Alright, so here’s the deal….

We just got back from a weekend of fishing with some incredible people who all had the same goal in mind; raise money for the Casting 4 A Cure event. (Photos and details of the event and charity to come soon!)

For now, I would like to ask you to take a minute out of your life to open your eyes to Rett Syndrome and educate yourself a little on this disorder.  We’re going to be touching on this a lot on the Fly Gal Blog so please visit the Casting 4 A Cure website and get up to date on C4C and future announcements.

First person to donate a donation (large or small) and email me verification wins this Metalhead DVD.

Please email proof of payment to april@flygal.ca and stay tuned for full details on our trip!

Thank you for your support,

Ape.

***CONGRATS TO HEATHER MATTSON FOR BEING THE FIRST TO DONATE TO THIS GREAT CAUSE!  A SINCERE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO ALSO CONTRIBUTED!  IT HASN’T GONE UNNOTICED…..

A.

Wow, you all sent some great ideas!  Thank you….!

I will be putting many of those ideas into play for future Pay It Forward Contests.

For this particular contest however, I have to announce two “winners”. 

We will be able to combine both of their ideas to hopefully help make this world just a little better.

“Hey April,
What if we make short videos and upload them to Youtube? Everyone has a digital camera these days, and the quality doesn’t have to be fantastic. That way everyone can see and appreciate these random acts of kindness!

Ashley Rae”

And

“Often in this heavy society which we all live, individuals can get bogged down by various degrees of stress. I think it would be nice if fishermen and women pledged to pay it forward by; taking one person whom they know could USE a day out fishing and inviting them along. Whether it be a friend who’s fallen on hard times, a child or teenager who’s parents are separating, a neighbor returning home from Iraq or Afgan, what ever it may be- I think we all know someone who could USE the pull of a trout on the end of their line.

“And if the angler catches a fish, surely then there is no man merrier than he is in his spirit”
-John McDonald The Origins of Angling

Pay it forward by treating someone to a day on the river or lake.

A.J. Gotschall “

So, here’s the challenge:

Take someone fishing who you know needs it REAL bad…  Ideas to try out are old folks homes, Girl/Boy scouts, youth centers, veterans, that neighbour across the street that just looks sad all  the time, your quiet co-worker who always seems to be looking down…. It’s really up to you…

Try to be sensitive to the people around you and see who is looking like they may need a friend and a day away from home.  Heck, even an hour of dry casting on the grass is better than nothing.  Just show someone that you care…

Directions: 

Capture the moment on video and make sure that you film a piece of paper that has “Pay It Forward Contest 2010″ filmed in the opening scene (even your digital camera may have a video option…try not to discredit those).   

Post the clip to YouTube (it doesn’t have to be a long clip) and email me the link in an email titled “Pay It Forward Contest 2010″.

We have got some incredible prizes and each will be given away accordingly.  Contest will go until August 1st, 2010.

I’m excited to see what you come up with!

Ape.

There are days where I ask myself what we as anglers can do to help out in this crazy world….

Every once in a while I get hit with an idea that forces me to act (ex. Flies For Fins).

So I started thinking….  What if we had a regular Pay It Forward contest?  An ongoing contest complete with prizes and giveaways based solely on spreading good will, love, kindness and education….

I am racking my brain trying to think of contest concepts…

Volunteer at an old folks home?  Teach 3 children how to tie flies?  Spread the word on the potency of fish farming to the average seafood consumer?  I find myself coming up short when I think of ways to do this and be able to not only choose a winner, but also ‘prove’ that the kind deeds were done.

So….let’s start this Pay It Forward thing like this:

Please send me your ideas (to april@flygal.ca) on different ways to help out others (individuals, communities, non-profits, etc) and I will send the person with the best idea this G.Loomis hat (the tan one)…

Please remember that we have got some high ticket items as well as some smaller items so feel free to be as “far fetched” or as simple with your ideas as you would like.

I look forward to hearing what you come up with!

Ape.

 Wow!  How do you announce a winner for something like this?  All of your pics were great but it was Ed Davidson who got his photo in first…  Congrats Dave, your book is in the mail.

Thank you so much to everyone and keep your eyes open for some new contests coming up!

http://www.castingoutloud.com/forumbb3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=107

Hello April-
 
My name is Eli and I live with my family in Bozeman, Montana.  Attached is a photo of my oldest daughter Taitum, tying her first fly at the age of 3. Of course she chose pink……………….   Taitum loves to stay up past her bedtime tying flies with dad in her pajamas.  Also, is a picture of Taitum’s first fish, a Snake River Cutthroat.  She caught the fish on her first cast ever (with a little help from dad).  As you can see she is not squeemish.  I didn’t know she was touching the trout’s eye until i saw the picture…pretty funny.  She loves books, especially books that have to do with fish, I am sure she would love to recieve a copy of “My First Trout”.  
 
Thanks,
 
Eli & Taitum

first Fish It s dad joy!! Thank for your blog

(Awww!  Bryan he sure is sweet!)

Our ladies learn to fly fish weekend in Virginia with casters fly shop  and Dave Hise went better than I could have hoped for! 

With incredible fish, laughs and rolling hills, the ladies learned not only how to fish, but how to truly appreciate the great outdoors! 

Any fish were a bonus so when Charlotte landed this rainbow that weighed in at 17 pounds, the ladies were hooked.  

Their faces said it all…”We get it“.
So welcome 6 new Fly Gals to our sport and give them a big welcome when you see them on the river.

www.castersflyshop.com

The crew (Dave Hise Photo)

Knots…..

So serious.

A nice trout by Leanne.

Ms Dee Dee made it look so easy!

Grace with grace.

Eating lunch on the balcony on the river.

Charlotte lets a nice one go.

Ape taking it all in.

Day two and off we go!

Dee Dee’s at it again!

This is what it’s all about!

Jessica got a cutie!

Charlotte into a monster.

Weighing in at 17 pounds…. view video here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vuBCl8B214

Even I managed to sneak away the next day.

It was awesome!

And just like that it was over……

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.

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.