The Female Angle

Train at Last Light

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 05:34:00 +0000

Sun and Mist in the Rainforest

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 04:16:00 +0000

Fly Fusion Mobi Mag

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 03:40:00 +0000

I am thrilled and honoured to be included in the premier issue of Fly Fusion's new Mobi (mobile) Mag.

These two additional issues of Fly Fusion Magazine have been designed in a television format (16 x 9 aspect ratio) and feature only the best in fly fishing film, story and photography. We want to thank Nick Pujic, Brian Grossenbacher, Tim Pask, Adrienne Comeau, Peter Christensen, Bryan Gregson, Jim McLennan, Wil Flack and Louis Cahill for contributing to this exciting new project. The first issue contains 67 "slides" (aka 134 pages) of pure escapism, including close to two and a half hours of some of the best fly fishing film and we can't wait to hear what you think!

~Fly Fusion Team~

If you haven't subscribed yet, you need to get on it! Sign up here for free:

Fly Fusion Mobi

A Few Lessons Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:51:00 +0000

Bjorn feeding tarpon at Robbie's.

Good sunglasses with the right lens colour make a huge difference for spotting fish, something I usually suck at. I've had good glasses before - Maui's and Smith's and Kaenon's. I recently got a pair of Maui Jims with the HT (High Transmission) lens, and I spotted more fish than I ever have before, anywhere.

Invest in quick dry underwear. It's fantastic to have all the lightweight, quick dry pants and shirts you can imagine, but wet underwear stay wet. For a long time.

Spend as much time on your feet as you can before you go. Otherwise, after two days standing on the bow of a flats boat trying to keep your balance your feet and ankles will hurt and swell up like they've been smashed with a sledgehammer.

Short shots at fish are almost harder than long shots. Okay, not almost, they are harder.

Apparently I say "out" and "about" funny. Never knew that.

Driving with Bjorn is likely to result in some... we'll call them "slight detours".

One of the greatest things you will ever experience is hand feeding the tarpon at a place called Robbie's in Islamorada. If you ever want to feel like a little kid again, you need to go and experience this.

Fishing for Oceanside tarpon will RUIN you. You will get home and not be able to think of anything else, except the fish you saw and had shots at and had follow your fly, and getting back there to do it again.

More to come...

The Beach Boys Had It Right

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:53:00 +0000

After fishing drinks and stories as the sun sets on Islamorada.

When I was a kid there was one summer when my sister and I, along with the two girls who lived beside us, were obsessed with the soundtrack to the movie Cocktail. In particular, the song Kokomo by the Beach Boys. We knew all the lyrics and would sing them over and over, day after day. I just got home from a trip to Florida, and the first day after Key Largo was mentioned that song popped into my head and would not leave, that one section of chorus a little mantra playing in the back of my mind. That summer we spent singing those words resonates with me as I always envisioned these fantastical places of blue water, white sand and hot sun, where life was pure happiness at all times. I never really imagined that these places where real and that I would ever have the opportunity to visit them. The idea of traveling to paradise always makes me feel like a little girl, and that childhood fantasy of sunbathing on a tropical island with a cute guy by my side has been slightly altered to fishing flats and aquamarine coloured waters in the hot sun, and ending the days having cold drinks with good friends.

We never actually spent time in Key Largo on this trip, but we did drive through it on the way to and from Islamorada. Paradise? Yes. While the hot sun part of the dream was a little hit and miss, the fishing and cold drinks with friends part came true. Now that I'm home it still feels like a dream, albeit one I was able to take pictures of and that was shared with other people.

There is never enough time on trips like these. I almost get resentful of the time I spend sleeping, as short as those few hours are. I come home and I obsess over the shots I missed, the casts I messed up, the times I did everything right and didn't get a look, the follows that never became eats, the eats that never materialized into hooked fish, and those fish I did get to hand, so strong and beautiful. I lament over the weather and wonder if I fished hard enough. I try to remember the masses of information that were offered to me and hope I can remember it all. I close my eyes and see tarpon swimming at me. I take a deep breath and imagine I'm smelling salty air and tropical flowers. I miss the people I fished, shared laughs and great conversations with, in this case Matt and Bjorn, Davin and Eric. I desperately wish that a year wasn't 12 months long so that our next trip could be starting tomorrow.

There are so many stories to tell from this trip, so many experiences to share, and so many people to thank. Kokomo was about a fictional place off the Florida Keys, but for me now, Kokomo is a state of mind enriched by memories that I hope to have the opportunity to make more of.

Home Sweet Home

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:29:00 +0000

I love fly fishing. Whatever, whenever, wherever... I just love it. But there is one species that absolutely consumes me, the first I ever went fly fishing for, that has frustrated and rewarded me more than any other fish I've ever targeted: steelhead. I've fished for steelhead in a t-shirt and hot sunshine, in layers of fleece in -15C temps. I've been drenched to the bone for hours on end in the pouring rain, slept in the back of a truck for days at a time, and have driven hours to fish for a day. I've gone through slumps and hot streaks, missed takes and landed fish I shouldn't have. I've spent more time pursuing steelhead than any other species by far, with arguably much less success, and am happy for it.

There are no steelhead in Calgary. Epic trout fishing, yes. Chrome, sea-run fish, no. This is the first winter I haven't spent focused on winter runs, and it's been driving me nuts. I didn't realize just how much until I took that first step back into the cool winter flows a couple weeks ago. Brian Niska contacted me last fall to ask me to do some fly tying at the Whistler Flyfishing/Pieroway Fly Rods Cast & Blast event in Squamish, and I arrived a day early with enough time to fish for a few hours. It was warm and raining, and the river was in beautiful shape. That first glimpse of the river made my heart clench, and honestly, I nearly teared up. "This is where you belong" said a little voice in my head, and my entire soul agreed. I didn't touch a fish that night, but I didn't care. It felt like my whole body was soaking in my surroundings, reveling in being back on the west coast.

Cast & Blast is a three day event at Sunwolf in Brackendale, just outside of Squamish. Free to the public, the days were full of presentations from the likes of Stuart Foxall, Aaron Goodis, Bob Hooten, Scott Baker-McGarva, Brian Morrison, Mikey Orlowski, Scoot Mason, Geoff Pieroway, Francois Blanchet, Tim Arsenault, Pat Beahan, Harrison Perrin, Tom McHugh, JM Reid, myself, and, of course, Brian Niska. The Iron Fly fly tying competition was held on Friday evening, with Kirk Gilchrist stealing my title away with a rather unconventional fly. Saturday night was the Homegrown Fly Fishing Film Festival, with five incredible films premiered for an extremely enthusiastic crowd. It was an exceptional event, with a few beverages consumed, fantastic friends, and non stop entertainment. If you didn't make it this year, I highly recommend that you don't miss next year's event.

I stuck around for the week, as I was hosting a screening of IF4 in Abbotsford the following Friday, and planned on attending the M&Y Spey Day the next day. I fished a few days, losing a fish on an incredible river I'd never had any success on before, mostly because I was entirely unprepared to hook it and kinda stood there like an idiot while it cartwheeled on the end of my line. This river is not easy to fish, nor is it very generous to those who don't know it intimately, and I was beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to spend some time getting to know it better. Hooking a fish was a huge bonus. Towards the end of the week I was able to get out on the Vedder with Ben, who I love fishing with, and watched him hook hook and land an absolutely incredible chromer.

Friday we had a great screening in Abbotsford of IF4, and Saturday saw a couple hundred people gather at Gill Road on the Fraser River for the annual Michael & Young Spey Day. This was the first year I wasn't actually working the event, and was able to run around and catch up with old friends and customers, and spend way more time casting than previous years. Brian and Frankie had the Pieroway competition rod on hand, and a bunch of us took turns casting the big set up - a lot of work, but crazy fun. After a brief rain storm mid day, the sun peeked through the clouds and rewarded us with the most incredible golden light in the evening. I'd left my memory card in my computer, and had to watch enviously as Paula, Josh and Aaron captured some amazing casting photos. As the sun went down the remaining group gathered around a bonfire and enjoyed some drinks and conversation.

Originally I'd planned to head home the following day, but some very good friends twisted my very twistable arm, and I stuck around for the next week. Of the following seven days, I spent 5 very full days on the water, and two half days. It's been a few years at least since I fished that hard for winter fish, and the steelhead gods were not being kind. Cast after cast, some of the hardest wading I've every done, rain, sunshine and wind. By Friday I still hadn't hooked a fish, and I know well enough at this point that it's not that I was doing anything wrong, so it's tough to get angry or frustrated. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. I was pushing myself as much as ever, casting as far, wading as aggressively, covering water, fishing the right flies... I was so incredibly happy to be fishing for steel again, but just at a complete loss as to why I couldn't hook up. Luckily, I had one more day to fish, and Shane and I headed out super early to beat the weekend crowd. What followed was one of my personal best days of winter run fishing with a buddy, as far as hook ups go. Within the first hour I threw a long cast, and before my fly had gone 5 feet my line tightened up and blinding chrome was erupting on the surface. After a good run, some more violent surface thrashing the hook popped and I stood there, body shaking and heart racing. It doesn't matter how many steelhead I hook, or how often, each and every one leaves me in awe. By the afternoon I had hooked and lost one more, and Shane had lost three, two of them right at the beach. Chrome, wild, aggressive... my sleep deprivation, aching muscles and leaky waders mean nothing when compared with that feeling of standing in a coastal river, spey casting with the chance of hooking one of these irreplaceable creatures.

Sunday I headed back to Calgary, but I left my heart on the coast, amongst the evergreens and rocky banks of the rivers that are home.

Thank you to all the amazing friends who I was able to spend time with - April, Greg, Nick, Paula, Josh, Lisa, Brian, Mikey, Pat, Scoot, Stu, Scott, Sarah, Dave, Kirk, Bobbi, Frankie, Craig, Yos, Harrison, Ryan, Dave, Smalley, Paul, Landon, Jordan, Rick, Ross, Ben, Mat, Stevie, Andrea, Roger, Matt, Catherine, Vanessa, Justin, Tim, Aaron, Lawrence, Geoff, Mike, Chris and Shane - I love you all and miss you more than I can say.

Occupy Skagit

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:04:00 +0000

The Skagit River is one of those iconic steelhead rivers, where the elusive silver ghost teases and tantalizes anglers. It's tree lined banks and wide expanse, with snow capped peaks towering in the background, evoke heartfelt memories for many, and just walking its banks leaves you with a lingering sense that you are walking in the footsteps of the fathers of steelheading. Names like Dec Hogan, Jerry French, Ed Ward and Harry Lemire are all synonomous with the Skagit, many a fly was designed on with its waters in mind, and the concept for the Skagit head was originated here.

In recent years the steelhead returns on the Skagit have suffered, to the point that the river now closes in February, completely. No catch and release season, no fly fishing only season...the river is left empty throughout the spring. An initiative, coined "Occupy Skagit", is being undertaken to try to restore the catch and release season once the run exceeds 6000 fish, to bring general awareness to the plight of this river, and to encourage WDFW to create a plan to encourage wild steelhead recovery. A river always needs concerned, passionate anglers to protect it.

From the Occupy Skagit Facebook Page:

What is Occupy Skagit?

• A gathering on the Skagit River, April 6th in support of restoring the C&R season. The activity will involve 'fishing' without hooks in as many visible places as possible on the Skagit and Sauk; from the bridge at Concrete upstream to Bacon Creek on the Skagit, and upstream on the Sauk to the bridge at Darrington.
• This is a 'Wade In' Our purpose is not to disrupt traffic, be violent, disrespectful, trespass, harass, or engage in illegal activity of any kind...you know, just like when you go fishing.
• This is a parallel action to mesh with attendance at the WDFW Comissioners Meeting the following week in Olympia.

Why is Occupy Skagit?

• At the time of the ESA listing of Puget Sound wild steelhead, it was generally acknowledged by NMFS that the most robust large basin population in the region was in the Skagit; in fact on its own it probably would not have been listed. After reviewing the evidence, it is our belief that a well managed, catch-and-release (C&R) season on the Skagit would not be inconsistent with the recovery of its wild winter steelhead.
• This will require a petition from WDFW to NMFS for a permit that establishes basin specific allowable impacts (as is currently being done with Puget Sound Chinook).
Who is Occupy Skagit?
• You are. If two people do it, no one will notice. If two hundred people do it, we hope to garner some attention. Sometimes you have to dump a little tea in the harbor to get noticed.

I've been fortunate enough to fish the Skagit a handful of times, but have yet to land a steelhead. Those trips were some of my best fishing trips ever, with great friends. This historic river needs all the support it can get. Even if you can't make the April 6th "wade in", please take a moment to join the Occupy Skagit Facebook page here.

Chasing Their Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:22:00 +0000

Have I ever mentioned that one of the biggest reasons why I love working in the fly fishing industry is that I get to meet the most incredible people? People who are motivated, talented and passionate, and incredibly inspirational. In the past several months I've had the pleasure of creating new relationships with a number of anglers who are pursuing their dreams in this crazy world, and I'd love to introduce a couple of them to you.

Wild Reverence

Shane Anderson, of North Fork Studios, is dedicating an enormous amount of time and effort to filming a documentary on the plight of wild steelhead throughout their native range. Please check out the website here - Wild Reverence, and "like" the Wild Reverence Facebook page for updates on the filming.

Silo4 - A Deliberate Life, and the Fishing Poet

Matt Smythe is part of the team at Silo4 and the voice behind the blog Fishing Poet. I'm sure at this point there aren't many anglers who haven't at least heard of "A Deliberate Life", the first film project from Silo4 and one of feature selections in the 2013 season of IF4. Heartfelt story telling, creativity and a genuine sense of community are evident throughout Matt's work.

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On the same note of great people doing great things, here are a couple new ventures from some of the most dedicated women in the sport, women that I am proud to call friends and who are truly a never ending source of inspiration for me.

Whitney Gould Guided Fly Fishing and Flycasting Instruction

Whitney is an incredible angler, superb guide, and one of the best spey casters I know. She is one of the hardest workers in the industry, and is now offering guiding services and instruction through her own website, Whitney Gould Guided Fly Fishing and Flycasting Instruction.

Frigate Adventure Travel

Kate Taylor is bad ass, plain and simple. She is the voice of Rogue Angels, guides in Alaska during the summer and Oregon during the winter, and hosts trips in the Baja for a couple of months in the the spring time. She and partner Justin Crump have started up Frigate Adventure Travel, and recently returned from a hosted trip to Christmas Island.

Write 2 Fly-Fish

A little newer on the scene but equally as passionate, Lisa Schweitzer is combining her love of fly fishing with her love of writing in her new project, Write 2 Fly-Fish. Lisa is a brilliant writer, an incredible angler, and brings a fresh and unique perspective to the sport.

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I hope you'll take a little time to get to know these fantastic people, and support them in their endeavors. And I hope they provide you with some inspiration, to pursue what you love, to push yourself to learn and grow, and to pass some of that inspiration on to others.

Guides Gone Crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I want to be there right now.

Camera Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:39:00 +0000

I don't often set out on a fishing day with a particular photo in mind that I would like to take. Usually I find things to be much more organic than that - the right light, angle and action tend to just jump out at me, and then I go for the shot. One thing that makes all the difference is keeping my camera in my waders so that when those moments occur I can be ready to take the shot in seconds. Risky? Yes. If I fall in, my camera is most certain to get soaked, but if I keep it locked away in a waterproof bag or pelican case, I can guarentee you I would barely use it. So I take the risk, and it has paid off, time and again. Here are a few shots of my favourite "moments" in the past little while.

Timbre fishing at Kananaskis.

Paula netting a distressed duck.

Pete throwing a stick for Chili on the ice.

Over or under? Paula takes the low road.

Josh spey casting at last light.

Streamer fishing.

Power casting into the wind as a sudden snow storm hits us.

Super ninja Paula leaps into the sunset.

Blue Skies and White Peaks

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 05:46:00 +0000

After two weeks of being stuck inside working, it was time to step out for a breath of fresh air. A chinook had made its way to Calgary, and temps were hovering above zero.

Four of us piled in the car late Saturday morning and took the drive up to Kananaskis lakes.

I'd never been up there before, and it was more than I was expecting. One of those places unable to be fully captured in a photo, or justifiably described in words. Wide open skies, luscious evergreens, towering snow capped peaks, biting wind, layers of ice...

We fished for a couple hours, and with one hit between the four of us we really didn't care. Never has a fishing trip reminded me that its not just about the fish: it's about getting out and feeling alive.

Thanks Timbre and Darcy!

Show Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:24:00 +0000

Show set up Thursday morning.

So happy to see this girl. Love her to bits. Aidan Darby-Miller photo

Fly Fusion and IF4 booths.

The Western Canadian Fly Fishing Expo is over, and I can't quite believe it. It was a fantastic show, with attendance at an all time high. The chaos started Thursday morning at Spruce Meadows with the show set up. I showed up early to help with the overall set up, and then helped Josh with the Out Fly Fishing outfitters and Echo booths. Before heading over to IF4, Josh, Stevie, Nick and I stopped at the river to test cast a few rods. We had a spectacular turnout at IF4, and we premiered the most recent addition to the IF4 line up - Sheebang - which was very well received. Afterwords we headed out for a few drinks, and even though Puj couldn't come out to Calgary, he was still there in some capacity.

Stevie and Josh testing spey rods.

We missed you Puj!!

Ryan and Chris in the M&Y booth.

Patagonia....love it.

Stevie working hard at the Echo booth.

Out Fly Fishing outfitters booth. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were a blur of new faces and old friends, seminars, presentations, casting, dinners and late nights. Our booths were all busy as good be, and show attendees were happy to stop and say hi, ask questions and take information. We were thrilled that the Expo silent auction raised over $5000 for Food for the Hungry Canada, and their clean water project in Guatemala. I want to personally thank all of the exhibitors I called to harass for donations for their incredible generosity.

The morning commute to Spruce Meadows.

Ape presenting at the casting pond.

Tying flies. Diane Michelin photo

Late night dinner and hockey with great friends.

I was able to crank out a few flies at the OFF booth, and traded a couple for one of Diane Michelin's amazing prints. It was a privilege to meet such an amazing woman, finally. Her artwork is absolutely outstanding - check it out here: Diane Michelin; Fly Fishing Fine Art. Naoto took a set of flies home to photograph, a new pattern I'm calling Candy Stripe. Take a look at them here: Naoto Aoki Photography. While you're at it, flip through his albums, I've been a fan of his photography for years.

The first tie of the Candy Stripe.

My beautiful print by Diane Michelin.

The flies for Diane.

Sunday came way too fast, and we ended the weekend by dancing the night away in downtown Calgary. It was so great to see some good friends again, including my amazing April, Nick Laferriere (another amazing artist, designer for Fishbum), Stevie Morrow (Dean/Bulkley River guide, comedian), Ryan Heitz and Roger Baker (M&Y), James Cunningham (North Haven guide and great friend), Rick Whorwood (guide, instructor, fellow GLoomis pro staffer), Chris Seipio (GLoomis/Airflo rep), all the Pieroway boys, and so many more. One of the best things about this industry is all the amazing people. Thanks for another amazing show and more amazing memories.

Until next year!!!!

Ms. V

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 05:50:00 +0000

It's been almost four years since my last post dedicated to the lovely April Vokey. Since that time, she and I have come a long way, in both our friendship and our personal lives. I've known Ape for almost nine years (ahhh! that makes me feel old), and never did it occur to me when I saw her first come through the door of Michael & Young how important she would become in my life. Assertive, with her long blond hair and hot pink high heels, she baffled me on our first introduction.

Ape fishing the Vedder at last light. Spring of 2005 (I think)

Nothing like having someone run from the bar above you to help finally land a beautiful wild steelhead. April Vokey photo

At that time I knew hardly any women that fly fished, and none that were younger than I was, and definitely none that looked like April. Talented, passionate, and beautiful, Ape is one of the most important people in my life today. We have had our issues, but with time and effort on both our parts, we were able to get past the unnecessary drama and create a friendship that is incredibly special and unbreakable. Ape has been a rock during my worst moments, and I know that if I'm in need I can call her and she will be there for me, no matter what.

Fighting my first sturgeon...I had no idea what I was in for. I think I'm giggling and grimacing in pain at the same time. April Vokey photo

Speaking of running, Ape flew over these car sized boulders to take this shot. April Vokey photo

I'll never forget the day I received a call at work. My call display showed that it was Ape, and I answered with a bright "Hey, how's it going?" The response was a quiet, shocked "Not great. I almost died last night." My panicky questions were answered with the news that she had been involved in a head on collision that quite easily could have taken her life. We were at a very rough point in our friendship at the time, and yet, drugged and broken, she had called me. Watching her through her recovery and knowing how much she still deals with because of the accident, I have to say I have never seen so much positivity and perseverance, not only to recover her health but to become a better person to herself and her loved ones.

Within a few weeks of her car accident Ape was crushing fish on the lakes. This one was around 12lbs, and the only fish caught that day.

Enjoying the sunshine and a beer after catching an invisible fish "this big!" on the Sauk with K8.

Spey casting practice with Bruce Kruk and Greg Wolf on the Columbia.

Many of my best fishing memories include April, including when I finally landed my first winter steelhead on the Vedder, and my first Thompson steelhead without Aaron. We were the female element with a group of friends on a rained out weekend on the Skagit, the pair of crazy Canucks fans in the bar in Key West, the idiots who drove 22 hours to Idaho to fish for 2 days in the Casting 4 A Cure event. She was there for one of my best days of steelheading ever on the Bulkley, and took me out to hook my first sturgeon.

Loading up the boats on the Hoh.

"Endless rain and the Skagit at 65,000 CFS = a bunch of friends stuck in the cabins for five days = a lot of beer = Mike Mills skinny dipping in the Skagit River while the rest of us watch and laugh from the warmth of the rigs at the boat launch.....awesome!" quote from Chris Andersen

No one can pose in waders like Ape.

You might find it strange to hear that we rarely talk on the phone. Neither of us are "phone" people, we do much, much better one on one. Ape's got an incredibly busy schedule, with hosted trips, schools and seminars all over the world, and personal trips and summers guiding on the Dean. We're lucky to see each other a couple times a year.

Ape and Colby, somewhere in Montana, en route to Idaho.

Her first brown, and on the dry, at the Casting 4 A Cure event on the South Fork of the Snake.

Bulkley River, 2010

She and I have very, very different personalities: Ape is fiery, self motivated and outspoken, an extrovert who says what she means and has an insane work ethic. She doesn't take shit from anyone, and will defend her beliefs and her loved ones with fierce passion. I'm sweet and quiet, the introvert, admittedly a little lazy, with a desire to please and an aversion to conflict.

Apparently our laughs and chatter could be heard across the river. Only Ape can get me to out of my quiet zone while fishing. Annette Lauder photo

Oh look, still laughing... Annette Lauder photo

Fish on! Fantastic day on the Bulkley.

I think we balance each other out, as we can talk about absolutely anything, and have for days in a row. We spent 24 hours a day together on our seven day trip to the Florida Keys, and it was one of the best trips of my life. Relationships, business, family, men, sex, fishing, you name it, we've discussed it. It's a privilege to have someone in my life who I can be utterly honest with. Ape compliments me, hugs me when I need comforting and kicks my ass when I need a push. One of the best parts about a great friendship is having someone who believes in you; its an incredible gift to have someone who makes you believe in yourself, and I never feel better about myself than when I'm with April.

Best trip ever (despite hardly catching anything) in the Florida Keys.

My first tarpon, so happy to have Ape there with me. April Vokey photo

Business owner, guide, professional fly angler, conservationist, tv host, columnist, instructor, fly tier...a list of dynamic descriptions for an amazing woman I choose to simply call my friend.

Are you ready?

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 05:32:00 +0000

Here we go 2013!

There's so many exciting things to look forward to this year. First up, I am proud to be working for Fly Fusion Magazine and the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. My roles with both companies will be multi faceted, and I am so excited to be a part of such amazing teams. I had the opportunity to watch the 2013 Festival last night, and I have to say that the submissions for this year are fantastic.

In its third year, the IF4 has nearly doubled the number of screenings from 2012, so head to the website to check for a screening in your area. We will be continuing to add dates in the next few weeks.

In a couple weeks is the Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition here in Calgary. I have to admit that I may be abnormal in that I love trade shows. Yes, the days are long, your feet get sore, you lose your voice and invariably you stay up way too late. But I love it all. I get to see old friends, meet new ones, and play with new gear. There's a certain atmosphere that exists during trade shows that I find exhilarating. Call me crazy, but I can't wait for this year's show.

In April I'll be heading back to the coast for the Cast & Blast, a three day event hosted by Whistler Fly Fishing and Pieroway Fly Rods. There will be casting and fishing, conservation, rod building, photography and tying seminars (including one by yours truly), an auction for the Steelhead Society of BC, a film fest, fly tying comp, good music, artwork, contests, prizes and meals, late night bonfires, and, quite possibly some drinks. Trust me, this is going to be more fun than you can imagine.

In between these awesome events I'll be fishing the Bow when its not too cold and hopefully getting back to BC for some steelheading. I'm sure I'll be adding more events to this list very soon, and I hope to see some of you very soon!

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 04:02:00 +0000

With just a little over seven hours in 2012 left, and after a year of change that went by way too fast, I find myself overwhelmed with nostalgia. Cliche, maybe, but there's a reason that the end of a year is a time of reflection. Like a birthday, its a definitive end to something, a passage of time that can be remembered concretely. How many times do we say, "back in 2000", for example, or "when I was 25". Time is such an intangible thing, and measuring by the year gives us a way to define our short and precious time here as humans.

Growing up I could never have imagined myself becoming an angler. When I was little I wanted to be a veterinarian. My parents had met in the small town of Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. They were hippies, in the vegetarian, nature and animal loving way, not the dope smoking, free love sense. They found a piece of property they loved on Malcolm Island, just outside of the tiny village of Sointula, which means "Place of Harmony" in Finnish, and at the time the primary industry was actually commericial fishing. My sister and I were both born at home and raised vegetarian. Our 13 acres of land lay across the street from the ocean, with views of Vancouver Island. Mom and dad built us an amazing playground in the backyard, with a playhouse, giant sandbox, swingset and climbing/slide tower. We had a creek flowing through the property that we would dam up in rainstorms and sail boats down. The forest provided ample space to build forts and climb trees, and we regularily had bonfires and barbeques on the beach, while chasing crabs and catching bullheads.

The house my sister and I were both born in.

I'm the little one.

Probably one of my first horse back riding experiences

Ironically, I was not the outdoorsy type. It was a constant fight to get me to go outside, whether it was to go for a bike ride or to help pick veggies or berries in the huge garden my parents built. I wanted to stay inside to play the piano or dress up my dolls. We never had a tv at home, so I grew up reading books and comics as opposed to watching cartoons and movies. Even on sunny days I was more likely to be found curled up on the couch with a book as opposed to outside soaking up some rays. Despite my best efforts, I spent a ton of time outside as a kid. We would go hiking and camping in the summer, spend hours beach combing or playing in the playground. We went whale watching, rowed around the ocean and dug in the mud flats. We would find natural clay banks in the woods and slide down them for hours, coming home caked in the clammy grey mud. We slept out under the stars in the yard or at the beach, rode our bikes over the entire island, and spent hours bushwacking with no destination in mind. More often than not after being outside we would have to be hosed down, then stripped to the bone, clothes straight to the washing machine and us straight to the bathtub.

The village of Sointula is very small, with a population of maybe 800 people. There was only an elementary school on the island, so from grade 8 through 12 we had a to take a ferry to and from the high school in Port McNeill, every day. I started taking the ferry for grade 6, as there were more opportunities for extracurricular activities, so I took the ferry for seven years. Once I started going to school in Port McNeill I became involved in everything from dance and drama, to soccer, basketball, gymnastics and volleyball. Summertime was spent on lakes and rivers, swimming and suntanning, on logging roads exploring, and nights were saved for bonfires. One of my summer jobs was actually a youth program through one of the forestry companies on the north island, and we spent every day pruning trees on newly forested lots, getting eaten by mosquitos and black flies.

My amazing mom.

When I was 10 my dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and in less than a year he was gone. While my mom shared my athletic side and my sense of humor, my dad shared my dramatic, creative side. His death was devastating for all of us, and my mom was now left to provide for 2 young girls. She was amazing, and continued to give us any and all opportunities she could. When I turned 13, my mom fulfilled a dream of her's and my dad's, which was to build a new house as the place I was born and raised in was tiny and falling apart. It may not have been the dream house she wanted, but it was bright and new, and I loved the hours spent looking at floor plans and picking out furniture and colour schemes. My mom was a bus driver for the school district, and would be our driver on field trips and team trips. She coached my basketball team one year, and was there for every play, every dance performance, and as many games as was possible throughout highschool. She maintained her immense garden at home and took care of a yard that would take a full summer day to mow, with ride on mower, push mower and weed eater. An avid kayaker, she formed a partnership when I was 15 to run a sea kayaking and eco tour business, based off of a mothership. During the summer months she and her partner would run 6 day tours in the Broughton Archipeligo, and come fall she was back at work for the school district.

New house

View from the front deck

After graduating high school I headed to Vancouver to attend UBC, which had always been my dream. Unfotunately, I was not prepared for the realities of university in a huge city. My dorms had more people living in them than my hometown did. I'd never really found a direction in high school. I liked a lot of different subjects, and was really good at most of it, but never loved anything to the point that I new I had to pursue it. I entered the Arts program, because I liked it just a little more than the Sciences. I dropped out during my third year. I was bored and unhappy, not going to class, not doing the work. Not one of my finer moments in life, but, well, shit happens.

The summer between my 2nd and 3rd years of university I got a job housekeeping for King Pacific Lodge, a Rosewood resort on Princess Royal Island in the Great Bear Rainforest. Little did I know that I would meet someone who would change my life forever. Aaron was one of the fishing guides at the lodge, and I liked him right away. I knew absolutely nothing about fishing, aside from the fact that commercial fishermen used nets and sport fishermen used rods and reels. One of the first nights at the lodge we went out trolling for Chinook with one of the other guides, Ronnie, and landed 3 Chinook, two of them tyees. I landed my first fish ever, a strong, chrome 24 lb fish. I had a bit of a hard time with the fact we killed them, not because I thought it was wrong to kill them but because I'd never seen a fish killed and gutted, and a fish that I'd caught was killed and I wasn't going to eat it.

Fun days at KPL

Aaron was also the head fly fishing guide at the lodge; he'd been fly fishing since he was a kid and was absolutely passionate about it. He tried once to teach me to cast off the dock, and I'm not embarassed to admit that I sucked. He also took me out one evening to fish for coho off the kelp beds, and he hooked and landed a couple of fish. I think he may have let me fight one. After that summer I can't say I was enamoured of fishing. I loved being out on the water, hanging out in the boats, looking for whales and watching eagles, but I didn't find trolling to be all that thrilling and didn't fly fish enough to really know what it was all about. I believe I even laughed the first time I saw the guys in their waders as they headed out on one of the heli fly fishing trips.

My first coho, caught off the dock at KPL

Aaron and I continued dating after the summer was over. By February of 2002 I figured that I should go out fishing with Aaron. I still didn't really know much about fly fishing, but knew that it was his passion and a part of him that I needed to at least try to understand. It was an amazingly sunny day and we headed out to the Cheakamus, a tributary of the Squamish, looking for steelhead. Aaron lent me a pair of waders and set me up with a Sage RPL+ 896-4 with a multitip, and after a quick casting lesson we started fishing. This time the casting went much better, and I found myself really enjoying it. Aaron hooked and landed two steelhead that day. Two beautiful, wild winter run fish, which at the time I didn't fully appeciate how incredible it is to have a day like that. But I enjoyed myself, enough to go again, and the way Aaron handled and released the fish appealed to me much more than the meat fishing mentality of trolling in the ocean. So I kept going out with him. We caught bulls and cutties, and one snowy, icy day in March I hooked and lost a chrome fish on the jump on the Vedder.

Aaron hooked up.

Did I ever get frustrated and question what the hell I was doing out there? Of course. But the more I went and the more I learned about fly fishing the more the addiction sunk in. That summer I went back up to the lodge and bought my first rod, reel, waders and boots through the pro programs. That fall I joined Aaron and his cousin for a week on the Thompson, where I struggled to wade and cast and fell in for the first time while the two of them and our friend Ross caught some incredible fish. Aaron was the best teacher I could have asked for. He is an incredible caster and an innately fishy person, and more than that understands how to teach. I learned more fishing with him those first few years than I could have in ten years of courses and reading. I kept going out, and by my second year of fishing had started spey casting. We caught chum on the Squamish and lake fished in the interior. We spent the winter months targeting steelhead on the Vedder and Squamish, and while I caught plenty of bulls and dollies, my first steelhead had not materialized. My second season fishing the Thompson I hooked and lost three fish. The first one ate in the fast water at the head of a run, and hit so hard it snapped me off and left me teary and shaking, breathless with wonder. More than anything I'd experienced up till then, that experience surprised me with the depth of emotion it aroused in me. There are hardly words to describe it, but I think every fisherman has a moment like it. If there was ever a doubt before then that I was "hooked for life", that moment erased it. I was done.

My first landed steelhead: Kispiox River, Oct 2004

People like to ask me why I like to fish. I think women get this question more than men, as it seems to confuse people why a women would devote her life to catching fish. While there is no simple answer, my best reason is this: It is the whole experience. It's being outside, feeling the air ruffle my hair, smelling the dirt and greenery, hearing the rush of water. Before I fished I always felt like an observer of nature, a tourist in the wild. Through fishing I became a part of the cycle, a participant in the ever changing circle of life. To be able to hold a beautiful wild creature in my hands, to connect with it even for a moment and release it back to continue its journey astounds me every time, whether its an eight inch golden trout or an eight foot sturgeon. I love the casting, the flies, the different techniques. I love (and hate) the moments of frustration and the tough days. I love the fact that I'll forever be learning in this sport. I've met such amazing people, all around the world, and have seen some of the most beautiful landscapes I could imagine. There are two people who are most responsible for helping find my passion, my mother for my love of nature (all those days of dragging me kicking and screaming outside) and Aaron for introducing me to fly fishing, and being patient and encouraging throughout those beginning years.

In the last nearly eleven years I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing about fly fishing to living and breathing it. I've had three failed relationships, dropped out of university, lived in 6 different places, had bouts of depression, made huge mistakes financially, and throughout it all I've fished. I've travelled throughout BC, to Russia, Florida, Alaska, fished in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and now Alberta. I've wet waded in the summer and packed on the layers in winter. I've worked at a fly shop, guided for salmon, sturgeon and now trout, I've given seminars and presentations, tied flies for personal and commercial use, wrote articles, blogs and taken thousands of pictures. I'm 31, single, broke and just committed to moving, for the first time, away from coastal BC to start a new job I really don't know much about. But as I have so far in my "adult" life, if I fail or make mistakes I will always continue to fish.

Aaron on the Vedder,

A reflection in a mirror is static and superficial, much like life in a modern, technological world. A reflection in the surface of a river is subtly different every second, with layers of change and years upon years of history buried beneath it. There is depth and substance. Sometimes it becomes swollen and cloudy, making it hard to see ourselves, and other times so clear it seems we can see forever. A river is always changing, evolving, while carrying with it the scars and the effects of the past. I never want to lose that connection to myself, to the past, and to the primal, wild side of life. The place where I can just be. Fishing will always give me that, as long as I remind myself to see the big picture. I have no idea what this year will bring, but I do know that I will be fishing. I hope you can join me.

Oct - Dec 2012: Browns, Ice and Escaping to Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 07:41:00 +0000

After a whirlwind couple of months, October slowed down considerably. The weather varied from cold and snowy to warm and sunny. We still had a handful of guided trips, and managed to get out a handful of times ourselves. Paula and I took her dad and uncle out for a float on Thanksgiving and found a few nice fish. She and I also spent a day in the mountains in heavy winds, which made fishing tough, to say the least. We had some epic bwo fishing for smaller cutties on a smaller stream that was a little more protected from the wind, and Paula coaxed a beautiful cuttie up to the surface at the end of the day. Late in the month we had a couple of good days nymphing the Bow, and found some amazing rainbows and browns.

Paula Shearer photo

The last couple of weeks of October is always filled with breathless anticipation as we all wait to hear if one of the most amazing steelhead rivers on earth will open up. At the end of the month it was announced that it would open, and Josh, Dean, Paula and I headed out the night before the opening on Nov 1st. I'd never fished opening day before, and my goal was for us to get first pass through a run. Josh and I stayed up all night, while Paula and Dean managed to snag an hour or so of shut eye. We were up at 4, and hung out in the dark on the rocks. That morning was one of my best days of steelheading ever, with four fish hooked and three landed. Josh missed one on the dry, and Dean lost a heavy buck at the beach. That night I saw a number of amazing friends I hadn't seen in months, and spent some time in the best pub there is.

Josh Nugent photo

A week and a half later Paula and I headed back out, and the fishing had slowed down somewhat, but Paula hooked and landed her first fish on the river, and Stevie found a couple. I had a few good grabs in the 6 days we fished, but no actual hook ups. We spent a lot of time with good friends, and while Paula's mantra was "I'm not drinking tonight" there were copious amounts of beer and shots consumed.

The next month was fairly quiet, as it got really cold in Calgary and the river was full of ice and slush. I tied a ton of flies, and decided, on the basis of a great job offer, to stay in Calgary for the winter. Mid December I headed back to the coast to pack up my place and put it in storage. It was great to get the chance to see a bunch of people, and I made it to the M&Y Christmas party. On my way out of town I was able to spend two days with Ape, who I'd barely had the chance to talk to since May. Then I headed up to meet Josh and Zach in steelhead paradise. That afternoon they both landed beautiful fish, and before I new it the next day was done and we were headed back to Calgary.

Paula Sheaer photo

Zach Southgate photo

Christmas was quiet and relaxing, and with temperatures ranging from -20C to below -30C with wind chill fishing was not really an option. Its warmed up a little in the past couple days, and we made it out for a few hours yesterday. Tomorrow is New Year's, and I have to admit I'm in a little bit of shock that 2012 is almost over. I'm excited for 2013 will bring. I'm thrilled to be working for Fly Fusion and the International Fly Fishing Film Festival this winter, and hope I can make it back to the coast a few times in the upcoming months to scratch that steelhead itch.

Thanks everyone for following along. Can't wait to share my adventures in 2013 with you. :)

September 2012: Golden Days and Downtown

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:51:00 +0000

September was an incredible month. Guiding stayed busy through to the end of the month, and we fished our butts off. I had the opportunity to guide some former customers from Michael and Young late in the month, and we landed the biggest rainbow I'd seen all season. The dry fly fishing tapered off after the middle of the month, and we turned to nymphing.

We had some great days, but there's always tough days while guiding, because hey, its fishing after all. Even on those slow days we usually managed to find at least some fish. It truly makes you realize how important the overall experience is on those days when, as a guide, you are responsible for that experience regardless of how the catching is.

In late August we had done a float through downtown Calgary with a friend, Nick, on his way through town after finishing up his guide season. Typically not fished very much, this stretch has a lot fewer fish than the lower stretches of the Bow, but we found some great fish and had a blast, so Josh, Paula and I floated that section again a number of times in September. We pretty much exclusively streamer fished it, which is one of the most exhausting and thrilling ways to fish out of a boat for browns. Seven or eight weight rods with sink tips and two very very heavy streamers, cast and retrieved almost as quickly as humanly possible is a heck of a workout, and the chases, strikes and hookups are violent and visual.

Josh Nugent photo

One of the most amazing experiences of the season was our last float through downtown. I'd met up with Josh and Paula after guiding, halfway through their float. Fishing was tough, and it was dark before we hit the weir. As we approached it, we noticed a faint green haze in the sky, which we quickly realized was the northern lights. Josh raced over to the far bank to try and capture a time lapse, but by the time we got there the lights had faded almost completely away. We rowed back and headed through the weir. When we came out the bottom the sky lit up again, and we watched an absolutely spectacular show from the bank of the river.

Josh Nugent photo

Early summer when I was still back in BC and had started taking a lot of pictures, I'd decided that I wanted to do some hiking into some of the beautiful alpine lakes around the lower mainland. That plan obviously fell through due to the move, but then I learned about golden trout. There are only four places to fish for them in Canada, and they are all alpine lakes in Alberta. Not only that, but Josh and Naoto had been into a couple and did a couple of guided trips in August.

Josh had another client that had been desperate to fish for golden trout for years, and he asked Paula and I if we wanted to join him and his client on a day trip into one of the more accessible lakes. I have to admit that, although extremely excited, I was also a little worried after hearing that the hike was about five km basically straight up the side of the mountain. Yes, it was hard, but we did it, and in less time than I thought I would be able to. We caught fish that day, and managed to sneak in a few more trips before the end of the month and before the mountains froze up. Goldens, though their average size is very small, are absolutely one of the most beautiful fish I've ever been fortunate enough to catch, and the locations they live in breathtakingly beautiful. Fishing for them is definitely one of the highlights of my entire fishing career.

Josh Nugent photo

One thing I'd not had a chance to do aside from the first day of my early July trip out to fish with the girls was fish one of the more well known streams in the mountains for cutties and cuttbows. Josh invited me to head down with him and a friend of his, and we spent two days on the system towards the end of the month, and the fish were still looking up. We didn't catch a ton, but found some quality fish. I think overall in September, with the Bow, the goldens, and the mountain streams I did more sight fishing for trout than I've done in the rest of my fishing years combined.

Josh Nugent photo

September, like August, went by much to quickly. I learned a ton, caught some amazing fish, had some fantastically fun days on the water with clients.

Mid July - August 2012: Goodbyes and New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:55:00 +0000

After leaving Calgary in July after an amazing trip, a conversation with a good friend, Josh, led me to do some serious thinking. Josh owns and operates Out Fly Fishing Outfitters in Calgary, a guiding operation on the Bow River, Oldman River and others. Josh was looking for some help both in the office and on the water, and I had been starting to think it may be time for some change. After some serious consideration, I decided to accept his offer. Michael and Young gave me so much in the seven and a half years I'd worked there, not only with amazing work opportunities and an immersion into the industry, but also with amazing friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. But it was time for a change, to do something different.

Josh asked me to be out in Calgary ASAP, so by early August I had things squared away and ready for a couple of months on the east side of the Rockies. I managed to squeeze in a day on a local summer run stream with a handful of good friends, and paused for a couple of sunny days just outside of Nelson to see family and celebrate my mom's 60th. Arriving in Calgary I was excited, but didn't really have any idea of what I was in for.

The afternoon I arrived in town I met up with Josh and we joined Paula and Naoto for a quick evening float, and quickly found myself in the rower's seat for my first ever turn on the oars. It felt a lot more natural than I expected. The next night Josh, Kyle and I did another float, and it was such a rush to have them actually get into some fish. That week we hit the water whenever we could, usually after Josh was finished guiding for the day, and soon I was on the water doing the occasional trip. My first day was a two boat trip with Naoto, and though I was nervous that soon faded and we had a great day.

August was hot, and though the water levels had been abnormally high when I first arrived, within a week long period they dropped to well below seasonal levels. Luckily the fishing was great, and though I spent plenty of time in the office I did manage to pack in a number of days on the water, both guiding and fun fishing. Mid month I was invited on a fishout with the Calgary Women's Fly Fishers to a small trib of the Bow, and while the catching wasn't spectacular we had a fantastic day on the water capped off by an amazing meal riverside with a group of great women. A week later we managed a fun evening with three boats on the water, with some great fish caught, and lots of laughs.

New systems always take some time to get used to, and my learning curve was steep, but every day I was exponentially more confident in myself. Despite knowing that I myself was learning, it was a joy to introduce new people to fly fishing, to be able to watch and get them into their first fish, or to take more experienced anglers down one of the best trout streams in North America. One of the biggest things that I enjoy about guiding as opposed to being in the shop is that I actually get to be a part of their experience.

August was busy. It went by in a blur. I remember glorious hopper eats and spectacular sunsets. Long sweaty days and blistered hands. Thunderstorms, my first pike, a spectacularly sunny float through downtown, and some amazing friendships formed. I'm not great with change, and this was one of the biggest decisions of my life, to quit my familiar, stable and great job to try something completely new. By the time the end of the month rolled around, I was sure I'd made the right decision.

From me to you....

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 02:40:00 +0000

May - mid July 2012: Sunshine and Transition

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:23:00 +0000

May signalled the wind down to steelhead season. I managed a few more days on the water, mainly on the Squamish and Cheakamus, swinging flies in the fading sunlight on warm spring days. A friend from Oregon, Scott, stopped in for a day on his way south from a sojourn on the Skeena and its tribs. We spent a day on the Cheakamus, and while the steelies were unwilling to bite, the weather was gorgeous and we spent some time focusing on casting.

Mid May brought some changes. The rivers started to rise with the beginning of run off and several good friends headed off to northern Manitoba to do some guiding. This was the first year since 2006 that I was unable to make the trip down to Oregon to the Sandy River Spey Clave, one of my most favourite events of the year. M&Y hosted a showing of the IF4, which I'd already seen twice and therefore was left at the shop. I did, however, make the afterparty.

While many lakes in the BC interior ice off as early as late March, May is when things really get going. I was only able to make it up for one trip this season. In late May Catherine and I headed up to meet Ben, Andrew and Tim at a trophy lake north of Williams Lake for a couple days, and while the fishing was tough I managed to find a couple amazing fish. Chironomid fishing on trophy lakes can be incredibly tough, but the fish are well worth the effort.

June was pretty quiet, fishing wise. I started heading out after work to parks and beaches to take photos. I've always loved taking pictures, but I hadn't really been putting the time in in the last few years. I also discovered how much I love editing photos, and how much you can learn about taking them by editing them. Aside from taking over 2000 pics in June I spent a day with Ben and Landon on Chilliwack Lake, fishing for bulls and soaking up the sunshine. The shop held a single hand casting event at a local park, which was a ton of fun. We set up an 18 "hole" casting course and had a ton of new rods for people to try.

Canada Day I met up with Catherine near my place to watch Sam Roberts perform a free concert and watch the fireworks. Paula came to town and we spent an evening sturgeon fishing with Dave and Sarah, and got Paula hooked up on her first. We didn't land it, but we did get to see it jump. A few days later Paula and I drove to Calgary, as I'd made plans with her and Caity to spend a week fishing the Bow. We had an amazing week, and despite consistently rising water we managed to have some good stonefly dry fishing and some incredible streamer fishing. We fished from dawn till dusk most days, and managed to do three different floats one day. I hooked and lost a couple of incredible browns on streamers, one in particular that would have been at least 27", if not more. I even managed a quick morning float with Josh before driving back home to work the next day. It was one of the funnest fishing trips I'd ever had with some great friends.

Jan-Apr 2012: Tacos, Tequila and Steelhead

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Without getting into any of the gory details, the last couple of months of 2011 were not the best. It seemed that, not only just for me, but for other dear friends too, that things just kind of fell apart in November and December. So the start of 2012 was almost a relief, a huge "thank goodness that's over, now we can try to move forward". I kind of laid low for the first few weeks of January, fished a little, lost a beauty little chrome steelhead on the Vedder. And January isn't exactly the easiest time to catch fish on the fly out there.

Ape and I setting up her booth at the Fly Expo

April had asked me to help her out at her booth at the Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition in Calgary, so we carpooled with Greg and drove out towards the end of January. I don't know about you, but I love trade shows, particularily when I actually get the chance to check out the show and do some socializing. The people are one of the biggest reasons why I love working in the fly fishing industry, and there's something about shows, maybe its the absolute exhaustion combined with a wee little bit of alcohol, that creates a sense of family. The show went by fast, as they all do, but was crammed full of events. It was exactly what I needed to finally help me start feeling positive about myself and my life again. I was able to spend time with old friends, and meet some incredible new ones. That was the first time I'd really encountered this scenario: "Oh, Adrienne, do you know ________?" "We've never met in person, but we're friends on Facebook." It made me realize not only how small the fly fishing world is, but how like minded people are drawn to and seek out each other regardless of geography.

Me, Ape, Paula, Timbre and Caitlin at the Expo

February, March and April went something like this: work Thursday through Monday at the fly shop, with the occassional Friday or Saturday night drinks with friends, drive out to Chilliwack after work Monday to meet up with friends for Monday Night Tacos at the Jolly Miller ($1.00 tacos and cheap Corona) which invariably always got a little messier (tequila shots) than we intended, sleep in Tuesday morning and fish the afternoon, sometimes for cutties but most often for steelhead, sometimes stay over again and fish Wednesday, or head home for a little sleep and rebooting for the upcoming work week.

This season was my best for winter steelhead, not only was my hook up for time spent ratio pretty exceptional, but it was also the funnest season I think I've ever had out there. The Vedder is a busy system, and it is very, very easy to get annoyed and frustrated with the pressure. Some days we'd fish a run or two, meet up with friends, drink a few beer and have a good bullshit session. Did we find fish? Not every day, but yes, we still caught fish and had a hell of a good time doing it.

In March a good friend, Bill, came up from Washington to fish, and we had a fun couple of days on the river. I didn't touch one, but Bill and Ben both landed an incredible fish each. Bill unfortunately had to witness a beautiful wild steelhead being dragged up onto the gravel, unhooked, and then kicked back into the water. The angler was swearing mad that he had caught three wild fish that morning, when what he really was looking for was a hatchery fish to kill.

April started off with a bang with the Whistler Fly Fishing/Pieroway Fly Rods Cast & Blast in Squamish. I made it out for the Saturday night IronFly Tying Competition (which I won :P), the SSBC auction, and the subsequent late night shenanigans around the bonfire. The following week I had an amazing afternoon fishing on my own where I landed 3 beautiful fish with no one around, and finally landed a fish on my birthday. The M&Y Spey Day was a huge success again, and we followed it up with a big bonfire on the gravel bar afterwards. Josh made it out from Calgary for a couple days, and we had one beautiful day fishing the Cheakamus and the next day fishing a rising, dirty river in the torrential rain.

Stay tuned for for part 2 of 2012...

The Moose Herd

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 21:36:00 +0000

After a long hiatus....

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 07:48:00 +0000

I have decided to resurrect The Female Angle. :)

It has been a crazy year. I've got a lot of stories to tell, and a lot of pictures to share. Life is good. Complicated, as always, but good. There are some exciting and amazing new experiences coming my way, and I'll do my best to keep you all updated.

For now, I'll leave you with the most important thing that I always knew, but never really took to heart as much as I have this year: No matter how good or shitty life is, how amazing or terrible a day of fishing is, how much you love or hate your job, how rich or poor you are, the thing that matters most is family and good friends. So to all of you who have been there for me, made me laugh or let me cry, kicked my ass when I needed it or wrapped me up in a big hug, forgave my fuckups and celebrated my successes, thank you.

I wouldn't be where I am today without you all, and I love you.

Introducing the Hatch Finatic

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:25:00 +0000

I do loooooove Hatch Reels.

I just saw a real life version of the new Finatic today, and it looks so good! Super smooth, tough, and an incredible drag - what more do you want in a reel? Well, now it's lighter.

The perfect reel.

Girls' Day Out

noreply@blogger.com (Spey Angel) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 06:13:00 +0000

This is my dear friend Sarah Henry. The one who has pictures of herself fly casting in her wedding dress. The awesome lady who caught a world record rooster fish on her honeymoon. And this is a ridiculous bull trout from her recent trip up to a big lake in the BC interior.

Well, Sarah and her husband recently (finally, Dave!!!) bought themselves a beautiful 20ft HCM jet boat, and have been burning through gas like it costs 39 cents again. That's 39 cents per litre, for the benefit of my friends to the south. Curtis and I went out with them a few weeks ago and helped them dial in on sturgeon, and Dave has been guiding on his days off and loving it. After his first day guiding I believe his words were "Best day of work...EVER."

One thing us better halfs of boat owners have been dreaming about is a girls day out on the water in one of our boats. Sarah and I finally made it happen. In the midst of torrential rain, and a rising, colouring up river, we met at Island 22 boat launch in Chilliwack. Sarah had just gotten her boater's license the week before, and while she'd driven the boat and trailered it a couple times in Fort Langley, this was her first chance to do it all.

And do it all she did. I was there to offer moral support, a few words of encouragement and the odd suggestion or two. Other than that, I sat on my ass while Super Sarah backed the boat in, drove it off the tailer, parked the truck, drove us up river, pulled in to shore, anchored the boat up, then after fishing for a little while, pushing the boat off, heading to another spot, and finally re-trailering the boat (on her first real attempt - and the river at Island 22 is pushing WAY faster than in Langley). And... we even caught a few fish.

I have to say, I am so proud of her, she kicked ass, and will continue to do so. Sarah is one of those people who makes my life complete, a dear friend who I admire, respect and aspire to be like. And, to top it all off, she loves to fish.

So this post is basically to say congrats to Sarah for her first successful solo trip in her gorgeous new boat. Thanks for taking me with you. Here's to many more fabulous Girls' Day Out.

Check out Sarah and Dave's websites:

Fraser Valley Flyfishing

2 Handed Trout