As we’ve noted in the past, fly fishing isn’t exactly booming right now. Still, one segment is kicking butt, and that’s the women’s market. Women are taking to fly fishing in growing numbers, but they remain few enough that they still turn heads on the river — and in the fly shop.

For example, Cinda Howard manages an Orvis store in Scottsdale, AZ, and the fact that she’s a woman was enough for the Arizona Republic to do a story about that fact. She’s the only female fishing manager among Orvis’ 35 stores, and we’re caught between congratulating Orvis for hiring her and wondering why women are so few and far between in the industry ranks.

Other women are breaking into this largely male sport, including Charity Rutter — half of R&R Fly Fishing of Southeast Tennessee — who regularly packs her seminars at the major fly fishing shows.

There’s even an 18 year-old woman (Heather Seitz) who recently placed 20th at the Youth World Fly Fishing Championships.

I’m just going to say it; I think more women should occupy key positions in the sport, hoping the industry can better appeal to women fly fishers, thereby lowering some of the non-chauvinist-related barriers to women entering the sport.

Women are 50% of the population, and as much as I’m sometimes happy to see the sport shrinking and my river less crowded, the ugly truth is the water wars are coming, extractive industries are always eyeing new victims, and the remaining “wild places” need all the friends they can get.

And frankly, lifetime of experience suggests women are just basically smarter than us men, so pulling a few million of them into the sport couldn’t be a bad thing.

But then, some of the Undergrounders might have differing opinions, and damnit — we want to hear ‘em.

[tags]fly fishing, fishing, women fly fishers[/tags]

Posted in Underground Entertainment.