Several weeks ago I attended a Steelhead Society meeting in Langley, BC.

The Society had invited Dr. J.D. McPhail, professor at UBC, to educate and enlighten us with a presentation titled “What is a Steelhead”. 

An older gentleman, he stepped up to the microphone slightly nerved by the abundance of fishermen in the room.  

You see Dr. McPhail, teacher, author and steelhead enthusiast was not an angler, but a sincerely dedicated man truly in love with every detail of the elusive steelhead. 

He loved their genetic make up, their migratory patterns, their history…..one can only imagine how much he would love them if he knew how hard they can pull…

: )

His speech was interesting.  “What is a Steelhead” had us all shrugging our shoulders nonchalantly…..our heads were all silently mumbling the same thing;  a steelhead is an anadromous rainbow trout…..everybody knows that…. 

Naturally, Dr. McPhail had some new information he was about to let us chew on.

Suddenly, it seemed as though words from Dec Hogans “A Passion for Steelhead” met with the scientific knowledge of a University Professor and every angler in the room leaned in closer to listen; every word making us a little less sure of what we thought we actually knew.

He went on to tweak our brains and ease our curiosity about interaction in coastal rivers between rainbow trout and steelhead while cohabiting the same stretch of river. 

He spoke of anadromous fish and the genetic likelihood of nonanadromous fish being a base for our common steelhead.  He spoke of the rise and fall of steelhead numbers.  And he spoke of orientation and the migratory patterns of our local fish.

He was an absolute breath of fresh air and a glimmer of passion in the most sincere form.

Perhaps the most interesting fact that Dr. McPhail educated all of us on was the interaction of the steelhead and the resident rainbow trout. 

To put it in some basic terminology, he went on to explain that as the female steelhead lays in wait before laying her eggs, several male steelhead (including one dominant male) and rainbow trout surround her anxiously awaiting their chance to fertilize.

As she proceeds to deposit into her redd, the “alpha male” swoops in, as do the rest of the waiting fish (trout too) to aid in the fertilization. 

Essentially it’s a major free for all with a “may the best and closest ’spurt’ win” mentality….  Yup, this means that the male rainbow trout is able to fertilize the eggs of a female steelhead. 

So much for all those steelhead snobs who turn their noses up at the “measly trout”.

Now as most of us well know, I am no biologist (for God’s sake I just found out who Gail Shea is like two months ago…..) I just fish.  So let me direct you to a link that may help to make this a little more clear.  For exact data, please contact me and I will put you in touch with Dr. McPhail.

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/assets/25/4245_06172004_122523_steelhead.pdf   Start at page 42.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Ape.

Last weekend I headed over to the Mountain River Fly Shop www.mtnriverflyshop.com to visit with friend Steve Dally, do a little fishing, and teach a ladies learn to fly-cast class.

The women were fantastic, Steve was a hoot and fishing…..well, you can call me the rainbow queen, but I’m still waiting to catch that damn brown trout!

A short photo recap (photos by Steve Dally).

Everyones favorite….knot tying.

So serious!

Daughter teaches Mom…

Mom pouts.

Who says learning to cast isn’t fun!?

She was a natural!

Can hardly contain the excitement!

You go girl!

If you can control a stick, you can control a fly rod.  Rid of intimidation from the start.

Thanks ladies!  You were all amazing!

We will be having another ladies learn to fly-cast class on November 7th.  There are only several spots left, so don’t wait too long to book!

Contact Steve at the Mountain River Fly Shop at 1-870-435-6166 to reserve a space.

Hope to see you soon,

Ape.

We recently had our Women’s Weekend Learn to Fly Fish Retreat and what a weekend we had!  We teamed with the Fraser’s River Edge in Chilliwack, BC on the Fraser River to host seven up-and-coming Fly Gals, teaching them how to cast, tie knots, and catch fish…..

The incredible view from the lodge.

Breakfast prepared by Mike and Adriana Jones (owners of the lodge).

A happy cheer!

Hmmmm.  Trophy fish?  Hardly…

On our way to the river.  Weekend motto; “what happens on the river, stays on the river”.

The Fraser River waiting for us to cause a major disruption.

Setting up.

Some of the lovely ladies getting ready to learn.

Yes, I know knots are boring, but believe me when I tell you that you’ll need this info one day!

Seriously, you’re going to need this info today…..attention please.

Getting serious.

Oh, what concentration.

Passing the knowledge on (this is how it all begins folks!)

On to the casting.

Looking like I’m threatening to shoot whoever doesn’t listen.

Demonstrating a bad stroke.

Then showing why it’s so bad.

Hmmm.  Yeah, I think we’ll stick to doing it our way.

So we spread out down the river and prepare to catch some Pink salmon.

Yes!

Love it!

So cute!

Oh dear.

I am woman hear me roar.

Landing a little hen.

First fish gets a kiss!

Scrappy little female, the fish was a fighter too  ; )

Oops.  Perhaps there are some leaks that simply can’t be fixed.

Rowdy girls.

A sunset marks a perfect evening.

We will be making this an annual event.  For more information on booking a space, email me at april@flygal.ca

When I first launched Fies For Fins earlier this year, the response from people was tremendous!  Flies from all around the world made their way into my mailbox and I couldn’t help but feel inspired….

Japan, Ireland, Oregon, Denmark, Newfoundland….You name it and there were flies sent from there!

People were kind and donated not only their flies and other cool product, but their time and best wishes as well.

Words cannot express how grateful I am to these people (even though it has kept me busier than hell!)

In fly sales alone we have made over $3,000 (exact specifics to be announced when I have collected all payments from the shops).
So as the steelhead season in BC’s lower mainland slowed to a halt, I felt it was only fair to the shop owners to pull the FFF boards from their stores and add their remaining flies to my ever increasing stock here at home.

Aware that getting people to buy the flies may prove to be a tricky task, I’ve gone about it in a way that I feel anyone would be foolish to resist…..

Here’s what I’ve done:

I have arranged all the flies into “goodybags”, pre-packaged and ready to be shipped!  All proceeds from these bags go to the Steelhead Society of BC for habitat restoration and other improvements….

The goodybags are arranged into several different categories….

10 for $10.00 (though you may find one or two extras thrown in there).  These flies are basic steelhead flies and are ready for you when you are!  This breaks down to less than $1.00 a fly, plus you’re helping out a good cause.  Seriously, how can you go wrong here!?

10 for $20.00 (again, you may find one or two extras).  These flies are damn goodlooking steelhead flies.  Intruder variations and all sorts.  The material is worth more than what these are going for.

10 for $30.00 These steelhead flies are pimped!  If you don’t pick up these ones, I will.

10 for $15.00 Atlantic Salmon (Double Pronged) Flies Traditional Atlantic salmon patterns (ex. Green Butt Skunk) that are beautifully tied (warning: these are double hooked so beware of your local fishing regulations.)

I need your help to clear out these flies!  They are beautifully tied and looking for a good box… I’ve packaged all bags fairly and more than affordable; I’m not in the business of trying to piss people off  : )

All you have to do is:

1)  Mail me a cheque (or money order) made out to the Steelhead Society of BC.  The address you can send it to is:

47075
Quarry Road
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 7X5

Canada

2)  Make sure you let me know where you’d like your order mailed to as well as a contact number just in case if I need to reach you.

3)  Include $2.00 on that cheque amount for Shipping and Handling.

4)  Order as many packages as you’d like (note: you’ll only need to pay the $2.00 S&H fee once).

5)  Smile because you’ve just done your part in helping out and your fly box just had a makeover!

AND THAT’S JUST THE FLIES!

I have scratched my head and pondered about how I could sell off some of this unbelievable product that has been donated (for the record, we are still looking for product donations if you’d like to contribute an item).

So, after months of pondering, I think I may have finally figured it out….

I am announcing an auction!!!  A silent auction, that is….

Via Facebook!  Starting right now, I will have an active silent auction on the Fly Gal group page of Face Book!

Items will be pictured under an auction album and then the rest is up to you!  Start bidding, and the highest bet at the close of the auction will win (Oct 29th).  Again, all proceeds go to the Steelhead Society of BC.

Some of the items currently on Face Book, ready to be auctioned off are:

A Loop Classic Burgundy 811

Fish Pond Pack

Art Lingren Custom Flies

Recycled Waders Gear

Bug Slinger Apparel

Fly Gal Apparel

…and much more to come!!!

This auction and fly offer closes on October 29th.  This is a win-win-win situation and not a single helping hand goes unappreciated!

Please try to limit emails unless you are looking to donate an item for the cause (in which case I will add to the album for bidding opportunity).

If you would like to donate an item, we would love to have your help!

S&H fees may apply….

Thanks to all!

Good luck!

Ape.

I was a Girl Guide for nine years (for those of you from the US, a ‘Girl Guide’ is the Canadian equivalent to being a Girl Scout).

I graduated from three years of Brownies, to three years of Guides, to three years of Pathfinders; gradually stepping up the Girl Guide chain, learning cool tricks about camping, wildlife, survival and countless other subjects.

When I was done my nine years?  Hell, I went and helped to lead the little ones by being the “cool” Girl Guide leader amongst the Moms and the Grandmas (who believe it or not, were pretty darn cool themselves).
I still think that to date, I am the only “responsible role model” in girl guide history to sneak candy into the bunks and give the kids a sugar high so as to keep camp interesting….

So, when my Aunt (still an active leader) made mention of me teaming with Girl Guides of Canada to help educate the young ladies about fly-fishing and the environment, you know I couldn’t resist.
After all, I remember how good those badges felt when Mom ironed them to my scarf.
If I could help these girls with some outdoor skills, I was all over it.

A happy brownie clinging to her Mom…I worked my ass off for those badges!

So, there we were several months later, myself and good friend Adrienne Comeau, heading to Girl Guide meeting headquarters to give twenty-five eight year old girls lessons on fly casting, conservation, flies and safety.
It was a wee bit nerve-wracking.

The girls were hyper, and Ade and I fiddled nervously as they whipped our expensive fly rods through the air.
“Deep breaths…”  I smiled at her and headed upstairs to begin the classroom session with the first half of the group.

Our group of little ladies (photo blurred for privacy purposes).

There they were; a dozen of them surrounding me at a table in an old conference room, and they were as antsy as the night I played the Easter Bunny in the bunkhouse years earlier.
Hmmm.  Karma sucks.

Regardless, I quickly discarded my carefully formulated plan to educate them classroom style, as it was evident that their attention spans were about as wide as the wings of a sparrow.
They shouted over each other, each of them trying to be louder than the last.
“Hey, hey, hey!”  Me, trying to sound grown up… “Ladies, put your hands up if you’d like to be heard.”

A dozen hands shot up towards the ceiling and stretched as if trying to dislocate their arms.
One at a time, I listened to what each of them had to say.  What I heard was truly an eye opener…

“My Dad”, in short, unsure, gaspy breaths, “My Dad he goes fishing all the time with my Uncle Bob…..”

“My Grandpa, he loves fishing!  He goes every summer to…..”

“Well, my Dad, he’s a great fisherman!  He takes a trip every year to…”

One after the other, each and every girl had a male role model in their life who in some way, shape or form, had the fishing bug.

Ironically, the girls all shared yet another surprising characteristic.
Every one of them was eager to go with their Dads/Grandpas/Uncles, but simply didn’t know how to go about doing so.

That same night, twenty-five eight year old girls went home bugging that male role model to take them fishing.

Little Emma Cortes with her proud Dad (rightfully so!)  Adrian Cortes photo.

So Daddy, if you don’t already, ask her if she may be interested in joining you.  Show her pictures of other girls angling!  Show her that she can too!  If for nothing else, than to simply boost her confidence.
Let her know while she’s young that she can do whatever she puts her mind to!

Danika Rodgers casting a tight loop as proud Dad, Jamie, snaps a picture.  This kids the real deal!

Yes, you may lose a rod tip (as I so painfully experienced that same evening), and yes you may gain a migraine (as I so amusedly watched Adrienne endure), but you may just develop the best little fishing buddy a guy could have.
And really, does it get much better than that?

Get on it!
Ape.

Eoin Fairgrieve’s My First Trout, is a refreshing and inspiring book written to educate children about fly-fishing and the importance of the environment.

The book is aesthetically pleasing with beautiful illustrations and practical, easy to follow diagrams.  Most importantly, however, is the abundance of informative content that the author was able to fit into forty pages of large-font print.

Information on safety, fly-tying, fly-casting, knots, entomology, fish handling, trout anatomy, bird and other interesting wildlife facts, make this book not only great for the young angler, but for the beginner fly fisher as well.

(On that note, I would like to state that I highly recommend My First Trout to any aspiring fly fishers who don’t know where to begin.)
Only a twenty minute read, Fairgrieve’s book is the epitome of “fly-fishing made easy”.

A personalized first page and a detailed fishing log template, makes the book even more appealing to children looking to grow into competent fly fishers alongside the inviting pages.  From it’s unique shape, to it’s clean and crisp presentation, the book is a joy from beginning to end.  It’s simple layout and informative text rank this book as one of the best beginner books that I have ever read.

Considering the future of our environment lays in the hands of our children, I am ecstatic that this author has taken a constructive step towards improvement.  Furthermore, 10% of the profit of this book is donated to the Tweedstart Angling Program (www.tweedstart.org.uk).

Eoin Fairgrieve is a fully qualified casting member of the A.A.P.G.A.I. and World Team Speycasting Champion.  He is a renowned conservationist who owns a highly regarded fly fishing school in Scotland known as the Center of Excellence, where he has put through numerous pupils.

Visit www.centre-of-excellence.co.uk or email eoin@centre-of-excellence.co.uk for more information.

Alright.  So by now you probably know that I am working on a fundraiser called Flies For Fins where people donate their flies to raise money for the love of so many of our lives; BC steelhead.

Long live BC steelhead! (Ralf Raacke photo)

Perhaps it’s not fair to expect those who have not fished for these wild beasts to understand my passion for them, but for those of you who can empathize, you appreciate that the wild in BC’s steelhead is undoubtedly a wild that runs in the West-Coast steelheaders blood.  That’s right; we’re wild, bucking, and not ready to be broken.  It’s amazing what a fishery will do to you.

The only sport in the world that can keep me focused for longer than five minutes (Richard Gibson photo).

So when I started this fundraiser to get everyone pulling together to make a difference, I never for one second imagined the hoards of support that would pour in from people from all over the world.  Japan, Ireland, New York, Idaho, England, New Zealand, New Brunswick, Toronto…..The list is endless!!!
Those who didn’t know how to tie steelhead flies, did their best, and those who didn’t tie at all, donated whatever they could to help.  It was heart warming for me and instilled a whole new faith in society and man-kind, proving that together we can make a difference.

People from BC started bringing in their flies to the shops, and customers went out of their way to support the cause.  It was awesome!

A generous contribution of flies from Aaron Goodis.

To date, on the sale of flies alone, we have made over $1700.00 (since January), pretty impressive…..especially since the boards are still so full!

Now, as the steelhead season is getting ready to pass (or just get started, depending on how you look at it) it would be amazing if we could sell off the rest of the flies, to maximize the amount of money Flies For Fins has raised.
If you live nowhere near any of these shops (let alone BC), please feel free to mail out a cheque made out to the Steelhead Society of BC, letting me know how many flies and of what variation you would like (the flies are more than reasonably priced and all donations are welcome).  Cheques can be mailed to:

8505 Norman Crescent
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 5C6

Words cannot express how grateful we are for every single person who has gone the extra distance to show that they care.

In the near future……keep a look out for a silent auction on the Flies For Fins Face Book page.  We’ve got lots of cool new items that will be available for purchase, again with all proceeds going to our cause.   If you would like to donate an item, please email me at april@flygal.ca

“A what!?  What’s a blog?”  Man, I felt old having to ask my little sister for the definition.
I always figured I’d stay far, far away from keeping a “blog”.
An online diary filled with updates about my scattered life and sometimes chaotic days on the water….  Hell, it even sounded like a messy word; like some sort of stain or gross spill on a sheet of paper.

But as I miraculously began to gain some knowledge about computers and inevitably, the internet, I soon realized that I am a woman who has a lot of things to say with no one to say them to.
Hmmm.  A blog was starting to sound quite interesting….

I suppose an introduction would be fitting right about now, wouldn’t it?
My name is April Vokey and I am a fishing bum who has built my life around this passion.
There are several questions that I find I am asked fairly regularly and would like to address them first and foremost:

April Vokey holding a small but sweet piece of steel (Aaron Goodis photo).

What/Who got you into fishing?
How long have you been fishing for?
What else do you do?
Are you one of those girls from ‘Fishing With Shelley and Courtney’?  (Yeah, I really love that one).

I always cringe when the question, “so, what else do you do?” is shoved in my direction.
I especially love it when it’s asked by one of those guys who makes David Beckham look unathletic.
(You know, the good looking guys with the spiky hair and uncomfortably tight shirts who stink of adrenaline?  The ones with pecs so huge, I find myself covering my own chest in embarrassment…)

My answer is always the same.  I shift feet, turn a funky color, and stammer pathetically trying desperately to think of another interesting sport or hobby that I may have tried once in previous years.
“I studied jazz and classical music in university, and have had a number of roles in musicals…..”  I watch their eyes glaze over.

Acting a fool, as usual.

Truth is, I really don’t (and never have done) much of anything else.  I fish, I write about fishing, I read about fishing, I tie flies for fishing, I take other people fishing…and I love it.

Onto the next question.

I started fishing when I was three.  Dad wasn’t much of a fisherman, though I must give him credit for trying.  We trolled worms around the lakes and were equally excited about the bites we missed, as the fish that we caught.
Mom, always got a kick of how fast I could race into shore with a chain full of blood soaked pan-fries.
(*Note to fathers with young daughters:  These are the days that your girl(s) will cherish forever.  If you don’t already, take her with you on your next outing to the water.  Though you may not realize it at the time, you may be starting something truly wonderful!)

Three years old and crazy about fishing already….

As the years passed, our roles began to change, and it was I who was waking up at the crack of dawn to catch the first bite.
By the time I got my drivers licence, there was no hope for me.  I spent every waking minute at the river learning about fishing.  Lord knows, how many spinning reels I blew up before buying my first bait caster, and consequently, how many bait casters I banged up before buying my first fly rod.
For years I slugged away alone on the river bank, learning how to read water and find sitting fish.  These years were filled with innocence, excitement, scares, enlightenment and countless other emotions that turned me into the woman I am today.
I found inner strength and a true sense of independence, all the while meeting some genuinely wonderful people along the way…..

Last question.

Nope, not Courtney.
And certainly far too short to be Shelley.
But while we’re on this subject, my friends call me Ape (as flattering as that may be), and ‘April’ usually means I’m in trouble…..
It’s up to you.

So there you have it.  The basics.

NOW!!!  I would like to take a moment to utilize this blog for its true purpose.  Please read the following:

B.C. Steelhead numbers have been on a steady downwards spiral for far too long than most of us would like to admit.  These fish are wild, native, unique, and loved by anglers from all over the world.
I have conveyed a message to all of my fellow anglers, and to anyone else who is willing to listen.
It is as follows:

Listen up!!! This message is for you whether you live in Norway, Oregon or British Columbia….
Our steelhead are suffering and need your help!
I have started a fundraiser called Flies For Fins. I don’t want your money, but I do need some of your time and tying materials.
I am working with Reaction Fly and Tackle, Pacific Angler, Michael and Young Fly Shop, Whistler Fly Fishing and Sea-Run Fly and Tackle to raise money for the Steelhead Society (steelheadsociety.org).
Each location will carry a cork board that is full of steelhead flies MADE BY YOU. These flies will be sold at the shops, where proceeds will be donated to the Steelhead Society. In the middle of each cork board will be a graph that is updated weekly to show how much money had been raised.  (I will also update the graph on this blog)
Mailing flies only takes a couple stamps (just make sure that they can be flattened in an envelope.)
This is for a great cause, please choose to take some of your time and flies out of your box for it.
I will have a Face Book page up in the next several days for Flies For Fins, however, we need flies RIGHT NOW.

“Wizard Of Oz” Design and tied by Vokey.

Flies can be shipped to:
8505 Norman Cres.
Chilliwack, B.C.
Canada
V2P 5C6

Feel free to send one fly, or ten! Make them as fancy or as plain as you would like. Please include your name.

Envelope, stamp, fly. It’s that simple.
Please do your part and help us make a difference!

Thank you so much,
Ape.