This past fall I was entered into a fly fishing tournament at the infamous Blackhawk Fly Fishing in Clarksville, GA.   I am not much of a competitive angler however I was assured it was nothing short of a really good time.  The 2-day tournament consisted of two teams of 4 anglers: The Soque River Sisters vs. the Foggy Bottom Boys.  A competition of the genders, aye??

The weekend of festivities began when we arrived at the lodge, greeted by three friendly black labs, a roaring fire adjacent to the patio (equipt with a bar full of refreshing beverages & homemade hors d'oeuvres) and two on the most accommodating hosts,  John and Abby Jackson, owners of Blackhawk Fly Fishing Lodge.  The fellow anglers introduced themselves and we all quickly became fast friends.  Our home for the weekend was a turn of the century cabin, one of the original structures on this homestead (which century, I am not sure)  It was authentically rustic, rich in history and well appointed with what you would expect to find in a true Fly Fishing cabin...various trophy fish mounted on the walls, books, pictures and vintage tackle strewn throughout.  Several structures like this are nested throughout the property, all equipt with great accommodations for us anglers.  There is even a small fly shop adjacent to the lodge.  But I digress.  Let's talk about the fishing...

"Blackhawk provides private fishing along approximately two miles of the spring creek fed waters of the Soque River as it runs through Batesville, Georgia from the Blue Ridge Mountains. This private stream provides a perfect haven for both trout and anglers alike with strong runs of rapids, deep pools and slow flowing lanes over sand and rock bottom. The multitude of fishing sections provide various casting scenarios from roll casting to full backcasts, permitting the novice angler opportunities for good presentations and challenging the experienced caster’s abilities."  -Quote taken from the website.

Tournament Day:  Teams gather, stategize over coffee and a roaring fire pit on a crisp fall morning.  Eagerly, our team headed to the assigned section of water with nothing but fishing on the brain.  The stream is crystal clear, 55 degrees and almost instantly we see healthy fish all their likely places.  The water reads like a textbook and within a few casts we have the first bite of the day ... a 18" Rainbow.  Downriver, I see another hook up by our teammate.  And that was pretty much how it played out the rest of the morning.  Add a few 20"+ Browns and The Soque River Sisters were off to a great start!  Over lunch, the boys were tight lipped over their catches but the girls...we were giddy and catty, sneaking in a few jabs when given the chance.  It was clear, we were in the lead.

After lunch we switched sections with the Foggy Bottom Boys and continued the day, hooking up using tried and true fly patterns consistent with the natural aquatic insects that inhabited the stream (and maybe a few secret patterns).  We worked together and shared techniques throughout the day.  Maybe it was a competition but us "sisters" were really enjoying the camaraderie on the water in addition to the shear beauty that surrounded us. 

We fished hard all day and even though we were just shy of being totally exhausted, we were hard pressed to leave the water.  John and Abby had planned a celebratory dinner for all of us ... inviting Soque river guides, family & friends to join us for a fun evening of revelry. 

We continued fishing the next day, haphazardly keeping score as it was clear that the The Soque River Sisters had this competition in the net.  I don't know what the final score was but I will say, everyone had a great time.  Blackhawk has a way of bringing strangers together knowing that when you leave, you will have life long memories and new friends to share in your adventures.

You'll just have to experience Blackhawk Fly Fishing for yourself sometime.  I know I am looking forward to going back soon.

If you have ever worked a trade show you probably have heard someone, usually another vendor, say to you, "Have a Good Show!".  It can rub you in the same dreadful way as somebody telling you that "you must have a case of the Mondays".  Icky. 

My days working boring trade shows are long over. Nowadays I get to work at shows that actually pique my interests.  This weekend is no exception ... it is the annual FLY FISHING SHOW in Raleigh, NC!  "Working" this show means meeting  wonderful people and talking to them about fly fishing (and such), seeing old friends and learning a few things from fly fishing icons such as flygirl Sarah Gardner!

If you just so happen to be in the Raleigh area, please stop by and check this out.  It is a great event all around with wonderful speakers, workshops and a tons of gear to try out.  From the novice to the season pro, they'll be something for EVERYONE.

With that said ... why yes, I WILL have a good show!  Hope to see you there!

Flygirl Reba

_Skiing Lessons:  After years and years of skiing, badly, I decided it’s finally time to take some professional lessons.  My Wednesdays are dedicated to some good ol’ fashion downhill skiing with a great group of gals at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, NC.

Unfortunately, I no longer live in the freshly powdered mountains of the West and I have to settle for skiing on hills of “mashed potatoes”.  Why did I wait so long to do this?

What I've learned:  It sucks feeling like you should be further along than you are AND I need to get over the regret of not doing more in the past. If you truly want to improve upon your skill, don’t be too proud to seek out good instruction even if it means starting from the beginning (and exercise caution when taking free advice from your spouse. That could end badly).

_Striped Bass Fishing:  Let me sum it up for you: Casting a 9wt flyrod with a 300 grain sinking line off a boat to fish that you can not see in a 76,450 acre lake in the middle of winter for 6 hours straight (and it’s raining).  That 20lb Striper that might eat your fly is just one more cast away … even if you are freezing cold and it’s dark out.  Just. One. More. Cast. The most addicting fishing I’ve done in years.  I can’t wait to do it again!

What I've learned:  Why do I love fly-fishing so much?  "There are works which wait, and which one does not understand for a long time," said Oscar Wilde. "The reason is that they bring answers to questions which have not yet been raised; for the question often arrives a terribly long time after the answer."

_Thrash Metal: One of our fishing buddies so eloquently speaks of the talent of Heavy Metal music, as if he is speaking about classical composers on a PBS special.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit curious about the music of the dark side.  So with slight hesitation I accepted the invite to an "Anthrax" concert.  Why?  For research, of course.  I know.  Me.  Actually there.  In a Mosh Pit.  Well, I stayed clear of the mosh pit but I was banging my head a little. I thought I would feel sorely out of place but the crowd was as welcoming as a John Tesh show. The music really got your blood moving … has anyone tried using thrash metal in music therapy? A totally raw and awesome experience. Am I downloading copious amounts of metal to my iPod?  No, not a chance but I may sing along to a song or two if it should come on the radio.

What I've learned:  Do something that scares you.  Just maybe you’ll extract something meaningful from the experience.   Maybe.  It’s worth a shot.

_
What does all of this mean?  What does 2012 have in store for me?  What does it have in store for WNC Women on the Fly? I think it’s clearly written out ...

Work on fine-tuning your skills, be persistent & be brave! 

We’ll announce some exciting happenings coming up this year … like ladies fishing trips & shotgun shooting clinics.  Opportunities for you to fine-tune your skills, persistently and bravely.  We do have a mailing list you know ...make sure you sign up to get the details of future events. 

New year, new adventures.  Let’s do this!

~Flygirl Reba

The winter issue of the regional online magazine, Southern Culture on the Fly is live!  Check it out!  Image is linked.

The 2nd annual Tie-One-On-Athon is happening Feb 26th, 2012.  This is a great event to benefit the local chapter of Project Healing Waters and to get a bunch of fly tiers together for a fun day.  Stop by and hang out, tie some flies, watch others tie, learn a few tips or all of the above! 

Last year was a success, raising a few thousand dollars for PHW in addition to tons of donated flies.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

My first and only hunting trip took place in Southern California's Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in the mid-nineties.  A friend invited me to join him in a snow goose hunt mainly because, at the time, I wasn't too keen on killing wild creatures for the purpose of sport.  He, an avid sportsman, felt a need to educate me by demonstrating why hunting is so important to the health of our wildlife and the enlightenment of our beings.  All I could say was that it worked!  It was an unforgettable and immensely educating experience, spiritually, physically and mentally to say the least.  Long story made short, we shot several snow geese and cooked them up for supper the next day.  Not the best tasting dinner but vastly satisfying.  

I have wanted to learn how to hunt on my own ever since however other activities took priority and life went on without ever going back to the blind.  

After reading the book, Girl Hunter by Georgia Pellegrini I am more inspired than ever to experience the woods wake up and to be on the hunt for my next adventure.  As someone that loves to feed people, I was most impressed with the recipes and the respect that each dish commanded.  I can only imagine the great stories that are told while sharing the dinner table with Georgia.

Teaming up with characters from across the U.S. and abroad whether in the back of an ATV chasing wild hogs along the banks of the Mississippi or on a dove hunt with beer and barbeque in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Georgia travels in search of her main course.  More than a food-laden hunting narrative, Girl Hunter also teaches you how to be a self-sufficient eater.  Each chapter offers recipes  for dishes like wild turkey and ouster stew, stuffed quail, pheasant tagine and venison sausage.  Each dish, like each story, is an adventure from beginning to end.

As I finished each chapter of Girl Hunter I held the book up to my chest and sighed, thinking *THIS* is what I want to experience.  She doesn't sugar coat her trips and every hunt does not end with a trophy kill.  Her experiences are rich in lessons of life and her words place you there along side of her. 

Really, you have got to read this book!

For those of us that follow fly fishing blogs, Christine Warren of  www.FlyfishChick.com is certainly one of the more entertaining of them all.  We love following Christine around the country sharing captivating stories of good fishing, good friends, good food and great adventure.  Her recent adventure was taking on the Texas Water Safari, a 260-mile paddle race from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast for the first time inspired a lot of us.  We can share in her experience with this race with her new book, Paddlefish.  www.paddlefishthebook.com

Christine will be in Cashiers, NC at High Hampton Inn signing books this Friday Nov. 25th from 4-5pm

Christine Warren grew up in Texas and Tennessee before attending the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. After graduating in 1993 with a degree in English, she worked for fourteen years in
marketing and advertising.  In 2007 she left corporate life to explore a growing passion for writing and fly fishing. When her
fishing friends introduced her to the Texas Water Safari, she recognized it as a life-altering challenge
that she couldn’t resist.  With her husband and daughter, she splits time between Austin, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. To
follow her writing and speaking engagements on fish, rivers, and brazen leaps of faith, visit Christine’s
website at FlyFishChick.com.

Excerpt from the book:

PADDLEFISH

By
C H R I S T I N E W A R R E N

On a sweltering summer day in 2010, Christine Warren stepped into a 24- foot canoe and paddled toward a goal that she never previously imagined possible.
The Texas Water Safari is a 260-mile paddle race from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. Run continuously since 1963, the course follows the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers to the coastal fishing town of Seadrift. Paddlers must complete the race in 100 hours. While the exhausting pace and blistering heat are reason enough to bow out, it’s the ancillary hurdles that often eliminate racers long before the finish line: dam portages, water moccasins, logjams, mosquitoes, dysentery, alligators, sleep deprivation, and equipment failures.
Paddlefish is the first complete narrative ever published on The Texas Water Safari. With a mixture of humor, misery, history and triumph, Christine has written an engaging and entertaining memoir of her yearlong transformation from a mom, writer and fly fisher, to a viable competitor in “The World’s Toughest Boat Race.”
If you’ve ever wondered what extra-ordinary challenges lurk beyond your comfort zone, this book may help you discover what’s ultimately possible.