Bella, you are just the sweetest thing!

This little gal is tying her first fly and what a pretty fly it is!

Dad says,  ”she’s always at my desk playing with the vise.  Hooks are called “Ouches” and feathers are called “Pretty’s”.  The only time she throws a fit is when I pull the roll top down and make her go to bed.”

Thanks Dad!  Keep up the good work!

Fly Gal Danielle first contacted me to help to improve her casting.  We met in a park surrounded by snow and stubbornly worked on her cast…..She was determined!

Already crazy about fishing, Danielle has continued to rock it out there on the water solo and has been spending this cold winter chasing fish in the lower mainland.

Don’t give up Danielle, that steelhead you’re chasing is just the ‘fish in the sea’ you’re looking for!

See you soon,

Ape.

Fly Gal Haley excitedly shows off a beauty of a brown trout from a small river in Arkansas.

We love you Haley!  Keep up the good work!

Fly Gal Jorja gives a friendly farewell  to her first fly-caught fish!   Congrats Jorja, you deserved it!

Meet Kayla! 

This little gal is crazy about fishing and is eager to chase her dream of being a bush pilot.   You go girl!

Tying her first fly!

Keep it up Kayla!  You are making all of us proud!

Here’s a fish gal who is a personal friend of ours who brings a little sunshine to all who know her.

Thanks Aimee, you’re a breath of fresh air!

First Sturgeon!  (Courtesy of Sturgeon Slayers)

Nice trout!

Like I said, a little piece of sunshine!

If you’ve read my first Iceland Blog, you’ll know that I have fallen in love with Iceland, it’s Atlantic salmon, and it’s hilarious residents (Rabbi).

So, a month later I teamed up with fellow Fly Max Films (www.flymaxfilms.com) hosts and brothers Naoto and Yoshi Aoki to head back to the “land of ice” to fish our asses off and capture it all on tape.

These pictures should tell the story…..

**Photos all taken by Yoshi and Naoto Aoki.

So, all I wanna know is….who’s coming back with me next year?

Email me at april@flygal.ca for more info.

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

And what an office it is!

Fishing has been great so I thought I’d share a few pics….

The pinks are here!

April Vokey photo.

Tom on the Fraser (Jeff Reed photo)

Jeff releasing a beauty (April Vokey photo).

Worst fish face ever (I’ve never seen a fish with Angelina lips before).

At the lake (Jeff Reed photo).

Jeff Reed photo

Mr. Jeffrey from Montana himself  (Tom Jull photo).

Marianne with her first ever fly caught fish (Lorie Drummond photo).

Leath Strench photo

Leath’s first day ever fly-fishing!  She rocked it!  (April Vokey photo)

Relaxing at the lake with not another single soul around to bug us.

She was on a roll!

Shelley and her first fly caught salmon (April Vokey photo)

While writing this blog, the cackling of half-drunk ladies from the other room keep me chuckling….We’re at the Fraser River’s Edge B&B where we had an extremely successful day on the water at our Women’s Weekend Retreat.

Stay tuned for the full story and accompanying photos!

See you on the water!

Ape.

I’d heard of Davy Wotton; fly-fishing instructor, White River guide, tv personality and renowned fly tyer.

A legend in his own right, I was ecstatic when he contacted me and asked if I had a day free to hit the water.  Naturally, I took him up on his offer (twist my arm).

My GPS, notorious for taking me on the long route, had me pulling into Davy’s driveway in the evening just as the sun was going down, and my stomach was rumbling for some dinner.

Davy and his lovely lady (and may I add, a fish crazy, fly-tying gem) T-Bird, Teresa VanWinkle were waiting and they were equally as hungry.

We kept conversation to a deliberate minimum and rushed to the nearest open diner to share our stories over a plate of liver and onions piled high with gravy.

Between Davy’s wealth of knowledge and T-Bird’s exciting stories, my head was spinning and I was itching to hit the river to try and finally land that big brown I’d been dreaming of for so long.

The night flew by as the couple’s energy painted a permanent smile on my face and I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the next morning…

We couldn’t wait to hook into some Mother Nature…Obviously (see below).
Davy’s a nature man all the way, and wrangled this creepy looking thing in the dark of the night when his equally adventurous pup cornered it.

One of the creepiest  creatures I’ve seen yet…..

The next day, I awoke to the friendly greeting of T-Bird and the bustling of a very busy Mr. Wotton.
This was going to be awesome!

We hit the White River, and immediately hooked into some feisty rainbows.  Man, they pulled like hell!

T-Bird hit one side of the boat, while I hit the other, and together we fought for the tug of a brown trout.

Alas as soon as we got into the groove of things, the sky opened and rain poured like I had never seen before and eventually we gave in to the flooding boat and slosh of wet socks…..

A little wet, to say the least.

We hadn’t seen a brown, but we’d seen an awesome day and I can’t wait to hit the water with both Davy and T-Bird again.

To tell you just how great Davy is would keep me writing for days.
He is beyond knowledgeable, patient and as about experienced as they get!

To book with Davy Wotton follow the contact info below:

American International Schools of Fly Fishing
Outfitter and Guide Services
Custom Flies-Fly Fish-How to-DVDs
www.davywotton.com
870-404-5223
870-453-2195