David Sikes

David Sikes/Caller-Times

San Antonio member of the Texas Women Fly Fishers Betty Dickens’ sense of style just might have added to her confidence on the Guadalupe River, where thousands of rainbow trout await a well-placed fly.

SATTLER - While the rest of civilization was adrift in the swift current of Super Bowl Weekend, nearly 50 Texas women gathered on the banks of the Guadalupe River for the first outing of the Texas Women Fly Fishers.
   Spectators, they were not.
   The trip also was not an act of defiance - that is to say nothing as contrary as distaste for football drove the women to the river this particular weekend - but rather, it was a function of sweet indulgence.
   Even drenched in drizzle, novice anglers and veteran fly casters alike beamed contagious enthusiasm.
   That certainly applied to San Antonio sportswoman Betty Dickens, whose passion for fishing was as undeniable as her fashion sense. A well-timed sidewalk sale at nearby Gruene Outfitters (the original location) provided a welcomed break from tangled leaders, knot-tying and casting lessons, fly tying and the occasional pull of a rainbow trout on the lightest of tackle.
   Getting women involved
   It was all part of this first of many fishing trips the group has scheduled for the year. Why should men have all the fun?
   TWFF was formed in September as a way to get more women involved in fly fishing and ultimately more active in local fly fishing clubs, most of which offer frequent angling opportunities in waters near and far, salty and fresh.
   The thinking was that a group exclusively for women would be less intimidating and foster more angling confidence in its members than would a mixed club. In turn, after the women get their feet wet, the TWFF could serve as a training ground or springboard to boost membership in hometown fly-fishing clubs throughout the state. The ultimate goal of any angling club is to promote play and to preserve the playground.
   Release of the rainbows

David Sikes/Caller-Times

Fly-casting instructor Ray Chapa’s dubious netting skills proved adequate in capturing this 18-inch rainbow, caught on a five-weight fly rod by Rockport angler Sally Moffett.

   The river trip coincided loosely with a meeting of the Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited chapter, a conservation club mostly made up of fly fishermen. Only weeks before, TU and Texas Parks and Wildlife had released rainbow trout into the river, below the dam. Several women in the new organization hold dual memberships in the two clubs.
   I latched onto a group at Camp Beans, off River Road near Third Crossing, that included Dickson, Rockport businesswomen Kathy Maloy, veteran angler Lisa Bellar, a graphic artists from Lake Jackson, Houston kindergarten teacher Ellen Matthews and Vicky Vanderpas of Sherman.
   I was careful not to allow my impression of these ladies be swayed by the color-coordinated wardrobes of a few. They're serious anglers, no question, as evidenced by their stalwart stance against a sustained river flow of 800 cubic feet per second.
   For those unfamiliar with river flow, that's a brisk current.
   I don't recommend fishing in these conditions, unless you can find a wide spot in the river with firm footing. But I couldn't blame the women for venturing a little ways from the bank. Many of them had come a long way to be there.
   Of course, I followed.
   None of us was swept away.
   Taming the river
   Ideal fishing conditions on the Guadalupe are between 200 cfs and 400 cfs. To find out up-to-date river flow conditions, call (830) 964-3342.
   The banks along several sections of the river are leased from landowners by TU, for exclusive access by its members and guests. But several other sections provide either free public access or access for a nominal fee, charged by riverside outfitters.
   For the women, most of Day One was spent getting accustomed to the river, preparing lines, practicing casting under less than ideal conditions and bonding. Day Two, we caught fish.
   I spent time with the kindergarten teacher first.
   A two-year veteran fly caster, Matthews cut her teeth on the flats of Galveston Bay. Despite being accustomed to very different conditions, she demonstrated skill and concentration with a five-weight fly rod. Though her expertise was lost on whatever fish may have been in the area that day.
   The love of fishing

TP&W Fly Fish 2001 WHEN: March 3 WHERE: Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens WHAT TO EXPECT: Fly-fishing seminars and demonstrations; fly-tying classes; catch & release trout fishing; and presentations/instruction by a host of fly-fishing notables, such as Chico Fernandez, Chuck Scates, Bill Gammel, Jeff and Cyndie Schmitt and TWFF President Constance Whiston. For information: Call (903) 670-2227; e-mail jknight@tyler.net or waltermc@sprynet.com; or visit the Web site: http://freepages.arts.rootsweb.com/~wem1/index.htm Texas Women Fly Fishers information twff.net womensflyfishingnet.com Constance.whiston@tpwd.state.tx.us Sally Moffett in Rockport - (361) 729-9095 Future outings planned: April - Llano River June - Nueces River, Bud Priddy One Fly Contest September - Red Fish Rodeo, Port O'Connor Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited Grtu.org Membership@grtu.org Paul Swacina - 881- 9643 or pswacina@brinandbrin.com Coastal Bend Fly Fishers Paul Swacina - 881- 9643 or pswacina@brinandbrin.com

   Her casual focus and composed demeanor contrasted with the river that boiled at her knees. Bracing against the flow, Matthews spoke of how TWFF, for her, is a blend of camaraderie and affirmation.
   This attitude was pervasive among the women I met.
   "I thought I was one of the only women out there who loves to fish," Matthews said. "Now I know better. These gals are great fun to be around."
   Matthews said that previously, she even was hesitant to tell her fellow teachers how she spends her weekends. Not because she was ashamed or embarrassed, but for fear they couldn't relate.
   "I don't think the other teachers at my elementary school are remotely interested in getting involved in fly fishing," she said. "But when I'm with this group, each of us has something to offer each other, whether it's about fly-fishing gear, a new fly or just a story about how great the last place we went was."
   For Matthews, fishing is a way of life and, in her words, an obsession. From the moment she leaves school most Fridays, Matthews wonders whether conditions will be right on the water that weekend.
   At times, her obsession can't wait until after class, where a captive audience of potential anglers feeds on her zeal, not to mention her catch.
   One Monday session included baked flounder, a tasty specimen caught on the fly the previous day by their teacher.
   "My five- and six-year-olds take it all in," Matthews said. "I try to make drawings of the fish that I catch so they can learn what they look like. And, of course, I've got to tell them how I catch them."
   Passing it on
   It's likely Ms. Matthews' class will graduate a future fly fisher or two, based on their response. She's already passed on her passion to her college-aged son.
   Recruitment is a worthy goal for any angler. But it's not what Matthews thinks about when she struggles out of bed to be on the water by dawn.
   "Nothing clears your mind like watching the sun rise over the water," she said. "Every time I see it, I think how lucky I am to be surrounded by such beauty. I get a knot in my throat."
   Most men I fish with don't express it quite that way. But it's what many of us feel, just the same.
   Maybe we aren't from different planets after all.