A retired Wellington woman is using her experience as a
business professional to lure more females into flyfishing
and reap the rewards of the pursuit.
Fish & Game
NZ sells around 100,000 freshwater fishing anglers licences
each year, with around one-third of participants being
women.
Fly fisher Leigh Johnson wants to help shift
that demographic and with the help of the Kapiti Fly Fishing
Club she is organising a weekend workshop in November
(25-27) for women from the Wellington region, on the banks
of the acclaimed Hutt River trout fishery.
“I think
a lack of female role models is a possible barrier for women
taking up flyfishing as a recreational activity, so a key
aspect of this workshop is to bring in experienced female
fly fishers from around New Zealand to share their skills
and experience over the weekend.
“The target
audience for the ‘Women on the Fly’ workshop is women
who want to learn about flyfishing and give it a go, as well
as those who wish to develop their skills, confidence,
general knowledge, and friendships.”
So, why
flyfishing?
Johnson says women’s lives can be
stressful given the challenges associated with juggling work
and family, and that flyfishing is a wonderful way to
decompress and destress.
Additionally, around the
world flyfishing is recognised for its rejuvenating
qualities with established programmes to aid the recovery of
breast cancer survivors and help veterans of armed conflict
reintegrate into normal daily life.
“Not everyone
likes going to the gym,” she jokes. “Seriously though,
when I was running my business in Wellington it was an
incredibly hectic period in my life. I wish I had maintained
an active interest in flyfishing, rather than returning to
it in my retirement, as it would certainly have helped me
unwind and recenter at a time when I needed
balance.
“The other great thing about flyfishing in
New Zealand is that it is so accessible. Not only are we
recognised as having the best trout fishery in the world,
almost all Kiwis have superb angling right on their doorstep
with most rivers, streams and lakes holding healthy
populations of fish!
“You don’t need to wade in
water up to your hips to be successful, which I know is what
prevents some women from taking up the pastime. But I love
that it helps me stay fit.”
Johnson has drawn on her
business nous to project-manage the event, which has
involved successfully applying for an underwriting grant
from Wellington Fish & Game, arranging guest speakers
and presenters, and door-knocking potential
sponsors.
“The support we’ve had from everyone is
just fantastic. It is going to be a superb event and I
can’t wait to see a cohort of women head off on their own
exciting angling journey and reap all the rewards that the
pursuit has to offer.”
Corina Jordan, Fish &
Game NZ’s first female chief executive, says the
initiative is wonderful and just what angling
needs.
“We are currently embarking on a nation-wide
survey of our women licence holders to try and find the
drivers for their involvement, and how we might use that to
bring more female anglers into the fold.
“But these
events like Leigh has organised at the grass-roots level are
so valuable for helping drive recruitment and setting up
support networks for anglers starting
out.”
DETAILS:
Date:
November 25-27, 2022.
Venue: Hutt
Canoe Club and Akatarawa Scout
Hall.
Registrations are
essential; visit www.womenonthefly.nz
to book a spot or make an
enquiry.
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