O Canada 5 Tips for successful travel
Taming Guidezilla Winging It
CAN YOU CHANGE AS FAST AS THE W E AT H ER ?
Our fishing-specific insulation is part of a versatile layering system that lets you easily adapt to shifting conditions. Through long days of fishing, the only constant is change. But with the right layers in your kit, you can keep your own thermostat steady. Built for warmth and freedom of movement across a wide range of temperatures, our Tough Puff Hoody features a stretch-woven, highly abrasion-resistant face that holds off light precipitation and is durable enough to push through tangled cover. Stretchy and breathable insulation keeps the comfort level high, and streamlined cuffs with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish shed water on the release.
Jenn Love bat tles a sea-run cut throat and small-craf t advisories on a Pacific Nor thwest winter day. Puget Sound, Washington. RICH CROWDER Š 2018 Patagonia, Inc.
Women’s Tough Puff Hoody
Fall 2018
Features ON THE COVER
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Crossing the Border A trip across the border to experience the sights and sounds of Calgary.
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The Ritual of Salmon Fishing Fishing for Atlantic salmon had its own set of rules, one of them was boys only, but not anymore.
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Labrador Many go to fish for large brook trout, but there are many other species, including large pike.
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Brook Trout & Blueberry Pie A 2,000 mile road trip with dad ends in family fun, trout fishing in the Adirondacks, and blueberry pie.
The Highwood River, near Calgary, Alberta Canada, shows major flood damage, but there appears to have been no impact to the quality of the trout fishing. FEATURES
Fall 2018
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departments
From Every Angle
Kit and Kaboodle
CONSERVATION
GEAR
Casting Light
An unlikely alliance between beaver and trout
Jen's Must-Haves for Fall
17
Don't let the changing weather keep you inside
115
MEMORIES
FASHION
Ode to a Truck Dents and scratches tell a story
Get this Look
26
Outdoor gear to keep you warm and fashionable
120
GENEROSITY
An Unlikely Partnership
LUXURY
A beer company gives back to fight breast cancer
28
Why It's Worth It It may cost more than your budget but here's why
130
SOLO
Taming Guidezilla
EQUIPMENT
Going solo doesn't have to be a nightmare
37
Getting You Out There Here is what you need to get to your destination
136
DIFFERENCE
Straight Outta Coeur d'Alene Meet Katlin Barnhart
Tuck In
42 COMMUNITY
HOMEMADE
The Juliana's Anglers Sporting Club
Muscadine Wine
An all women's fishing club in New York state
A southern American tradition you should make at home this fall
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28
CONQUER
Calm out of Chaos When work and play collide it can be stressful
50
In Every Edition
FUTURE
Life Choices
7 Letter From The Editor
The dream of becoming a guide is a reality for one young girl
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TRAVEL
Winging It Traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park
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47
11 We Hear You
139 REFRESHMENT
Apple Bourbon Bellini Our favorite fall drink
145
Foundation BASICS
12 Contributors
13 Janell's Five Tips
Backing up a Trailer A few helpful tips to backing up a trailer
124 Favorite Memories
135 Travel 146 At The End of The Day
14 PHOTOGRAPHY
Tips to Keepemwet How to capture that memory and keepemwet
122
Discover BOOK
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The Reel Sisters Vintage travel trailers and a river make one woman's passion come to life
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DESTINATION
No rod has ever silenced all the variables. No engineer has ever found a way to transfer back cast energy directly into forward accuracy. No angler has ever erased all the doubt from his or her mind. FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.
JEN RIPPLE Founder & Editor-In-Chief Jen@DUNmagazine.com Janell Fannin Managing Editor Grace Erin Associate Editor Hope Halla Copy Editor
ADVERTISING ads@DUNmagazine.com 224.532.9160
T. Daniel Frost Associate Editor Jessica Callihan Editorial Assistant
Meg Humphries Editorial Assistant
Mēgan Berns Editor at Large
Brandon Miller Staff Photographer
Rachael McClendon Special Assignment Editor
SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES editor@DUNmagazine.com 224.532.9160
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CONTRIBUTORS Naoto Aoki Alanda Banks-MacLeod Bemidji State University Peter Breeden Nome Buckman Jud Cherry Meagan Cherry Sascha Clark Danylchuk Mal Crispo Michelle Cummings Jennifer de Graaf Brandon Healey Helaine Holbrook Corey Hunt Bryan Huskey Marian Jayne Kara Jordan Katie Kohler Paula Krugerud Kyla Kulp
Robert Lennox Lil D. Heide Mason Alex Anne Matthews Sarah Elizabeth Matthews Geri Meyer Tina Murray Josh Nugent Katie Pelnik Kathryn Renik Tucker Berta Sarkisian Teton Scenic Floats & Fly Fishing SweetWater Teresa Westberry Jess Westbrook Sara Westfall Winged Reel Cheyenne Yokeley Erika Zambello Dennis Zimmermann
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On The Cover Jen Ripple and a stunning brown trout photographed by Naoto Aoki on the Bow River in Calgary Canada. See more photographs from this trip and learn more about Calgary in the article Crossing the Border page 65.
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DUN Magazine 316 Hidden Valley Road Dover, TN 37058 DUNmagazine.com editor@DUNmagazine.com
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PUBLISHER Fly Squared Media 316 Hidden Valley Road Dover, TN 37058 p.224.532.9160
DUN Magazine ISSN #2573-3184 is published by Fly Squared Media, LLC, 316 Hidden Valley Road, Dover, TN 37058. The cover and contents of DUN Magazine are fully protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. All rights reserved in all countries. DUN Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Submissions cannot be returned without a self-addressed envelope. ©2018 Fly Squared Media. Printed in the United States of America.
DESTINATION
LETTER from the EDITOR
photo by Brandon Miller Photography
Where do you want to go? As
a little girl, my family and I would regularly pack up the motorhome and take to the road. As a small-town Wisconsinite, being able to drive through the Great Smoky Mountains in fall, the mountains alive with color, gave me a sense of my place in this world. It was a wake-up call that as a finite being, I lived in an infinite world; a gentle reminder that what I saw every day in my little hometown was just a tiny piece of the puzzle.
true. There is a whole glorious world out there, with different cultures and values, that needs to be explored, and embraced.
As I’ve grown and traveled the world, those first impressions hold
It is my hope that this edition will be a reminder today that while there
Fall reminds me that we live in a big, bright, and colorful world. There are so many places to visit. So many public spaces we are privileged to explore. Every day we should be creating memories that last a lifetime, be it at the fancy resort or in our own backyard.
are extravagant vacations that make incredible memories, sometimes the best memories, those that we cherish, come from the connections and moments that result from everyday life. When I think back on my fondest memories, the ones I hold most dear, they are those that happened right in my own backyard. The memories of swimming on that small Wisconsin lake. The memories of those I no longer have the privilege of seeing — my grandparents. The memories of
football games with my high school friends, and hayrides at the pumpkin patch with my young children, before life rushed by and stole their youth. As cliché as it sounds, today is your day to live in the present, to make memories with those around you, whether you’re on a faraway island or in your own kitchen. Today is your destination.
Jen@DUNmagazine.com @Jen_Ripple
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online
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Visit our website to join the DUN community and learn more.
Experience by Annie Jones I have been around fishing and the outdoors for my entire life. My dad has been fly fishing for as long as I can remember. When my brother and I turned about eight, our dad started teaching us how to fly fish. We have always adhered to the Catch and Release method. Drake, my brother, is a natural at it. I have been slowly improving my skills to feel confident at the age of 14. I can now cast without getting stuck every other cast, which is pretty awesome. Despite my casting skills, I always have the best time on our yearly vacation to Ennis, Montana. Every summer, my family flies out to Ennis to go fly fishing. It’s one of the greatest experiences of my life and I’m so grateful and lucky that I get to experience it. photo by Richie Jones
DUNmagazine.com/experience
2 Large Salmon
Trash by Allison Helen Hendricks
by Sylvie Malo-Clark We had completed our first and second day of fishing for the wild Atlantic salmon on the majestic Grand Cascapedia River and I was skunked. Peter, my husband and fishing partner for this trip, had landed a 15 pounder on a
They said, “it’s only trash.” They said, “you’ll never catch anything in there.” They said, “it’s not worth your time.” However, I saw things very differently from photo by Stephanie Smith Munoz the moment I found my first ditch. I walked down a path behind the home where I was living at the time, only to find a fork in a bayou, and what I saw then changed me and started my journey into trashy waters. What I saw was a fish the length of my body. Not knowing what it was at the time, I started doing research on what fish, that large, could swim so far up into the middle of nowhere. I went back daily to watch him, observe him, even throw a fly at him, but never did catch him. DUNmagazine.com/trash
photo by Sylvie Malo-Clark
Bomber and lost a large one on a wet fly on day two. Angling can be more challenging in August especially if the water levels are at rock bottom and warm. The salmon seek deeper and cooler waters. I ended both days thinking the scenery was spectacular and most people would give their eye teeth to be in my shoes. DUNmagazine.com/salmon
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DESTINATION
We Hear You I just picked up your Spring 2018 issue (my first copy) of DUN and I wanted to compliment you on such a well-constructed, well-written, and beautifully photographed magazine. I wasn't quite sure what I was in for when buying a "women's" fly fishing magazine or what angle (sorry for the pun) the magazine's content might take, but as far as I'm concerned, it's fly fishing, what could possibly go wrong? After reading through the issue, I wanted to say thank you for providing so much great "femaleoriented, but not male-alienating" content. I've never given it much thought other than simply assuming being on the water in a common spirit is basically gender agnostic. I grew up with a grandmother who always seemed to fish better than myself, and a sister who was as welcome as anyone else. So I was a little surprised to read the Bear Spray article and some of the accounts of patronizing/ intimidating behavior some women have experienced while out there casting. I cringed a little at some of the details. Apologies on behalf of my gender, ladies. That said, I was pleased to read the sense of proportion, balance, and fair perspective that closed out the article. Keep up the great work there at DUN. I may not be your target demographic but I'll be back for more. After all, just like the experience of being on the water itself, when it comes to good content, gender seems like a superfluous detail that need not be a deterrent. Regards, J. Eisenhood John, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful words of encouragement and for your support of women in our sport. It's men like you that help us break down the barriers and keep more women fishing. Jen
I love the magazine! It is so well-written and presented. The articles are fun and engaging. I seriously want to go to Oman. Thank you so much for creating this magazine, it's fantastic. My husband couldn't keep his hands off of it! I can't wait to get the next one. I attached a picture of a fun little guy I caught on The McKenzie today, just for fun. Thank you! A. Malone
Got kids? I am new to fly fishing. This week when some really bad news came my way, I told my husband, "I'm going fly tying." At that moment, I realized why I had driven to another state for my very first fly fishing in fast water trip. I could fail and still be happy. I had such a great time, "Just because." In the moment. Just because I like to do it. So much of my life didn't allow for failure. If I failed at work? Someone might get hurt. If I failed as a mom? Well nobody wants to fail as a parent. Gone was the joy of failure. Stacking blocks. Knocking those blocks down. Gone was the joy of a kid. I don't feel the same with fly fishing or fly tying. I have good teachers who remind me to enjoy. One of them told me she'd been fishing 6 times before she caught her first fish. It's a process. She's right. Kind regards, C. Ford
We love to hear from our readers. Contact us at editor@DUNmagazine.com
Know some kids? Just a kid yourself? Get hooked on Olive the Woolly Bugger! Ask for ALL 3 books at your local fly shop or find them online!
olivethewoollybugger.com
Contributors
Kathryn Renik
photo courtesy of Bemidji State
grew up on a trout hatchery in Western Nebraska, sparking her interest in biology while working alongside her Author dad. She began as a dance major at the University of Wyoming but ultimately traded in her pointe shoes for a pair of waders and a degree in fisheries. After graduation, she worked at a salmon hatchery on a small island in Alaska, where she met her husband and kindred angler, Joe. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Bemidji State University, focusing on the effect of beaver on brook trout habitat. As an avid outdoorswoman who cherishes time spent with her family and friends fishing, she is excited about a career that will allow her to successfully manage the valued fisheries resource so that fellow anglers and future generations can enjoy those same experiences and memories.
Lil D.
photo by Meagan Cherry
is an elementary student whose favorite subject is science. She has fished longer than she can remember. Author She loves tying flies and catching fish with them. Bass, trout, catfish, carp, buffalo, sunfish, she loves catching them all. She also rock climbs, kayaks, backpacks, camps, and paints. If it is an adventure, she is in. Her dad started an Instagram account for her to show her how many other women are out there fly fishing. She hopes that someday she can help people realize that if someone says “that’s just for boys” they can answer with “watch this.” In the meantime, she will be doing what she enjoys, fly fishing. Her adventures and misadventures can be followed @marchBrownEyeDun.
Marian Jayne
is co-owner of Beyond the Blue, an airboat and paddleboard bonefishing charter operation in the Turks & Caicos Author Islands. After 20 years of homeschooling her three sons and hosting clients at their lodge, she is expanding her skills as an independent angler who doesn’t always rely on her husband’s help. She enjoys empowering other women anglers, as well as young outdoorsmen, through her latest endeavor as an adventure life coach. You can find her online at beyondTheBlue.com.
Erika Zambello
grew up in Maine, and spent her summers swimming in chilly Atlantic Ocean waters, hiking fir-covered Author mountains, and rock-hopping within clear-running streams filled with trout. Quickly falling in love with the natural world, she has been hooked on outdoor exploration ever since. Currently, she is a writer and photographer living on the Emerald Coast of Florida. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, where she specialized in Ecosystem Science and Conservation. She is a National Geographic Young Explorer, completing four trips to the Maine North Woods in each of the four seasons, Fall 2015-Summer 2016. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @a_day_in_the_landscape or at zambellophotography.com.
DESTINATION
Janell's Five Tips
for TRAVEL by Janell Fannin
Travel Insurance: When someone suggests that I buy travel insurance, I am hit with the same eye roll urge I have when I hear warnings of not letting your gas gauge dip below the half tank mark, dramatic and probably a bit of overkill on the concern side. Typically, the travel insurance we see is only of value if there is a death or hospitalization, only then can you cancel or reschedule a trip — until I found that there is insurance that covers activities beyond our wildest imagination. Sure it covers fishing gear, personal effects, baggage, etc., but if you want to live your best Romancing the Stone moment, go ahead and do a Rickshaw Run in the Himalayas, drive off the cliff and you’re covered! Launch your prized Frisbee into the mouth of a lion in the Serengeti and you’ll have a replacement in no time. If nothing else, the list of activities challenges me to see how I can absolutely shred my new limited-edition Air Guitar (included activity). World Nomads has the most ridiculous and inspiring list of activities with some fairly substantial coverage at an affordable cost. You can also buy while traveling, so before you’re lowered down in the shark feeding cage make sure to have decent WiFi and request a quote. Passport app: The last time I came back from Mexico, I must have heard the flight attendants suggest an App called Mobile Passport half a dozen times. I was one of three people who took heed. I know this because I was in the line with three people while the rest of my fellow passengers lined up 250 people deep and collectively whined. I was through customs with luggage in hand, jumping in a taxi, before anyone else on my flight could answer “purpose of your visit”. Baggage policies: Damn Print, you so fine. Baggage fees are part of the numbers game, but a freebie many people unknowingly under-utilize is taking advantage of the carrier's baggage policy. Many carriers comp fishing gear under their policy provided it’s declared. Some airlines charge one fee for all gear even if it’s in multiple pieces. Do your research when selecting an airline to fly or to frequent. How many rounds of drinks can you buy with the $100 worth of baggage fees you’ve saved? What to pack, what to leave: I have gone out and purchased or gone to great lengths to borrow and carry gear that never even touched the water. Talk to your guide ahead of time to see if they have a setup for you to use. Do they provide everything but the fishing license and the banana for your guided trip? You may have a tried and true set up you want to bring and use, but I’ve found I would have saved time and money since I usually end up using a guide's setup anyway. At the same time, you may be married to your own gear and wouldn’t dare to be caught holding on to another. That’s reel love. I’ve told you how to save time, money, stress, and restore your sense of adventure, but the most valuable traveler secret I can leave you with is an unconventional airport treasure hunt. Men eating ice cream cones. Overwhelmingly, I’ve observed this dozens of times in airports and nowhere else. I’ve grown to really enjoy this inside secret observation, and have had no greater glee than when I see two unrelated men’s worlds colliding over mint chocolate chip and rocky road near the gate. It's like watching them spot a twin they didn’t know they had as they lock eyes over a double scoop. Now when you see this remember me. Snap a secret pic and we have an avantgarde coffee table book in our future.
5 THINGS TO KNOW
Fall 2018
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foundation
The Crazy Art of backing up a trailer
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Fall 2018
For some, backing up a trailer seems as hard as brain surgery. Try out our tips to help you improve your backing up skills.
Position yourself for success. If you’re new to backing up a trailer, choose a time when the boat ramp is empty. Saturday during the summer is probably not the best time to practice your backing up skills.
DESTINATION
The Do’s 1
See it You have to be able to see the trailer to back it up. In the beginning, it can be helpful to open the tailgate or liftgate and lay down a seat or two to get a better view of where the trailer is going. Launch ramps are sometimes curved, and at times can be steep. Being able to look back and see exactly where the back of that trailer is headed helps a lot. Mirrors are fine once you're comfortable with the trailer, but don’t be afraid to open the back. You may get a few odd looks, but it’s better than the look you’ll get after bottoming out your trailer on the side of the ramp.
2
Position it If you can, start out with your vehicle and trailer in a straight line aimed down the ramp. Having to turn a trailer while backing is not hard once you get the hang of it, but it makes the process a whole lot easier if you start out in a straight line.
3
Steer it To get the trailer to move in the right direction, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. With your hand on the bottom of the wheel, it’s easier to remember which way to turn. Want the back of the trailer to turn right? Simply move your hand to the right. Want the back of the trailer to turn left? Simply move your hand to the left.
4
Recognize it Ask for help when needed. A partner outside the vehicle may be super helpful. Instead of yelling, to each other, hand signals work well. As a standard rule of thumb, pointing to the left means the trailer needs to go left, pointing to the right means the trailer needs to go right. A fist means to stop, and waving forward or back lets you know it’s clear to keep moving in that direction.
It’s important to note that the shorter the wheelbase and the lighter the trailer, the harder it is to back up. Light trailers can bounce, causing them to move unexpectedly and veer off course. Trailers with a short wheelbase (think kayak and drift boat trailers) will be twitchy and won’t want to stay straight during the back-up process.
BASICS
5
Relax it Take your time. Unless you’re participating in some race, you don’t need to set a land speed record. Take your time and think about what you need to do to get the boat in the water.
6
Redo it Just like there are times to untangle your knots and times to cut your losses and tie a fresh leader, the same is true for backing up your trailer. Don’t be afraid to pull forward and begin again if the trailer is starting to move in the wrong direction. Trying to correct a wayward trailer can sometimes be a lot harder than just pulling forward. Pull forward just enough to get the trailer straightened out and begin again.
7
Practice it I would venture to say that very few of us were gifted with the backing-upa-trailer-gene. Practice makes perfect. Realizing that everyone starts out with a jackknifed trailer on the ramp at some point will make it easier to laugh at yourself when you have to start over … for the fifth time.
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from every
angle
Stories from extraordinary anglers like you
Casting Light on a century-old
controversy
The relationship between beaver and trout has been a topic of debate for as long as anyone can remember. By Kathryn Renik
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from every angle
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DESTINATION
S
Since the early 1900s, people have quarreled over the beaver and trout relationship. Some fishermen are convinced that beaver are the ultimate villain, ruining pristine fishing spots, while others vow that beaver ponds accommodate some of the best fishing, yielding many prized catches. Brook trout inhabit small headwater streams characterized by cooler water temperatures and riffle-run areas with rocky substrate. Beavers dam up a stream to create a pond, a refuge, in which they can construct their lodge and be protected from predators. But what happens when their habitats collide? What happens when the ecological engineer, aka the beaver, begins construction of it’s home and subconsciously changes a portion of the stream from lotic to lentic? Beaver tend to be harmful to trout in warmer, low altitude streams, with water sources consisting of lakes and precipitation that can result in lethally warmer temperatures. Streams in eastern regions of the United States tend to exhibit these characteristics. Beaver dams are beneficial to trout in cold, mountainous or semi-arid areas, such as streams in the west, where the warming of temperatures expands habitat once too cold and produces a buffer against drought. In the late 1940’s in Idaho, managers actually parachuted beavers from planes in hopes of improving trout habitat through beaver colonization. If beaver tend to be harmful out east but beneficial in western streams, what is the impact of beaver on brook trout habitat specifically on the North Shore of Lake Superior? That’s my cue to enter, and as a graduate student at Bemidji State University, I have been given this fascinating opportunity to investigate the effect of beaver activity on brook trout habitat in Northeastern Minnesota.
CONSERVATION
Fall 2018
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An Unlikely Partnership from every angle
By Tucker Berta Sarkisian Photos courtesy of Winged Reel
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DESTINATION
GENEROSITY
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from every angle
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DESTINATION
Taming
Guidezilla By Marian Jayne
Going to a new place and hiring a guide can be daunting. Here is one woman's account of hiring a guide solo.
I sat alone
G
on the hotel steps, backpack, lunch, and fly rod by my side, hoping my guide wasn’t going to stand me up. For the first time in my life I had the chance to see, if not catch, a Caribbean Grand Slam—a bonefish, tarpon and permit— and I feared Guidezilla (a pseudonym to protect the innocent) was going to blow my opportunity. Many online reviews said he was the best guide in the area—BUT potential clients should expect him to criticize their gear and fishing technique, and possibly even renege if a higher tipping client came along. Recalling his interrogation of me on the phone the night before over my ability to fish and tip him the required amount, I sat wrestling with my decision. Waiting and mulling, I thought I heard snickering from three fishermen descending the stairs on the heels of their more reputable guide. Guidezilla did show up 20-minutes later, passing me on his way to grab ice from the hotel’s restaurant. He motioned for me to load into an overcrowded little car teeming with a motley crew of local guides and a hungover British client. Introducing myself, I sardined my way into the metal container, grinning through the awkward-as-hell moment because my Grand Slam was now within reach. Thirty-minutes of bilingual chitchat on women, booze, and fishing later, we arrived at our destination where more crew members were readying their boats. Among them was another younger British client with a “WTF have I gotten myself into” expression that I too was surely repressing. Looking around the compound of simple blue shacks, I pondered whether to relieve myself in the bushes before my 8-hour confinement with Guidezilla. After consulting my bladder, I decided I would only cross that bridge (or rather jump in that water) when it became absolutely necessary.
SOLO
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The Juliana’s Anglers Sporting Club
T
hat’s what I said to Rachel Finn, a notorious Adirondack fly fishing guide, fine artist, and my friend, as we stood in the middle of the Ausable River throwing dry flies in pocket water, or maybe passing nymphs along boulders, outside of Lake Placid, New York in 1998. I was a city girl living temporarily in the North Country for work when I decided to take up fly fishing. Rachel was a guide at the Hungry Trout Fly Shop who spent something like half her time with her husband guiding in Alaska and the rest of the year in the Adirondacks. I’d look for her Toyota along the river whenever I could. If I spotted her truck, I’d walk through the woods and take a peek; if she didn’t have a client with her, I was always welcome to join her. I kept my waders and gear in the back of my SUV all the time, and would park on the roadside and change in the woods to grab a few minutes of angling whenever I could after work. Of course, there was that time I was half in my waders and lost my balance and fell over on my butt in the leaves when I heard the voices of some hikers near me as I changed … but you don’t need to hear about that.
from every angle
hh
A women’s fly fishing club? All women? In New York City? Really? By Heide Mason
I had no way of knowing how that offhand referral in the middle of a river would fit into the next 20 years of my life. I returned to Brooklyn in the winter of 1999 and used that brand spanking new internet thing to look for Rachel’s friends, and there they were: Juliana’s Anglers. I sent an email enquiry to them, and Sara Low, the effusive club President, responded. Sara was working in advertising for Broadway back then and has since left the bright lights to make her living as a fly fishing guide, instructor, conservationist, and author. She warmly welcomed me and invited me to a meeting where I was delighted to find a wildly diverse group of women with one thing in common; fly fishing. The club was formed almost 25 years ago in 1995 by Nancy Zakon and a few friends in midtown Manhattan, who wanted to create a club that allowed them the opportunity to fish with other women and share their knowledge of the sport in a comfortable environment. They named the club after Dame Juliana Berners, an English Prioress who was born in 1388, and wrote the first known book about fly fishing The Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle, which was originally published in 1496 and is still in print to this day. In those days, the club held our Annual Fly Fishing School at the Connetquot River State Park Preserve on Long Island, a beautiful old estate on several hundred acres with an old lodge and a fish hatchery along a shallow, easy wading river. The course staff and instructors were, and still are, club members and guests who find joy in simply sharing their knowledge, talent, and love of fly fishing with new anglers. (That’s code for we don’t pay them, which helps us to keep the costs down.) I vividly recall standing waist deep in the river with one of our mentors, whom we call the Fish Magnet, as I proudly displayed the flies in my new fly box. She’s a patient woman who taught special education; she looked at my flies, took a small breath, and kindly suggested I put my collection away for another time, before quietly tying one of her own flies on my line. I The Juliana’s Anglers Sporting Club was originally lost track of the number of trout I caught that founded in 1995, in the heart day, but, let me tell you, that Prince Nymph is of New York City, to create an still the most effective pattern on that river! atmosphere where women could engage in fly fishing We fondly return to the Connetquot from time in a safe, comfortable space. to time, and I always pause a moment to sit on the bench we placed there many years ago.
COMMUNITY
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from every angle My first trip with the Juliana’s after the school was to Roscoe NY, aka Fishtown USA, in the Catskills, where we stayed in a 1950’s era motel, and fished the Beaverkill and Willowemoc rivers. We had breakfast at the Roscoe Diner, and I remember getting lost in memories after noticing a painting of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse hanging on the wall. That little lighthouse was built in 1877, and sits on a pile of rocks in the Long Island Sound between Queens and the Bronx. I learned to fish as a little girl with a homemade drop line and sand worms (Oh, the pinchers on those things!) with my grandfather when he rowed out to the lighthouse from the Bronx in a fishing dory; but again, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Although the Juliana’s regularly fish those Catskill waters, I remember a specific trip a few years later when I was delighted to watch the legendary Joan Wulff make the first cast of the season. I can’t claim that I know Joan myself, but I can honestly say that a few of our members do know her and are the better anglers for it. Not to drop names, but I was a participant (and truly least talented) in a club fly tying clinic with Catskill royalty: Mary Dette. The Dette Flies fly shop was started by Mary’s parents in 1928, and is the oldest family-owned and run fly shop in the country. The shop is located in the parlor of the Dette family home in Roscoe and Mary used to tie all the flies herself. Although time has taken its toll, and her eyes are not what they used to be, their flies are still locally tied. Mary is now mostly retired, and her grandson Joe has taken the reins. I’m proud to say Mary’s daughter and granddaughter have fished with the Juliana’s. It’s now 19 years later and much, and nothing, has changed. I recently retired and live a bit north of the city, but the Juliana’s are still a big part of my life. I’m proud to be a Board Member and Vice President of Juliana’s Anglers Sporting Club. The Club is still based in New York City, but we’ve spread out. We have members throughout the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) and as far away as Canada and Montana. The Sporting Club appellation represents our recent interest in upland hunting, as well as sporting clays and archery. Our home turf still spans the local waters of the Croton Watershed, the classic waters of the Catskills, and the Housatonic and Farmington rivers in Connecticut. Now we tend to wander. Last year we ventured as far south as the Ken Lockwood Gorge in New Jersey; as far north as the Ausable River outside of Lake Placid in the Adirondacks; and out east to the Hamptons to fish for Striped Bass in the Great South Bay. Our membership is reflective of our location. We are young and old, and we have financiers, writers, programmers, law enforcement, nurses, scientists, bankers, professors, homemakers, artists, and teachers among our ranks. Our membership is made up of women who have never lived or worked anywhere else, as well as out-of-towners. Some in our roster grew up enjoying outdoor adventures and some ventured out for the first time in their 50’s. Our current club President, Kat Rollin, joined the club shortly after it was formed. Kat was born and raised in Colorado, but moved to the city many years ago. She is an internationally recognized Salmon fly tier, a fishing guide, a wing shooter, and a tireless advocate for women in outdoor sports. I’m the only current board member who grew up near the city, and the rest are originally from places like Maryland, New Jersey, the Carolinas, and Connecticut.
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DESTINATION
Left: Heide Mason with a Largemouth from Dutchess County, New York. Above and below: The Juliana’s are a diverse group of women anglers from experts to first timers.
Our most recent club event was what we like to call “A Blast.” That is, a round of sporting clays followed by lunch at Orvis Sandanona in Millbrook, NY. When I joined the Juliana’s all those years ago, we primarily fished for trout. Although trout are still our number one, we also fish for bass in the hot weather and stripers in the salt. The past two years we’ve expanded our activities to include sporting clays, upland wing shooting, and archery (in Brooklyn no less). We’ve even put together a few Cast n’ Blasts where we split the day between fly fishing and shooting. We have paired up with our local chapter of G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Really Into Shooting) for a few events. We’re not static and we’re willing to try it all. Upcoming activities include a First Aid course, fly tying classes, sporting clay blasts, and trips north, south, east and west. Our Spring School morphed into a Spring School and Warm Up Weekend, which was held in May at a private club about an hour and a half north of the city with gourmet food, 3 ½ miles of reserved river, and a casting pond in Dutchess County, NY. I’ve proudly become one of those anglers who uses the school as an opportunity to share my knowledge and love of the sport with new anglers. Being a member of the Juliana’s has given me some of my closest friends and warmest memories. The future of our club, and others like it, is assured if we remember that we can always find a way to laugh and cry together, and find common ground to discuss virtually everything while we fish, shoot, hunt, eat, drink, and just sit around the fire at night eating s’mores in the company of (mostly) likeminded women.
COMMUNITY
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from every angle
Calm out of
s h 0 C A
By Alex Anne Matthews Photos by Sarah Elizabeth Matthews
T
his is not an action-packed fly fishing story. It has no plot progression that leaps into a thrashing battle between man versus beast, nor does it wrap up nicely with a tired smile and wet hands wrapped around The Fish of My Dreams. This is not a story about wrangling The White Whale—so please, don’t call me Ishmael. I’m not sure why I expected the 1992 Buick from Bargain Auto Rental to have an aux cord. I scan every FM radio station twice through and hear nothing but static, so I wipe the sweat from my palms to look up the Mario Kart soundtrack on my phone and make a game of driving on the “wrong” side of the road. I am on my way to a small settlement on a small island in the Bahamas to meet Justin, one of the scientists for Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, a small non-profit fisheries conservation organization for which I am a writer. As the Bahamas Initiative Manager, Justin oversees all of the research and conservation projects we do across the island chain. That’s a tall order, considering the vastness of the area and the wealth of new information that continues to come out of the Bahamas research findings. But Justin isn’t the type to flaunt a full plate. “Just drive north until you hit water,” his voice plays over in my head. I check the compass app on my
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phone for the fifteenth time. I can’t find a comfortable seated position atop the thin leather and stiff springs that comprise this gangster-low driver’s seat. As time on the dashboard clock marches on, my knee refuses to remain still, and I’m finding it more and more difficult to maintain a good speed on this onelane road. I ease off the gas as I approach a small settlement, but a woman in a long magenta dress gives me the “slow down” signal. You need to chill, I silently admonish myself.
Find calm in the chaos. I stumble out of the Buick—15 minutes late, naturally— toting my rod tube, dry bag, two apples, and a twelvepack of Bahamian beer. Justin is holding the ferry dock, standing barefoot in his 13-foot skiff as if it’s an extension of his own body. He looks like he has held this position for longer than he’d like, but a gleaming smile from behind his sunglasses momentarily quells my guilt. “First thing’s first,” he jokes, reaching for the twelvepack that hangs from my shaking fingers. I squeeze my fingers tightly. I search his face carefully for any curious expression.
DESTINATION
CONQUER
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from every angle
Life Choices By Katie Pelnik Photos by Cheyenne Yokeley
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DESTINATION
FUTURE
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from every angle
Winging It By Erika Zambello
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TRAVEL
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OCanada DUN MAGAZINE'S DESTINATION EDITION
travel north as we explore three regions of Canada. CROSSING THE BORDER Trout fishing in Calgary Alberta page 65
THE RITUAL OF SALMON FISHING The Traditions on the Restigouche River New Brunswick page 80 LABRADOR Fishing for big pike on the Atikonak River Labrador page 92 66
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Crossing the Border
Visiting my neighbors to the north proved to be more than I bargained for. This trip had it all - new and old friends, incredible food, heart-breaking fish, and a surprise ending.
photo by Brandon Healey
By Jen Ripple
Left: Poached rainbow trout from River Cafe Right: Buttermilk lemon bar from Char Bar Below: Avocado Bruschetta and Coal Roasted Beet Salad from Char Bar Opposite: Ultra Dry-Aged Porterhouse from Char Bar
The Calgary Scene The city of Calgary has done a great job making this town a world-class destination. No fishing trip is complete without great food. The diverse restaurants, breweries, and nightlife make Calgary an experience you should push to the top of your travel list.
Breakfast and Lunch Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
618 Confluence Way SE, Calgary AB - 403.457.2245 - SidewalkCitizenBakery.com Be sure to try the Chia Pudding for breakfast and have one of their sandwiches for lunch. I had the Roasted Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was to die for.
Dinner Char Bar
618 Confluence Way SE, Calgary AB - 403.452.3115 - charBar.ca I recommend starting out with the Pistachio and Avocado Bruschetta. With a name like Char Bar you have to try something from the fire pit. We splurged on the Ultra Dry-Aged Porterhouse Steak, which was worth every penny.
River Cafe
25 Prince's Island Park, Calgary AB - 403.261.7670 - river-cafe.com We had a special menu prepared for our group but I love raw oysters and the Fresh Shucked Oysters would be my first choice. The Whole Roasted Kohlrabi would also be a go to for me, as I haven't had kohlrabi since I was a kid.
Brewery Dandy Brewing Company
2003 11th St SE, Calgary AB - 403.769.9399 - theDandyBrewingCompany.com This brewery provided us with every type of beer you could imagine for our days on the water. I prefer dark, malty beers and not a lot of hops. The Dandy Underworld was my favorite. My companions who like hoppy beers found the T2G - IPA to their liking.
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photo by Jennifer de Graaf
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The Ritual of Salmon Fishing New Brunswick, Canada By Alanda Banks-MacLeod, Katie Kohler, and Geri Meyer
"The sun had almost set over the water of the Restigouche River, six years ago, when I said “just one more cast”. That cast resulted in hooking and landing my first Atlantic salmon. I was six months pregnant at the time. My son will forever have fishing in his blood." - Alanda Banks-MacLeod
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photo by Alanda Banks-MacLeod
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photo by Alanda Banks-MacLeod
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L Labrador
“The Big Land„ is synonymous with large brook trout, but the villainous other half of that watery marriage is, shhhhhhh—PIKE. Unlike most anglers, I went to Labrador specifically to target these far northern predators. By Nome Buckman
My destination for this trip is the Atikonak River in Labrador, Canada, which is a rugged, vast, unspoiled, and completely untapped watershed. Located 100 miles due east and slightly south of the city of Wabush, the only way in is a 45-minute floatplane ride. The numerous rivers connected to lakes connect to what is called string bogs, which are impenetrable and go on for miles. Every now and again you see dark red water which is caused by iron. Rocks in southern Labrador are so rich in iron that most of the country’s iron ore is mined along a small section of the Labrador-Quebec border. My stay is at the Riverkeep Lodge, which is a family business run by Steven and Cathy Murray. Along with their teenage son and daughter, the Murray’s have owned and operated the lodge for the past 10 years. It’s impressive and heartwarming to see this family in action. Their way of life inevitably spills over to every client. By the end of the stay you aren’t saying goodbye to strangers you met a week ago, but to a new branch of the family. This lodge is the only outfitter on the Atikonak watershed which stretches for over 50 miles. Only 25 anglers a year are lucky enough to fish here. This is a catch and release, debarbed, fly fishing only lodge that offers fishing for five different species: Brook Trout, landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Lake Trout, rubenesque Whitefish, and my favorite, Northern Pike. Pike are considered a nuisance in Labrador by visiting anglers looking to chase big brookies or landlocked salmon. Lodge owners have even been told that “the fishing would be fantastic if you killed all the pike.” I find there is a lot of angler animosity for this misunderstood predator in the states, particularly back in my home state of Maine.
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—
The red tint to the water, shows the richness of iron in the area.
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r o o k Tr o u t &
B L U E B ER R Y P I E By Lil D Photos Jud & Meagan Cherry
I a m e i gh t y e a r s o l d .
I l i v e i n Te x a s, a n d I f l y f i sh w i t h m y d a d . I d i dn ’ t re a l i z e h o w ra re t h a t w a s u n t i l I t r i e d to f i n d s o m e o n e m y a g e to f i sh w i t h . N o t e a s y . I s t a r te d f i sh i n g w i t h a s p i n c a s t ro d a n d a p pa re n t l y c a u gh t m y f i r s t b a s s a t t h e a g e o f t w o. I do n ’ t re m e m b e r t h a t , b u t I h a v e a ph o to. Da d , m e , p i g t a i l s , a n d a l a rg e m o u t h . I p i c k e d u p m y f i r s t f l y ro d a t t h e a g e o f fo u r. Fo r a fe w y e a r s m y da d w o u l d c a r r y a s p i n n i n g ro d a n d a f l y ro d fo r m e. Wh e n I w a s s i x , I c a u gh t a l a rg e c a t f i sh , 37 po u n ds, w h i c h i s a n o t h e r s to r y . It w a s a l m o s t a s b i g a s m e . S o o n I h a d h u n g m y s p i n n i n g ro d i n t h e g a ra g e a n d I h a v e b e e n f l y f i sh i n g e v e r s i n c e .
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Our last two stops were where a creek and river come together. This is called a confluence. There were fish there, but we were running out of daylight and I really wanted to see the garnet mine before dark and gather some garnets of my own. We zoomed up the hill on the road following the creek. Somewhere up there was the trailhead to the mine. I found some beautiful stones and headed home for dinner. Our last river of the trip was a larger one with fast current and deep pools. I didn’t think I would like this one at first. It was wide and fast, and the rocks were slick. Some places were very deep and scary. Dad took me up the bank and showed me the water from above. He showed me that water doesn’t always flow down stream. We fished this river three times while we were there, caught three types of trout, and caught three smallmouth bass. On our last day there, we brought a big group with us. My cousin, uncle, grandma, dad, and me. We had a great day together fishing. I gave one cousin her first casting lesson, while another snapped away on her camera. As I climbed back up the bank and sat in a patch of blueberry bushes, I pulled out my journal to log about the fish I had caught and write about the day. I looked down at the clumps of green berries waiting to blue and thought to myself—
I’m not ready to leave just yet.
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Kit and Kaboodle
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Cooler temperatures don't mean you have to be cold. Enjoy fall with a few of my must-haves
1 Prana - Oberlie Hoodie My most comfortable travel sweater. MSRP - $99.00
prana.com
2 AquaTech - AxisGO Helping me get those keepemwet photos. MSRP - $199.00
aquaTech.net
3 Tesalate - Bohemian Beach Towel Perfect to keep in the car in case I fall in. MSRP - $59.00
tesalate.com
4 Growler Werks - uKeg128 Copper On tap beer while on the go, need I say more? MSRP - $229.00
growlerWerks.com
5 Coalatree - Trailhead Pants Wearing eco-minded clothes is good karma. MSRP - $89.00
coalatree.com
6 Voormi - Women's High-E Hoodie This is the warmest sweater I have ever worn. MSRP - $229.00
voormi.com
7 Yeti - Lowlands Blanket I love the waterproof underside and the soft top. MSRP - $199.99
7
GEAR
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Let us tell it submissions@DUNmagazine.com
for FALL
Have a Story To Tell?
Jen's Must-Haves
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discover
The Reel Sisters crossing paths with Bestselling author Michelle Cummings When I heard of a new book on shelves involving a group of women fly anglers, I just had to read it. While the book itself is well worth the read, the story behind the story is the true inspiration. Join me as we discover dreams, inspiration, tragedy, and lessons well-learned. by Jen Ripple
JEN: Where do you live? I grew up on a farm in Norton, Kansas and currently live in Littleton, Colorado with my husband and two boys.
JEN: Writing a book is a big undertaking. What made you want to write a book in the first place? I’m in a book club where eight of us get together once a month and discuss a novel, drink wine, and support each other through life’s ups and downs. One month we read the book The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. One of our members went onto Kate’s website a few days prior to our get together to download discussion questions. Once there, she saw a button that said, ‘Click here if you want Kate to call into your book club.’ Naturally she did, and Kate happened to have our date and time open on her calendar. We put her on speaker phone, and we got to interview her about the characters, the process, the storyline, and anything else that came to mind. It was so inspiring! Here was this New York Times bestselling author calling US! During the call, I read through her bio and the last line read, ‘This is her first novel …’ In that moment, it became attainable to me. As soon as we hung up the call I announced, ‘I think I could do this. I’m going to write a novel.’ If you ask any
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of my friends, they’d probably tell you I’m a pretty good storyteller. And truth be told, I’m a successful author in my professional career, so I know I’m a pretty good writer also. But I had never written fiction or had to create characters and storylines, and somehow make it all come together. I knew it would challenge my traditional writing style, tap into my creative brain, and push me outside my comfort zone. Game on!
Jen: Can people schedule you to join their book clubs now? Absolutely! Since that was the spark that planted the seed, it’s an emphatic Yes! I love connecting with readers and hearing the personal connections they make with the story. There’s a button on The Reel Sisters Facebook page and on the website as well. Last summer I was actually flown out to a book club group in Austin, Texas, where we sat on the side of the river bank for a live author chat. It was so fun! After the discussion we had a few local fly fishing guides show up and teach everyone to fly fish. Some of these women even went on to continue fly fishing! DESTINATION
Vintage travel trailers - A key component that encouraged me to finish this book was my 1968 Red Dale Trailer dubbed ‘fly girl’. Jen: Rumor has it you didn’t fly fish before the writing of The Reel Sisters. Why fly fishing as a theme? When I got home from book club that night and told my husband I was going to write a novel, he initially rolled his eyes at me. I have one of those creative, entrepreneurial brains and I swear I’ve created 47 new businesses in my mind. Only three of them have come to fruition, so he’s used to me brainstorming new ideas out loud knowing that some of them stick and most of them don’t. This one however, I just couldn’t get my mind off of. My husband and I have a code phrase that we use whenever I need to get something out of my head and into the world. I ask him, “Will you go into inquiry with me?” What that means is, he asks me question after question after question about whatever topic is at hand. He doesn’t offer his opinion or add to the topic, he just asks a multitude of questions. “Why do you want to write a novel?” “Who is the intended audience?” “What do you want the book to do in the world?” When it came down to it, I wanted to craft a story that would encourage women to step outside of their day to day routines and try something new in the outdoors. I firmly believe that the outdoors is the best teacher, and that many people do not take advantage of the wonderful life lessons we can learn by stepping outside our comfort zones and trying something new. So if I was going to ask other women to do it, I had to do it first. I narrowed down the outdoor sports to my top three that I had always wanted to try. We sat for three hours that night for this inquiry session, and by the end I chose fly fishing as my central theme, picked my five characters and named them, and I hadn’t even picked up a fly rod yet.
THE REEL SISTERS
Jen: Why did you think fly fishing would make a good premise for your book? Before I started fly fishing, the words I would have used to describe the sport would have been: beautiful, graceful, fun, challenging, serene, and adventurous. Now that I am a fly angler, those are still the words I would use. Coincidentally, those are also the words I would use to describe women. I have been blessed with amazing women friendships in my life, so crafting characters that support each other through thick and thin was not a stretch for me. Marrying the topics of fishing and friends together was a dream! Little did I know the impact fly fishing would have on my life, and the amazing women I would meet along the way as I wrote the novel.
JEN: It is my understanding that you wrote the book and then realized the similarities between your characters and the fly rod. What do you think the importance of that is? Once I started fly fishing and realized there were five main components to a complete fly fishing setup, I knew I had to tweak my characters’ personalities to reflect these same components. It was just too metaphorically rich to ignore! I wanted to create relatable characters that readers could either find similarities to in themselves or in someone they know in real life. Once I started seeing common traits between the fly fishing components and my characters, I just couldn’t help myself. Here’s a glimpse into the characters: Rod: Rose — Rose is an older character in the book, and acts much like the rod in a fly fishing outfit. The rod is the traditional symbol of the sport. The long, slender and graceful fly rod is second only to the fly line in importance. The fly rod transfers energy and control from the
fly angler to the line, leader, and the fly. Rose is the support system for The Reel Sisters, much like the rod supports all the other working parts. She owns the cabin in the mountains right on the river where the girls often have their fly fishing adventures. Reel: Sophie — Sophie is well-versed in taking care of everyone else’s needs but her own. She is metaphorically represented by the eel in the story. The primary function of a fly reel is to contain the backing, the fly line, and to retrieve line and aid in fighting fish. While you are fighting a fish, the reel provides a variable degree of resistance (called drag) that helps tire a strong-swimming fish as it pulls line off the reel. Sophie does a lot to help Amanda and Veronica in their fishing skills and life in general. She is a great angler and passes down her knowledge to these two in particular. Leader: Veronica — Veronica is a leader in her daily life, and is represented by the leader in the fly fishing outfit. The leader is a light, nearly invisible extension of the heavy, highly visible fly line, which aids in presenting and manipulating the fly. The leader also assists the fly line’s front taper in casting and presenting the fly and letting the fly float, swim, or sink in the most natural manner. Veronica, in her profession, is a definite leader. She will have a distinct role in helping Melody—hence, letting the fly float, sink or swim. Fly Line: Amanda — Amanda is bright on the outside with a level, braided core on the inside. This perfectly describes who Amanda is in the story. The fly line, with its linear casting weight, is the key component of the fly-tackle system. The core gives the fly line most of its strength. The fly line appears to the user of other casting methods to be unusually thick. Amanda is beautiful on the outside and courageous and tough to her core. Flies: Melody — Melody will, no doubt, be our most colorful character in the book. Fly fishing flies can be very colorful and barbed. Melody is covered with piercings and tattoos, and has a colorful lifestyle. She is a little rough around the edges, much like a fly.
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discover Jen: A lot of people have started writing a book and a lot of people never finish. How did you push yourself to complete this story?
Jen: Some of my favorite people belong to the group Sisters on the Fly. I know you’re a member of the group. Tell me how that came about and why. When I started doing my research on women in fly fishing, two groups initially emerged: The Colorado Women Flyfishers club and Sisters On the Fly. I immediately joined both groups hoping to connect with other women that loved this sport. It was through CWF that I took my first fly fishing clinic and caught my first fish. I have learned so much by attending the monthly meetings and clinics put on by these passionate women fly anglers. Sisters On the Fly has been such a fun group to belong to. I’m Sister #2204, am now the proud owner of a vintage travel trailer I named Fly Girl (a 1968 Red Dale), and a new tribe of women that have quickly become some of the best friends I have in life. I have hosted several trips myself, and I love this group of sassy, adventurous women. Maurrie Sussman, Sister #1 and Becky Clarke, Sister #2 are real-life sisters who grew up camping with their mom Mazie, Sister #0. I’ve had the pleasure and privilege to become friends with them, and I love the vision they have for providing an opportunity for women to do adventurous things together. Not all of the members are fly anglers, but there are many who are and there are multiple fly fishing trips you can sign up for each year. After joining, I wrote most of The Reel Sisters in Fly Girl nestled right next to the river. If I ever got stuck in the writing process, I would wader up and let the river tell me what would happen next in the story.
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I began writing the book in 2011 with hopes of finishing it in 2013. Then my dad passed away and it sucked the life right out of me. It was a level of grief I didn’t know was even humanly possible. I was actually on a Sisters On the Fly fishing trip when I received the call about his passing. It was snowing so hard I couldn’t leave the campground until the next day. It was the longest, coldest night of my life. I shelved the project for several years. I didn’t have a creative spark left in me for a long time. Then in January of 2017, when my husband, boys and I were setting our personal and professional goals for the year, I decided it was time to dust off my keyboard and get the novel finished. That same week I attended the Fly Fishing Show in Denver, and it was the first year they had decided to have a Women’s Showcase that featured businesses that catered to women in fly fishing. I saw a dramatic difference from the first show I attended in 2009, and was motivated more than ever to get the story finished. I immediately enlisted eight close girlfriends to read what I had written so far, and I invited them to a writer’s retreat at the same campground where I learned I had lost my dad. I had a few gaps in my storyline and needed some collective ideas to help get me to the finish line. Within six hours of brainstorming I had all I needed to finish the story. All I had to do was sit down and write it. That brainstorming retreat was April 25, 2017. I finished the novel on July 4, 2017 and it was published on November 3, 2017.
Jen: Do you think that having the forced hiatus created a different book than it would have had you wrote it all at one time? I think so, although I had decided the ending early on in the process. When I figured out the storm, I wanted it to show metaphorically that we all face storms in our lives and we weather them very differently – some come out unscathed and others are leveled by them. Going through major grief for a couple years after the death of my dad gave me a perspective I may not have had before. I didn’t write that section of the book until I came back to it, so if the grief feels real, it was. I think it brought more emotion into the serious and tragic parts of the book.
DESTINATION
Jen: where is your favorite place to fish? I love the Arkansas River in Colorado. It will always have a very special place in my heart. My favorite time of year to fish it is in late April and early May for the caddis hatch. This is where I was when I found out my dad died. It was the first Sisters on the Fly event I had decided to host and we had hit the hatch. I got there, set everything up, heard my dad died, and had to leave. I now go every year not only to try and catch the hatch, but also to spend some good healing and reflection time by myself. The river has healing properties in so many ways. I love watching the hatch and it’s only about 2-1/2 hours away from my home.
Jen: What is the biggest piece of advice someone gave you while you were writing the book? Since this is my first novel, I had a pretty steep learning curve. There was so much I didn’t know about the ins and outs of the publishing
world. I had no idea that you had to have an agent in order to get looked at by a publisher. I submitted the manuscript to 18 different agencies and was turned down by all of them. I ended up self-publishing because it was more important for me to get the story out into the world rather than wait for someone to pave the path for me. I’m still hoping that someone will decide to represent me and get it formally published through a publisher. The advice I received late in the game was to find an agent before you finish writing the manuscript.
Jen: What advice would you give someone who is struggling to write their story? I learned so many lessons along the way! Create a space that is free of distractions to help you stay focused. Having my vintage travel trailer provided me with a mobile office I could pull anywhere I wanted. Try and block out time on your calendar to dedicate to
writing and ask others to respect the space. Join a writer’s group or enlist a group of trusted friends to help brainstorm ideas with you. Their perspectives are so different than yours, and they are not as tied to the outcome as you are.
Jen: The ending left me curious about the future of the characters. Will there be a sequel? I intentionally left some breadcrumbs at the end for the possibility of continuing the journey of these awesome women! I have been brainstorming the sequel, but have not yet started writing it. I’m pretty sure I know the direction I want to go with each character, but don’t have a timeline in mind just yet. It’s important to me that I richly formulate each character in the next phase of their lives, and I don’t want to rush it. I’ve had many readers beg me for a sequel, so I love that the first book has had such a great impact on people.
Get your Copy on Amazon
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kit and kaboodle
Get This Look
photo by Brandon Miller Photography
With the cooler weather, fall is the perfect time to get out and explore in your backyard. Stumbling across this piece of history provided the perfect place to take a break and enjoy the sites and sounds of an Indian summer afternoon.
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1. Sterling Brooke - "Scales" Double-Hinged wine opener The fun fish shape design of this easy to use cork screw is perfect on the water, on the trail, or at home. MSRP $42.00 - SterlingBrooke.com // 2. Tufts & Batson - Enamel Coffee Mug From the makers of fine bamboo fly rods comes our favorite enamel coffee mug. Made in Europe of thick enamel steel, this 12oz mug is great for your favorite beverage. MSRP $16.00 - tuftsAndBatson.com // 3. Rumpl - Original Puffy Blanket Light and packable, this blanket is perfect to keep in the car for emergencies, for a camping trip along the river, or a day hike. MSRP $99.00 - rumpl.com // 4. Patagonia - Fjord Flannel Shirt This comfy shirt is a must for fall. We've been big fans of Patagonia for many years and love this shirt as much as we love what they stand for. MSRP $89.00 - patagonia.com // 5. Conner - Arizona Wool Gambler Made from 100% Australian wool, this waterproof hat has gotten a lot of compliments both on the water and off. It's definitely time to retire that beat up trucker cap. Use coupon code Angler20 at checkout. MSRP $58.00 - connerHats.com // 6. Diamond Brand - Double Take Gear Bag This waxed cotton durable bag has a removable liner that makes the perfect lunch sack. There are multiple attachment points so you can attach it to just about anything. MSRP $69.00 - diamondBrandGear.com // 7. Kicker - Bullfrog BF200 Packed with power and built to be on the water, this speaker has been in and out of our boat, tossed in the sand, and ridden around the country with us. MSRP $249.95 - kicker.com
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8. DUN Magazine - Extremely Limited Edition 20oz Yeti Tumbler Only available for a limited time, the name says it all. $65.00 - DUNmagazine.com/tumbler
FASHION
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foundation
Tips to ‘KeepEmWet’ By Sascha Clark Danylchuk
Have you ever thought “I saw my fish swim away so it must be fine”? Unfortunately some of the catchand-release science is showing that this isn’t always the case.
photo Robert Lennox
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ropical flats are my happy place. I love nothing more than wading and looking for bonefish, or any other flats species for that matter. While catching a fish is the ultimate goal, a big part of my career has also been spent studying what happens to fish that are released. It doesn’t take a genius to know that releasing fish (as opposed to keeping them) means more fish to be caught another day, but the science of studying the specific fate and health of fish that have been released has only gained momentum in last several decades. The work, however, has grown rapidly and there are now over 400 studies published on catch-and-release. Many of these studies are full of insight and tips that the average angler could use, but the information is locked away in documents that are expensive to access and written in a technical language that even puts many scientists to sleep.
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One of the big goals of Keepemwet Fishing is to unlock that science and make it more accessible to anglers. Think of Keepemwet Fishing as a bridge between the fisheries science and the angling communities. What’s also important to this movement is that communication and information sharing goes both ways - anglers learn more about fisheries science, and scientist learn about the issues that matter most to anglers, which, in turn, helps inform future catch-and-release research. We see anglers as being on the front lines of fish conservation. Every time you catch a fish, it’s an opportunity to put conservation into practice by using science-based best handling techniques, and give your fish the best chance of survival and a healthy life after you release it.
DESTINATION
Sascha’s 7 Tips for
photo Bryan Huskey
Better Fish-Friendly Photos photo Dennis Zimmermann
We have distilled the principles for best practices down to three short phrases that can help anglers remember what to do. Our principles encompass actions that create the best outcomes for fish that are caught-and-released.
Eliminate contact with dry and hard surfaces
Minimize Air Exposure
Reduce handling time
Fish need oxygen just like us, but they get it from the water, not air. Air exposure is much more detrimental to bigger fish, and at higher water temperatures.
Handling is the time from landing to release, including how the fish is restrained (i.e. in your hands or a net). Multiple studies have shown that longer handling times can lead to poorer outcomes after release.
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Getting in the water (when possible) makes it much easier to take a fishfriendly photo.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Fish need their slime the same way we need our skin. Dry, rough, and hard surfaces remove the slime from fish and can also remove scales and damage fins.
None of this is rocket science; each of these principles are simple and doable by any angler no matter their skill level or the fishing situation. Most importantly, each one is backed by science and will make a difference to the fish that you catch-and-release.
1
Keep the fish in the water.
A fish photographed in the water or dripping wet often looks more realistic and less like the dead slab photos your grandfather used to show you.
2
Get everything set up.
Whether you plan to do an in water or above water shot, make sure the photographer has the everything ready to go before you lift the fish.
3
Limit air exposure.
Hold your breath when you take the fish out of the water; when you need to breathe the fish probably does too. Don’t let your fish drip dry. Water dripping off a fish adds life and dimension to the photo.
4
Consider all the angles.
Sometimes the best photos don’t look like the classic ‘grip and grin’. Fish angled diagonally look great. Also, try getting your camera as close to the water as possible.
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Purchase a waterproof case.
Not only will this case keep your camera and phone safe, it will allow you to take underwater as well as partially submerged photos.
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Break out the selfie stick.
While shunned in many places, selfie sticks are great for taking photos of fish, especially from a boat. Professional photographers often use selfie sticks to get interesting shots.
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Go it alone.
Hold your fish by the tail or keep it in the net with the camera angle low to get a good shot.
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destination
f av o r i t e M em ories You don't always have to leave your backyard to create your favorite fishing memories.
The unveiling of the Nissan Titan Surfcamp is a memory I won't forget any time soon. This event in Vero Beach, FL was certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet people whose paths I would've never crossed otherwise. - Jen Ripple
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teresaW E S T B E R R Y A 25th wedding anniversary gift turns into much more My husband Stuart and I were fly fishing for rainbow trout in Hazel Creek in Proctor, NC. Proctor was abandoned when Fontana Dam was built, and the surrounding area was flooded to create Fontana Lake. It's full of great history and fishing. The historical Calhoun House, which is still there though falling into disrepair is a must see. The area is remote and beautiful, with no cell service. The only way in and out is by boat.
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destination
Pa u l a K R U G E R U D Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing at the Freedom Ranch for Heroes
Veterans from all over the U.S. and walks of life come to fly fish in this small, quiet, slow-paced, spot-in-theroad, Montana. They come for fishing, they go home with incredible stories and memories. Being a part of this group as the photographer rocked my world in four short days. There are no words to express the emotions that well up when I see these shots of that day. Following them down to the river was quite the experience to say the least. It was an honor for me, and something I’ll never forget. There are too many stories within just this one day.
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HelaineH O L B R O O K Catching one on your own fly is magical My favorite memory is fly fishing in southeastern Oklahoma. Yes, Beaver’s Bend, Oklahoma. There is something about the awesome feeling of catching your first rainbow trout on a fly you made on your own.
photo by Peter Breeden
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destination
saraW E S T FA L L The first fish on a special rod
I was part of an all women's fishing clinic. Women of all skill levels were present. One woman, new to the sport, had a very special rod handmade by her late husband. We were with the guide (also a woman) who showed her the perfect location and presentation. She hooked into her first fish with that rod and the smile she had was like no other. Tears in our group starting flowing just like the creek. I’ll never forget it. Fly fishing has taught me so much about life and the connection with others.
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karaJ O R D A N
Falling head over heels for a cutbow Catching this monster cutbow on the Green River in Wyoming is my favorite memory. Once I hooked it, it made a run directly under the drift boat. In an effort to keep tension on the line, I lost my balance backward and fell, landing with my head and shoulders out of the boat. My guide grabbed me and between both of our adrenaline rushes, I got back up, and much to our surprise, the fish was still on my line. I landed it, took pictures, and then had a good laugh, and a celebratory cold one.
photo by Teton Scenic Floats & Fly Fishing
CONSERVATION
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kit and kaboodle
Why It's Worth It by DUN
The Garden Table at Copal Tree Lodge in Punta Gorda, Belize
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Copal Tree Lodge is our favorite place to stay in Belize. The lodge is committed to conservation, local economic development, and actively engages in practices to minimize their carbon footprint. From the moment you arrive, the extra effort the staff puts in is why this lodge is worth it. From the handwritten welcome notes, to the luxurious accommodations, and pristine natural surroundings Copal Tree Lodge makes you feel like a treasured guest. Copal Tree is the perfect place to try for that elusive grand slam. Start your day searching for tarpon and snook along the mangroves, move out before the tide changes to find that permit, and finish the day surrounded by white sand beaches chasing bones. After fishing, enjoy a cocktail made from ingredients grown in the cocktail garden with rum from the lodge's own distillery located on the premises. For dinner, treat yourself to an unforgettable farm-totable meal. About 70% of the ingredients the lodge uses are sourced from the lodge grounds. After dinner, retire to your canopy suite, and fall asleep bathed in the sounds of the jungle. Starting at $9,275 for 7 nights/6 days guided fishing peak season January 5th - April 30th copalTreeLodge.com
Fishing the saltwater flats can be challenging. The wind, long casts and line carry, and the need to be perfectly accurate have caused more than one angler the fish of a lifetime. The right combination of rod, reel, and line can make all the difference. The new Sage Igniter was made for technical conditions like these. The ultra-fast action allows you to pick up and hammer out a cast without having to false cast in the wind. The rod comes in 6-10 weights and is worth its weight in tarpon silver. MSRP - $900.00 sageFlyFish.com
Pair this rod with the Abel SDS fly reel. Powerful, smooth, and reliable, this large arbor reel was made for fighting large fish in the saltwater. The multi-disk drag has enough breaking power to stop big tarpon but can be dialed back for the light tippet needed for bones. The drag system is completely sealed protecting it from the harsh elements that saltwater brings. What really makes this reel worth it is the custom finish. As shown - $2,325.00 abelReels.com
Spool this reel with the RIO DirectCore Flats Pro fly line. This line is worth it for so many reasons. First, the multi-colored line takes the guess work out of how much line you have in the air or at your feet, so you won't come up short when that permit shows. Second, the front taper loads the rod quickly and easily to deliver a quick shot to tailing bonefish. Finally, the DirectCore core reduces stretch when setting the hook on that monster tarpon. MSRP - $119.99 RIOproducts.com
LUXURY
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A beautiful Cumberland River Rainbow Trout
getting you out there I live near the Cumberland River, which is a 688-mile-long river which drains almost 18,000 square miles of southern Kentucky and northcentral Tennessee. A series of dams along the river create impoundments and tailwater fisheries. Despite all of this water, shore fishing options are surprisingly limited due to industry, periodically dry river beds, and landowner rights. Without a motorboat, my fishing time would be limited to when I travel. Fortunately, there are a lot of good options available to get me on the water. Like other river systems, the Cumberland has a bottom that varies greatly in depth. Being able to see any debris or shallow shoals ahead is imperative. The Sportsman 17 SS allows me to sit higher in the water than a traditional john or bass boat and gives me a lot of extra room for gear. In addition, this lightweight boat requires a smaller outboard to power it safely, which saves me a lot in gas money, and it can be pulled with my everyday SUV. My current Highlander has over 375,000 miles on it and I know it will get me on the water for many years to come. Like getting the perfect oars for your drift boat to accommodate your size and body style, the right trolling motor is key. I’m not the most coordinated person, so using a foot pedal trolling motor and fly casting at the same time is brutal. The i-Pilot Link allows me to be able to do all the above without tangling on the foot pedal or feeling like I’m about to fall out of the boat.
by Jen Ripple
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Living near the water has some advantages including amazing sunsets
DESTINATION
Terrova by Minn Kota If you think double hauling is hard, try operating a foot pedal trolling motor while trying to double haul. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best trolling motor operator on the planet, so I love using the Terrova with the i-Pilot GPS trolling system. With i-Pilot I can choose to use the foot pedal, remote or Minn Kota App, allowing me to hold the boat in place with the touch of a button (instead of a foot on the pedal), or better yet, pre-program the course I want to fish, letting the motor do all the work. How’s that for simplifying your day on the water? minnkotamotors.com starting at: $969.99
Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum by Toyota I currently drive a 2006 Highlander Hybrid with 377,692 miles and counting. I love it. I find that a midsized SUV is a great vehicle for everyday driving and for towing my boats. This model has a 5,000lb towing capacity and a ton of cargo room, so I can tow my boat anywhere while keeping my gear safe and dry inside the cabin. The in-dash navigation is helpful when I’m fishing areas with no cell service, and because I’m not the best at backing up a trailer, the backup camera is a must. toyota.com starting at: $48,480
Sportsman 17 SS by G3 Boats
Also available in two Mossy Oak® patterns; Break-Up® or Shadowgrass®
One of the largest space grabbers in a motor boat is the console. The Sportsman 17 SS uses a joystick-like steering system allowing me to sit up front and safely navigate a river system while eliminating the tiller handle, which always manages to catch my line. As an added bonus, the lockable storage compartments securely stow away all my safety equipment and provide a nice casting platform. g3boats.com starting at : $17,995.00 with a Yamaha F25 motor
EQUIPMENT
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Taking the time to enjoy the good things
Muscadine Wine A southern American tradition that is as synonymous with the south as moonshine, biscuits and gravy, and country ham. Learn how to make your own country wine. It's easier than you think. By Jen Ripple
photo by Brandon Miller Photography
LOCATION
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end of the day
At the end of the day, I believe that the world is a stunningly beautiful place that should be protected for future generations to enjoy. I believe that clean water should be a basic human right. I believe in kindness, in truth, and in forgiveness. I believe in moving forward, instead of living in the past. I believe the world is a troubled enough place, and the last place we should be fighting with each other is on a river, a lake, or a stream. I believe it is easy to surf the net and get caught up in the wave of negativity. I believe we have bigger and better fights to win in today’s world. I believe in authenticity, being real, and owning who you are. I believe our fights are much more important than what you wear on the water. At the end of the day, this is fishing. And fishing is fun. Now, go say something nice.
Jen
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photo by Brandon Miller Photography
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www.FisheWear.com