Women’s free fly fishing clinic set in Gardnerville

For anyone thinking fly fishing is a man’s sport, think again.

The High Sierra Fly Casters, a local club that seeks to build the appreciation and skills of fly fishing in the Carson Valley, is sponsoring a Ladies’ Fly Fishing Clinic on July 7 to introduce newcomers to the art and sport of fly fishing.

The goal of the clinic is to teach women about the sport’s equipment, the flies, the skills, and to give participants a better appreciation of conservation considerations surrounding fly fishing. The club has long made mentors available to newcomers, but this is a specially-targeted effort to bring more women into its ranks.

The clinic will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elks Club of Gardnerville, 1227 Kimmerling Road. Participation is free but limited to 30 women, and space is filling up. Registration is required.

All aspects of the sport will be explored, equipment will be supplied on loan, and all students and most instructors will be women. Participants will need a Nevada fishing license and they should dress appropriately for the weather.

Amy Kileen is the driving force behind this effort, with support from the High Sierra Fly Casters, which is interested in expanding the understanding and enjoyment of the sport.

Kileen is a member of the High Sierra Fly Casters, Carson City Fly Fishers, Tahoe-Truckee Fly Fishers and the Kern River Fly Fishers (KRFF) and Southern Sierra Fly Fishers in California. She’s a volunteer instructor for the Nevada Division of Wildlife, Angling Division. She’s a retired eighth grade English teacher who recently moved to Minden from California for the outdoor activities found in Northern Nevada.

The clinic will last eight hours, with six stations to teach essential elements of the sport: casting, knot tying, fly tying, entomology, conservation, equipment and gear, and will conclude with a hands-on fishing experience at Mitch Pond in Gardnerville. The entomology class will discuss which forms of insect life attract trout during different seasons. The fly tying class will teach participants how to tie artificial examples of those insects, and the conservation station will show women how to handle the fish without injuring them so they can be returned safely to the water. The conservation station will also teach etiquette that’s important to fly fishing: minimize air exposure of fish, know the fishing laws, respect property rights, give adequate space to other fishers, and wade in a stream only when necessary — and why.

Kileen, a graduate of the Pasadena Fly Casting club’s “teach the teachers” class, will offer her knowledge of various casts including the roll cast, the pick up and lay down, and the false cast.

Knots are an essential part of fly fishing, and Celine Bayla from Southern Sierra Fly Fishers in Kernville will be teaching knot tying.

Teresa Adams, a fly fishing guide from the Kern River Fly Fishing Club, along with Liz Weirauch, a fishing guide and owner of Angler’s Edge Fly Fishing shop in Gardnerville, will teach casting.

Alex Ramirez of Outdoor Specialty Products, Truckee, will provide fly fishing gear from Sage, Rio and Redington for the women to preview.

Kileen will be inviting two participants from “Casting for Recovery,” a retreat for women who have or are recovering from breast cancer, to join the clinic.

To sign up or for information, email Kileen at amyflycaster@gmail.com. The High Sierra Fly Casters website is at http://www.hsfc.us.