September 18 Chapter Meeting - Women In Fly Fishing

Women in Fly Fishing by Tiffany Fluitt - Owner of Gruene Outfitters

Tiffany Fluitt with RedfishSeptember has become the month to promote and highlight “Women in Fly Fishing”. Men appear to outnumber women in the sport of fly fishing, and in the membership numbers for the Alamo Fly Fishers. It has become obvious to the leadership of this club that we need to do more to attract women to fly fishing. As a rule, women learn quicker than men to be better fly casters, and generally are thought to be better at tying flies. Women who try fly fishing seem to develop better mechanics sooner than men, but for whatever reason they don’t sign up with the same numbers. The theme of the September meeting is specific to women in fly fishing, and is designed to boost their participation in fly fishing. We all know men and women are different, and they have different interest, expectations, and methods of satisfaction. The Alamo Fly Fishers would like to attract and develop the interest in fly fishing by men and women equally with our programs and outings.

Our special guest speaker this month is Tiffany Fluitt, an accomplished fly fisher, and the owner of Gruene Outfitters in New Braunfels. Tiffany has been fishing for as long as she can remember, but took up the sport of fly fishing only seven years ago. As a kid, she spent summers fishing with her grandfather in Port O’Connor. He taught her how to catch redfish and sea trout, and how to go “floundering” after dark. During college at Texas State University, Tiffany applied for a weekend job at Gruene Outfitters. Under the expertise of her former boss, Ray Box, she has become an avid fly fisher, and outdoor enthusiast. Tiffany earned her Captain’s License in February of 2004 and continues to pursue all learning opportunities available. She loves teaching people to fly-cast outside the shop in Gruene, and is always eager to help customers with knots, rigging, and fly selection.

Tiffany’s presentation will be about fly fishing as a “hobby”, and will identify the benefits of fly fishing as they relate to women. She will show how women can use fly fishing as a reason to travel and spend time outdoors. She will also illustrate how rewarding fly fishing can be whether you catch fish or not. Tiffany will discuss some upcoming opportunities for women to participate in the sport, and avenues by which to “get started”. She will deliver some self-confidence pointers to those who wish to learn, but have never gotten past the first step. She notes a list of pertinent advantages and benefits for fly-fishing as a “hobby”, instead of a sport, and how it can affect so many areas of life for the better.

Everyone is invited to attend the Alamo Fly Fishers meeting on Tuesday September 18th. Men, bring your wife or girlfriend. We should all enjoy this meeting!