A quick teaser from our Iceland trip earlier this year….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYpL4fo_36I
Check it out!
Keep your eyes open for the show, Fly Nation, a Fly Max Films production.
Maybe this year you could have your shopping done BEFORE Christmas eve.
In all seriousness though, Fly Gal in now offering Gift Certificates of all denominations readily available for immediate distribution. You can even order and then print them out yourself…. How’s that for quick?
Gift Certificates are good for one year from the issue date and can be applied to all Fly Gal merchandise, courses (yes even the traveling kind), guided trips and custom fly orders.
We are currently in the process of adding several new items to our catalogue. Here’s a sneak peak at some of our new product that is ready for Christmas purchase.
Please contact april@flygal.ca to order.
Our new custom hand-crafted leather fly wallets (with hand-cut horn buttons and wool interior). $130.00
Knit cap with visor. Keep her head warm and still look hot! $19.99
(Front)
(Back)
Fly Gal Fitted Zip-Up Hoody (*New in pink/black). We also have these in White/Turquoise (not pictured). $44.99
Flex Fit Fly Gal fitted hats. If pink’s not your thing, then green or yellow are always ready as a backup. $24.99
*New! Military style fitted hat. Available in colors below. $24.99
Fly Gal Logo Decals (available in blue, pink, white, black, lime green and purple). $3.00
Don’t underestimate the thoughtful gift of custom flies (designed and tied by Ape)….
A custom order for a New York steelhead bum.
So as if you don’t already have enough shops flashing their sale lights at you tempting you to shop, here I am encouraging you to do the same; only not in shops of potpourri and sales clerks and certainly not in a mad rush of chaos on Christmas Eve.
Happy Holidays, Happy Steelheading!
Ape.
That’s right! We’ve teamed with Casters Fly Shop and are heading to Southwestern Virginia to help six ladies learn how to cast and fish for rainbow trout (huge rainbow trout I might add!).
Date: April 3rd and 4th, 2010 (there are only two spots left so don’t delay!)
Price: $625.00 per person (includes two full days of guiding/instruction, all meals and accomodations on Saturday evening in a private and quaint home on the river).
Guides: April Vokey and David Hise
To Reserve Your Spot Contact:
casters@castersflyshop.com
828-304-2400
Join us for a unique one-day Intro to Fly Fishing workshop in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.
We are on a small and serene river with no interruptions and a truly incredible view.
Date: Saturday, December 5th.
Time: 10am-4pm
Location: Spring Valley Anglers (Northwest, Arkansas; ONLY 1.5 hours from Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Info:
The school will be a one day school designed for anglers of all ability levels. You will learn how to tie a fly on as well as how to improve your casting and fly fishing ability. Beginners, advanced anglers and everyone in between can benefit from these schools. Lunch, drinks and all gear is provided.
Price: $250 per person
Class Size: Eight (8) women
Sample Itinerary:
Saturday
10am-12pm: Principles of Casting, Knot Tying, Reading water and Fighting
Fish
12pm-1pm: Lunch (Provided)
1pm-4pm: Fly Selection, Basics and nuances of Fly Fishing, Entomology and On
the Water fishing.
Book now at april@flygal.ca! This is going to be a fun one!
Ape.
Hey all!
We’re clearing out the last of our stock to make room for some new and exciting items!
We’ve got some tank tops that simply NEED TO GO!!!
Buy one at $20 and get a 2nd FREE!
That means they’re ten dollars each and I don’t mind saying….a pretty kick-ass deal!
We have the following shirts left:
Light Pink in medium, large
Black in large
Yellow in medium
Gray in medium, large
Brown in medium
White in medium
Mint Green in small
Teal in small, medium, large, x-large
They’re great for x-mas gifts and look super cute.
S&H will be added to your order. Note that these tops are meant to be fitted. Final sale.
Email me at april@flygal.ca if you’d like to place an order.
Thanks!
Ape.
When Mike Rice of Mud Dog Saltwater Flies told me he was sending some salty flies my way I didn’t give it much more than a second thought.
When a perfectly stocked and strategically organized fly box landed in my mailbox however, I was singing a different tune.
His flies were incredible! Tied with care by a true saltwater angler, he had me itching to book a trip to the Bahamas.
I was impressed……
Mike hasn’t asked for much. A pretty low key guy who ties for fun and hangs with his two black labs, he had only one request- Just for me to fish the hell out of his collection and slay ocean beasts until my arms were sore.
But I just had to send a shout out to his company and say with confidence:
If you’re hitting the salt, hit up Mud Dog…..You’ll be thankful you did.
Thanks Mike!
Ape.
Mike Rice
Mud Dog Saltwater Flies
www.muddogflies.com
cell: 781.254.4533
![MDlogo[1]](http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/flygal/files/2009/11/MDlogo1-300x296.jpg)
Last weekend I headed over to the Mountain River Fly Shop www.mtnriverflyshop.com to visit with friend Steve Dally, do a little fishing, and teach a ladies learn to fly-cast class.
The women were fantastic, Steve was a hoot and fishing…..well, you can call me the rainbow queen, but I’m still waiting to catch that damn brown trout!
A short photo recap (photos by Steve Dally).
Everyones favorite….knot tying.
So serious!
Daughter teaches Mom…
Mom pouts.
Who says learning to cast isn’t fun!?
She was a natural!
Can hardly contain the excitement!
You go girl!
If you can control a stick, you can control a fly rod. Rid of intimidation from the start.
Thanks ladies! You were all amazing!
We will be having another ladies learn to fly-cast class on November 7th. There are only several spots left, so don’t wait too long to book!
Contact Steve at the Mountain River Fly Shop at 1-870-435-6166 to reserve a space.
Hope to see you soon,
Ape.
Well Christmas isn’t that far away now, and we need to clear out some inventory (some of which will soon be discontinued) to make room for our other product (stay tuned for some exciting new announcements!)
This said, we are having a sale….
The following product is part of a buy one, get one half off sale.
Ladies, you know how this works…..guys it works like this:
If you purchase one of the following items at full price, the second item of your choice (of equal or lesser value) is then available for purchase at 50% off.
There are no restrictions on how many articles you may purchase, however, sizes may be limited to what I have with me on-hand.
If you need a different size, or don’t see an item that you’d like, please let me know as it is likely that we have it in stock at our Vancouver location (please note that product not posted on this Blog is not part of the sale below).
Note: Most Fly Gal product tends to fit slightly snug, as they are meant to be form fitting. Lastly, please email me to order at april@flygal.ca, as our sites Pay Pal is not set up to discount.
All prices are in Canadian Dollars.
Sale items are as follows:
Black and Pink Tee $19.99
One Medium
One Large
Brown and Pink Tee $19.99
Two Mediums
Grey and Black Tee $19.99
One Small
Pink and White 3/4 Length Sleeve Tee $24.99
Two Mediums
Bright Pink and Light Pink 3/4 Length Sleeve Tee $24.99
One Medium
Green and White Tee $19.99
One Medium
White and Pink Tee $19.99
Three Mediums
Fuchsia and Black Tank $19.99
One Medium
Aqua and Black Tee $19.99
One Small
One Medium
Pink and Black Tee $19.99
Two Mediums
Pink and Black 2-Toned Tee $21.99
One Medium
Mint Green and Black Tee $19.99
One Medium
Mint Green and Black Tank $19.99
One Small
White and Pink Tank $19.99
One Medium
Yellow and Pink Tank $19.99
One Medium
Fuchsia and Black Tank $19.99
One Medium
Aqua and Pink Tank $19.99
One Medium
Black and Pink Tank $19.99
One Large
Pink and Pink Tank $19.99
One Large
One Medium
Grey and Pink Tank $19.99
One Medium
One Large
Brown and Pink Tank $19.99
One Medium
Black and Pink “Catch and Release Kind of Girl” Tee $24.99
One Small
One Medium
One Extra Large
White and Pink “Catch and Release Kind of Girl” Tee $24.99
One Medium
Black and Pink Fly Gal Sweats (Large logo spread across rear) $39.99
One Medium
Basic Brown and Pink Sweats $39.99
One Large
Basic Black and Pink Sweats $39.99
One Extra Small
Two Extra Large
Basic White and Black Sweats $39.99
One Medium
White and Pink “Catch and Release…” Pull Over Hoody $44.99
One Small
Black and Pink “Catch and Release…” Pull Over Hoody $44.99
One Medium
Black and Pink Full Spread Zip Up Hoody $44.99
One Small
White and Pink Full Spread Zip Up Hoody $44.99
One Medium
One Extra Large
Lilac and Pink Zip Up Hoody $44.99
One Medium
Grey and Pink Pullover Hoody $44.99
One Medium
Pink and Black Zip- Up Hoody $44.99
One Extra Large
White and Pink Terry Cloth Zip Up $34.99
One Medium
Black and White Pullover Hoody $44.99
One Medium
Pink Girly Boy Briefs $11.99
One Small
Two Larges
Black and White Girly Boy Briefs $11.99
One Small
White Trucker Hat with Pink Logo $24.99
White and Black Flex Fit Hat $24.99
Black and White Trucker Flex Fit Hat $24.99
Black and White Trucker Hat with Silver Logo $24.99
***All Sales Final. Tax and S&H will apply.
BC Steelhead make me ogle too…
Well, Fly Gal is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Nicholas Dean Lodge (www.nicholasdean.com) in Terrace, BC to offer some of the most memorable steelhead (and salmon) trips in the country!
Nicholas Dean is a fabulous lodge, fully equipped with a gourmet chef and top notch guides.
The Skeena and Copper Rivers are only two of their licensed world-class rivers and I am proud to associate my name with theirs.
I will be guiding with Nicholas Dean Lodge and am taking bookings NOW.
There are still several spots open for this Fall season, and we are booking steady for next year. Please contact me directly at april@flygal.ca to answer any of your questions or help you to plan the steelhead trip you’ve only ever dreamt of! I’d love to guide you into that fish of a lifetime!
The following bonus offer is on now….
Any clients to pay a 50% deposit for a 2010 fishing trip prior to October 1st, 2009 will be booked in at the 2009 rates (which I may add are more than affordable!)
Stop talking about it and do it!
Talk to you soon,
Ape.
Thank you ladies for all the wonderful photos and stories that each of you took the time to share with me!
Each of you is truly an inspiration to me and other ladies of the sport and deserve to be recognized as “bad-ass women of fly-fishing”.
Choosing a winner was harder than hell, though with careful deliberation I feel that the woman I’ve chosen to take this contest down has worked damn hard to get to where she is today!
Congratulations Pat Horn of Missouri!
Here’s the story as told by her hubby….
“My bride of 32 years is Pat Horn. No silicone here! hahaha! As a matter of fact this special lady has quite a story behind her. She is three years out from breast cancer. A mastectomy, reconstruction, chemo and radiation. Like I said no silicone, as she opted to use part of herself in the reconstruction ; ) I had somewhat introduced her to fly fishing and she liked it. I had read where she could apply to Casting for Recovery http://www.castingforrecovery.org/ she did and was accepted the following Fall after her treatment. What a deal! This turned her into something else. It was good for her mentally, physically and secured me a fly fishing partner forever. We both are volunteers now for the CFR cause and helped out with the retreat last Fall.
Attached are some photos of Pat. One of her with a local farm pond’s surplus for dinner which she helps clean. A series of shots from our vacation last week where she caught at a small stream in Utah. Pat said as she set the hook “Give me the net, I can do this myself”.
Ape I am a lucky man.”
Marty and Pat Horn
Thanks Pat for being you!!!
Other bad-asses that deserve mention:
Geneviève Fournier from Quebec
“Hey April,
These are three photos of fishing on the Alness River in Scotland. I
feel like silly connecting this story back to a guy, but this is the
first time I ever felt like a bad ass fishing chick. I was living a
broad in Spain and I had left my boyfriend back at school. He was my
fishing buddy. He was there when I caught my first fish, he helped me
pick out my first rod and he gave book after book about the the rivers
in Utah. When I found out, I no longer loved him, this first thing I
did was escape. I was shocked to find the only place I wanted to be
was on the river. On a whim I decided to hop on a plane and ended up
in Evanton Scotland, a tiny town with two pubs and a fly shop, forty
five minutes outside of Inverness. It was my first time using a spey
rod and my first time fishing without him. When I got on the river and
my guide handed me a 15 ft. 10 weight Rod. I looked at it and was
thinking to myself, “How the Hell am I going to Cast this thing?” But
once I experienced the sheer power of the rod, I knew I was hooked.
After fishing three days sun up to sun down in the freezing rain, I
got my first Atlantic Salmon! The hunt, the struggle and the victory
left me in tears. I don’t think I’ll ever have a more joyous moment
than pulling in my big beautiful hen out of the Alness river!
Thanks,
Christin Aucunas”
Ashleigh Paulk with a beautiful trout from Spring Valley Anglers www.springvalleyanglers.com
Anna Riggs teaching a new generation of fisherwomen the joy of the sport on the White River in Arkansas.
Jenefer Smalley (she’s one of my favorites)
“So This BAD ASS Beauty was caught off shore Lacey off Langara Island in the Queen Charlottes. So PIMP!! (as Yos would say!!) This was one of the best days of my life! It was a dream come true to catch and release a Tyee!
Hooked line and smashed her it was all me! I’m a DIE HARD Bad Ass man and I would love that hoodie and street cred haha!!
I’m relatively new to fishing. All it took was two summers in the Charlottes with the boyz workin hard, fishen hard, gettin ragged on for farmin fish…then proving myself with my Tyee and many other incredible Salmon. I now own a 5 pound test fly rod which I have put to the to good use and caught some lil beauty’s on this summer. I have found my true calling/passion…through fishing. I’ve heard you speak and share your passion. There’s nothing like the challenge and pay off of a successful battle and release.
UPness,
Smalley”
Jeanette Lark
“Hi April,
I hope I’m not too late to enter the contest. My name is Beth Godin. I live and fish in Vermont. Not only am I a bad ass fisherwoman, but my toy poodle is too! (See her behind me in the carp photo!) No…she is NOT Musky bait! Don’t get any ideas! : P
I have the great fortune of being engaged to a fly fishing guide and been “used” (oh poor me!) as a scouting partner. We fish for many “unusual” (well unusual for VT) species such as gar, carp, bowfin and sheephead. I really enjoy the sightfishing aspect of targeting these fish and I don’t think I’ll ever understand why anyone would just sit in a boat or on a bank waiting to feel a tug…how boring! Fly fishing engages all my senses and many interests. From photographing and viewing other wildlife, to getting a fun and good workout rowing the canoe around. And of course having fun adventures with my fiance. We plan to go to Belize for some flats fishing for our honeymoon! I almost am more excited about that than the actual wedding!
And I agree with you…I’m not at all against fishing bikini babes either. You can catch some nice bass in a bikini top…and man, does it feel much more comfortable on a 90 degree day on Lake Champlain than some fancy SPF infused expensive shirt! Ventilation flaps? So what…You get some extreme ventilation in a triangle top!
Tight lines (and tight knots on those bikini tops! Wouldn’t want to pull a Janet Jackson while fighting a big carp!)
-Beth”
Terry Polk
“This is my Mom who is an amazing woman all around, but who really shines on the water…She sent me my first rod when I was living in Colorado and I was missing the water, never realized that the best fishing is a long ways away from the Chesapeake Bay sometimes. Anyhow her and her husband travel pretty much every chance they get to hike and fish. She says, the best thing about trout fishing is that trout live in the most beautiful places in the world and we get to visit when we fish.
I’m attaching a couple photos of her in Idaho and Oregon where she has a little fishing cabin. She is the real deal and outfishes the boys a lot of the times we are out. Well, there you go!
Hope you like these, regardless of whether she wins or not. Oh and she just called and wants me to add that not only is she a mother, she is now officially a fishin’ grandma. The last one is a pic of the family, me, my lil sis, my mom and stepdad fishing the Wallowa near Hells Canyon in Oregon.
Skoal!
Martin”
Sarah Exton is a hard-core angler who travels the world in pursuit of fins.
“Hey April,
My name is Stormie Tench. I live in Northeast Georgia. I have only been fishing for about a year now. My boyfriend got me into the sport. The photo that I have entered into the contest was a picture that was taken the first time I went fly fishing. Although, it took half the day for me to even hook one of the rainbow trout, and it wasn’t the biggest fish, I was so proud of myself! The feeling of hooking onto a fish is so awesome! It is very exciting. I enjoy this sport and want to continue learning all the techniques.
-Stormie”
Caca Zarif-Pires
“Hey April,
Robin from Portland here!
Hope you are doing well, here is a picture of me on the Deschutes that
my husband took. It’s always been one of my favorites.
Robin Healy”
Danielle Will- Simms Field Testing Coordinator
“I am super proud to be a fly fishing woman. I am competitive in nature (usually just against myself) but I drive along the rivers, watching people fish and 99.9% of the time it’s all men. Ever hear the song, “Anything you can do I can do better”? Well that songs starts up in my head and I get excited. I get excited that hell yeah I can do that just as well or better.
I am super stoked on more and more women joining this amazing sport and will do my best to push the development of new and improved WOMEN’S products.
By the way-ever going to make it to Bozeman one of these days?”
“One look at my picture and you might not think that I qualify as a “bad-ass” angler, but I can hold my own, even at the age of 49 and standing all of 4′11″ tall. (I’m sure I would never get a job as a model at that height!)
Mini Fly Gal….
My girl Rebekka!
Ginger Rowe
“I wish this was a better pic, but here she is…. your bad ass girl! She is my sis, and she is the one who got me into fishing! If it weren’t for her, I never would have picked up a fly rod! Like I said, not the best pic but she IS BAD ASSSS!”
Shannon Beall of BC.
“As for being a bad ass I am soooo not but… I am happiest with a cold wind
at my back and ice forming on the guides. They don’t call me “Blue Toes”
for nothing! Love ya girl, can’t wait to catch up, Shannon.”
“Hi April,
This was taken of my first steelhead fishing trip up at the Salmon
River in NY in February. I had been having a bad couple of weeks due
to a miscarriage and a cut in hours at my work, but my husband, an
avid fly fisherman, insisted that we continue with the trip. It was a
great idea — being on that river, hooking several steelhead and
bringing in a few, I was able to take my mind off of current events.
I was very proud to land this one — the biggest fish of the day.
As I said before, my husband is a big-time fisherman, and going out on
the rivers with him has been a great way for us to spend time
together. I’m still getting into the sport, but each fish I catch
brings me a little closer to being a true “flygal” myself.
Thanks,
Alicia Michels”
True Fly Gal Susan, who is about as bad as they get!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PHOTO OF HER HOLDING THE BOAT WHILE THE BOY STANDS BY!
Caitlin Patrick
“These pictures are from my trip to Alaska to fish on the Agula Pak river off of Lake Nerka. The trip was amazing, spending 8 hours a day on the river, I caught lots of fish and had a great time with my guides, especially Nick and Isaac English.
The first picture is with a 22in grayling. Caught with an adams.
the next two were a 19in grayling caught on a nymph.
The last picture is a 22in char caught with an eight weight and a streamer, put up a good fight.”
Val Young fishing the morning midge hatch while waiting for
her coffee. She is no slouch with the flyrod either and will outfish
the boys on most days.
The wonderful, fish crazy T-Bird (Teresa VanWinkle). This gal is beyond kick-ass! Her fly-tying skills speak volumes and she fishes more days than most. Damn you’re hot T-Bird! Keep rockin’ the nails baby!
My guide from the Queen Charlotte Islands; Sumiko Sakiyama. Sumi’s my favourite guide so far! If you’re heading to the Charlotte’s anytime soon, look for Sumi…she’s guaranteed to make your trip excellent!
“Hey April!!! I am entering this photo because it is something a little different compared to fishing in waders! I am a salt water fishing guide in the Queen Charlotte islands, ten hour days in all sorts of weather hunting the elusive chinook salmon. This day it was blowing 30-40 northwest, we are actually sitting in a 17 foot boston whaler waiting for a chinook bite! These days are pretty crazy, fighting the water and when you do get a fish on it can get pretty interesting when the fishing guide can barely even stand in the boat! I am super proud to be a “bad ass fisher girl” because I am able to spend time with people from all over the world, share that amazing adrenaline filled feeling of landing a giant salmon and show them a piece of BC that holds a special place in my heart. And to top it all off, I am just a little girl in green Hellys!”
“Hi April! Well I saw the contest on your blog and thought I would share my fav of the few pics that I have of me. I am on the water here in New Brunswick on the Dungarvon with my husband over the July long weekend. The HUGE smile on my face is because I just busted out a beautiful double spey cast and I was so damn proud! I had been practicing for what seemed like forever and my hubby has been so patient with me since I started fly fishing with him this year. I love to fly fish because it is something g that we do together as a couple, we have been together for 7 years now and just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary on August 9, 2009. We are already planning our 10 year anniversary trip to Patagonia or Alaska, I can’t wait, and yet I can, I need more practice! I’ll be learning to tie flies this winter and will be sending in my creations for Flies For Fins. This chick loves fly fishing so much that my husband now fears he has lost his Meiser!
Kickin’ tail in NB,
Kristy Arnett”
“Hi April!
I decided to send in a picture for your awesome Fly Gal contest. Still enjoy reading your blogs…and thanks again for all the advice you’ve given me!
Photo Attached:
Jessica Ruskin with golden trout, caught in Cherokee, NC. 19 inches and approximately 4 1/2-5 pounds. Caught on a hare’s ear nymph. My husband (who has been fly fishing since he was 10 and taught me to fly fish) and cousin had been attempting to catch this particular trout for hours while I was away shopping with my mother. I met up with them later for some fishing, took 2 casts, landed the fly right in front of this fish, and screamed in delight as I realized I’d actually hooked up with this beautiful trout. She put up a hell of a fight; I was actually shaking when I landed her. Please excuse the fact that my husband is in the picture – we forgot to bring the net, so he had to help me land the fish.
I’m proud to be a bad-ass woman of the sport because it allows me to prove to my husband that I can clean house and decorate, have dinner ready every night, dress up in a cocktail dress for a night out, yet still kick his ass out on the river. It gives me a chance to take part in a beautifully creative art form and is quite an amazing stress reliever.”
Jessica Ruskin
Proud Mother Adriana (above) and daughter, Tyla. While fishing for chub and other little critters, Tyla (6) managed to hook this sturgeon and landed it on super light tackle and 8lb test!
This is a family who truly loves spending their time together on the water! Check out Adriana’s lodge on the Fraser River at www.fraserriversedge.com
“Hi April,
My name is Caitlin Gifford, Im nineteen and have been fishing since I was
six. My home waters are the Bow River in Calgary AB and thats where I
spotted this brute.
I work in a fly shop full time during the summer and part time while I’m
at the U of Calgary, I literally don’t remember a part of life that hasn’t
been centered around fly fishing in one way or another. As soon as he
could my Dad threw a fly rod in my hands and I haven’t put it down since.
I’m a “bad ass fishing chick” because thats what I was born to do, I talk
fish all day in the shop and fish on my days off. I’ve traveled the world
in the name of fish from Mongolia to Cuba and many more to come. I fly
fish not only for the catch but also for everything in between, the cast,
the fly, the laughs, the eat. It’s my world!
On a side note check out the shop blog at
http://countrypleasuresff.blogspot.com/
for Bow River/southern Ab pics and such.
Thanks and if your ever in Calgary we should hit the river, there’s
nothing better than dry fly fishing for big ass browns on the Bow.
Caitlin”
Kaylin Bickle with an awesome Alaskan rainbow.
The one submerged was my largest GD…32lbs…largest they have caught there…about 40lbs…girl power!
Anyhoo—just enjoy the fish porn…
Cheers,
N”
I am Louise Dunn from Arkansas. Here are a couple of my photos I am submitting for this contest. This 22 pound brown was caught at the Bull Shoals Dam on the famous White River. This is my once in a life time fish!! Or maybe not. What a day!! It was the most thrilling day of my life to cast to this beast and have him take the fly and have the rush of my life when landing him. Not to mention being the only woman on the river and have all these fly fisherman stand and watch in amazement. This is my bad ass fly fishing adventure!!
Louise Dunn
PS- I had to just throw in this photo. One of my favorite fly fishing destinations. Alaska,
What a week of being in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and to catch these huge trout, one after another, and to be so fortunate to be fishing with the bears what an adventure!!
Thanks Louise”
Me, proudly teaching two young fly gals at a trade show in Abbotsford. These two ladies picked it up so fast! I was beyond impressed!
Well, there you have it folks! Some seriously kick-ass ladies who help to make the sport more enjoyable with that feminine touch….
Damn, I’m proud!
Hope to see each of you on the water!
Ape.