tarbell, co-founder of Tracks of Vermont, explains, "Women tend to focus on everyone but themselves. No one takes care of them. Our programs make sure they get that important 'me' time."
In 2003, Tracks of Vermont will offer a "Fly Fishing Without Fear" weekend retreat on August 22-24. The participants will learn the basics of gear and tackle, then go to the river for hands-on fun.
As with all Tracks of Vermont retreats, the weekend program includes yoga class and massage in addition to great food and plenty of relaxation at one of Vermont's nicest country inns.
For more information about the current schedule of Fly Fishing and other retreats for women, visit the Tracks of Vermont Web site.
