Month: March 2013

Conservation, Hoh River Trust

The Hoh River Trust

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on The Hoh River Trust

My good friend, Pam Harris, shared this article with me that talks about a group that was formed, called the Hoh River Trust, to help protect the Hoh river and the wildlife that it inhabits.

Here is the part of the article that, to me, highlights the importance of why the group was formed:

“The Hoh River has been called “a last great American river.”

It is home to one of the healthiest native salmon and steelhead runs in the continental U.S., and famous for its huge trees and rain forests.

It remains untouched by dams, major river diversions or significant hatchery influence.

The Hoh River is one of the larger river systems on the Peninsula, with headwaters on Mount Olympus, then coursing almost 60 miles to the Pacific Ocean.

The first 30 miles and the mouth are protected within Olympic National Park.

And now the 26 miles outside the park are largely protected with conservation easements on state, federal and private lands as well as almost 7,000 acres owned by the Hoh River Trust.

The mission of the Hoh River Trust is to preserve and enhance lands forming a corridor along the river while maintaining public access for fishing, hunting, hiking and boating.” click here for the rest

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here has is the breakdown of what the Trust has done since it was established in 2004:

  • $12mm in Federal Grants for land acquisition
  • 6,800 acres under HRT ownership
  • $1mm in grants for restoration projects
  • 29 river miles protected
  • 9 fish barriers and blockages removed
  • 8 tributary miles opened for fish passage
  • 533 acres of forest lands in active restoration
  • 1.9 miles  of roads decommissioned
  • 1066 acres controlled per year for invasive plants 

Source: http://www.hohrivertrust.org

For more information on the Hoh River Trust and how you can get involved:
Click Here



Advice, Humor

How to Pee Outside (For the Ladies)

by Lisa R1 Comment on How to Pee Outside (For the Ladies)

I am not a guide. I can’t teach you how to cast. I certainly can’t teach you how to tie flies (I’m still learning myself!)…

But, I can teach you how to pee outside.

As a woman who got into fly-fishing because of her male counterpart, initially I assumed that there would be an outhouse nearby or that a facility would magically appear every time I needed to “go”. I quickly learned that this was far from the truth. Sure, there are those glorious luxuries available in some areas… Just not in any of the ones I seem to fish near.

So, here is the truth, ladies: If you want to fly-fish, you are gonna have to learn how to pee outside. Oh- and it’s important to know how to avoid urinating on your wader straps. Trust me, I’ve done that before. Just hold onto them while you’re doing your business, and you’re good to go.

Without going into unnecessary details, just remember two key pointers:

1) Look before you squat. You never want to find yourself in an embarrassing predicament with your rear in full view of a road behind you.

2) Don’t make a big deal about it. Especially if you are fishing with dudes. Just casually make your way into the woods or behind a log jam on the bank, do your business, and get back to fishing. It’s as simple as that.

And there you have it. A few simple words of wisdom from a gal who once learned the hard way.

Happy fishing and squatting, ladies!

~Lisa

“Swing Flies, Be Happy.”

FTC Disclosure, Ross Reels

Ross CLA Reel Review

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on Ross CLA Reel Review

I have owned my Ross CLA #6 reel for 3 years now and have thrown it on a few different spey rods (7 or 8 wt), and I love it.

Bottom line is: An excellent reel for your buck.

As described by the company itself:
“This is why the CLA series is the most popular reel for outfitters and guides who demand unwavering performance in an affordable package. This is the same reason the CLA is also our dealers’ favorite for anglers that are looking for an American made, high quality, reasonably priced fly reel”. See Full Description Here

For someone who was just getting into spey casting for big steelhead and salmon and on a budget, this reel was the perfect one for me when shopping for reels over three years ago. The size 6 is specifically designed for 9/10/11 wt. spey rods or 10-12 wt. single hand rods, but I have used it on my DH8133 “Decho” rod year-round, and I recently and put it on the Sage ONE 7126, and it does the job on both.

Fighting a steelhead on the “Decho”
CLA 6 on the ONE and a friend’s CLA 5 on his Scott

Low down on why I would recommend the Ross CLA 6 reel:

  • It’s affordable (Suggested Retail: $295.00)
  • Strong drag system for “the big ones”
  • Sharp looking (I get a lot of compliments on mine)
  • Good for anglers just getting into the sport (for all the reasons above), and also because it is easy to use and adjust.
  • Great for year-round steelhead/salmon (It can handle summer/fall/winter lines rigged up with different sizes and weight of lines.)
  • Did I mention, it’s affordable?

For more info and places to purchase a Ross CLA, CLICK HERE

~Lisa

“Swing Flies, Be Happy”

FTC Disclosure, Sage

"Sage ONE" Spey Rod Review

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on "Sage ONE" Spey Rod Review

I had the pleasure of casting the Sage ONE 7126-4 spey rod for a week while I was fishing the Olympic Peninsula.

Luckily, I got more than just a few casts in with it:

spey casting/woman fly-fishing/steelhead/swinging flies
 
 
steelhead/flyfishing/women fly-fishing

Needless to say, I was able to give it the best gear test imaginable. 

The Sage ONE Series is excellent for long days of casting heavy lines and weighted flies for winter steelhead.

As described by the company itself: 

Our lightest, most responsive two-handed rods yet.

The new Two-Handed ONE spey rods place all the remarkable benefits of Konnetic technology in both of your hands. Its lighter weight and decidedly thinner profile are welcome assets over a long day of fishing, reducing casting fatigue and minimizing wind resistance for tireless casts. Thanks to the shaft’s significantly enhanced torsional stability, the rod recovers extremely quickly as it moves through the cast, optimizing load carry and line speed for long, smooth, flawless casts every time. The shaft’s decreased lateral movement and vibrations keep you more connected to your line, cast, mends and swing. 

Check it out 

With the 7126-4, I was able to cast tight loops with a Skagit Flight 500 gr. line, 12 ft. of T-14, and large weighted flies, without the normal fatigue that occurs after a full day of “a thousand casts” for these tough winter fish.

Making “off-shoulder”, double-spey, snap-t, under tree limbs or around-a-rock casts– it easily loaded line and when the timing was right, the cast launched superbly. 

The low down on why I would buy this rod in a heart-beat:

  • The sleek design (gotta love that Black Ice color)
  • The capability to easily cast long, heavy lines/winter gear
  • Its light-weight feel and tough handling when fighting a big fish
  • Solid rod tube that isn’t bad to look at in your living room
  • The lifetime warranty Info Here  

Ultimately, would I recommend this rod series to anyone? YES. No question about it. 

See for yourself:

Sage ONE Series

~Lisa

 

Spey casting, Steelhead, Women on the Fly

Women on the Fly

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on Women on the Fly

I hope most people have seen a photo or two of this awesome gal holding a gigantic steelhead already at some point, but for those who have not, meet Anette Lauder:

Courtesy of Anette

Anette is an avid fly-fisher from Smithers, B.C. where she is a R.N. by day (or night, depending on when they need her I’m sure!) and a badass steelheader when she isn’t busy taking care of patients.

Courtesy of Anette

First of all, how can you resist that smile? When I first started getting into steelhead fishing, I came across many photos of this woman holding monster chromers with that amazing smile, and I couldn’t help but think how not only was she clearly a fantastic fisherwoman, but she also looked like someone you would want to meet and get to know. (I hope that happens soon!)

Here is a bit she wrote explaining this gorgeous photo she sent me:



“It captures the beauty of a Northern BC river on a cold October day and appears to be mysterious and dark. Love it! Steelheading is especially a challenge on those days. After switching to the other side of the river, I hooked into my biggest buck just before dark in the fast tail of this run. Last cast and an incredibly aggressive take by this steelhead… Experience of a lifetime with my husband Gregg and our dog Bear at my side. Sharing those moments is the best!!!”
I could not agree more, Anette! That type of story will stay with you forever, because as you and many of us know, if it wasn’t for the challenge, winter steelheading would be far less rewarding. Half of the beauty in catching these magnificent creatures, is the way you go about hooking them… Swinging flies in tough conditions is my favorite way to seek out these fish, and I know sharing those moments with your loved ones (dog and husband in my case too) is the icing on the cake.
Thanks for sharing girl!
 Fish on~
-Lisa
“Swing Flies, Be Happy”
FTC Disclosure, Legal Info.

FTC Disclosure

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on FTC Disclosure

In order to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s policy for writing “gear reviews” on personal blogs or websites, I will include mine here in detail, and for every post that is written for gear that I didn’t purchase myself, there will be a link to this page.

FTC Disclosure for PNW Gal On The Fly:

All products reviewed on my “PNW Gal On The Fly” website, were given to me to review based on the terms as follows:

  • Product was gifted to me by a company to review and allowed to keep
  • Product was given to me by a company to borrow, review and return
  • Product was gifted to me by a person not affiliated with the company
  • Product was lent to me for the sole purpose of reviewing

Product Review Policy:

  • Reviews will only be posted if I have permission to do so by the company 
  • Reviews on products/gear that I own, purchased myself, or were gifted to me, will be posted purely for writing pleasure and as review samples for personal benefit

If there are any additional circumstances that come up, they will be added to the list above.

Thank you for reading.

-Lisa

 

PNW Gal On The Fly, Thoughts

In the works…

by Lisa RLeave a Comment on In the works…

Well, my new venture is really feeling like a reality.

I had this moment yesterday at work when I actually was close to having a panic attack. Not because of my recent decision to pursue a career in writing (which can certainly be daunting), but the fact that my “day job” was truly making me unhappy, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I must clarify, that it isn’t the company or the people who work there that caused this sudden wave of emotions, rather the knowledge that I simply wasn’t meant to be there. I know deep down inside, that I am simply destined for being outside, on the rivers and writing.

Whether my dream of writing for a living were to come true today, a year from now, or– as hesitant as I am to say– never, I just know that what I do in the interim needs to be doing something that I don’t feel like I am failing at. If I’m not able to give my current job 100%, or at least contribute a fair amount of honest effort, there is no point. With a company that has understandably high goals and expectations of its employees, I know I’m not only wasting their time and mine, but it also isn’t fair to either party in the long run.

I need to earn my gray hairs doing something I am passionate about. Stressing out about a deadline for a client, hoping that my computer doesn’t crash in the middle of a project, or trying to make a successful submission for a competitive editorial piece, are just a few examples of the kind of meaningful stress I’m referring to. Not going home and feeling depressed, because there is a void in my life that happens between the hours of “nine-to-five”.

The simple fact is: I love people, and working with them, but I have been covering up my true self and identity for the last two-and-a-half-years, and my panic was unleashed from this realization. “Why am I doing this?”, and more importantly, “What am I not doing?” were questions that flashed like high beams in my face at night driving down a one-way street… My next thought was: “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway”, the title of a book by Susan Jeffers, which was just the fuel I needed to start the engine to release this dream I have buried away for far too long.

Ultimately, I have taken a leap of faith, and I am scared, excited, anxious, giddy, hopeful and all-together happy that I am paving the way to fulfill my dream. This is what this freelance writing venture is all about. Taking a chance on a dream. An aspiration. A vision. Hope.

What’s next?

I have never been more ready to find out.

~L.S.