A new collaboration in Dunedin is bringing together one of New Zealand’s oldest angling clubs and a national grassroots movement to grow women’s participation in fly-fishing.
Later this month, Otago Anglers Association — the oldest angling club in New Zealand — and Women on the Fly NZ will co-host a day-long “Introduction to Fly-Fishing” event for women in Dunedin.
Otago Anglers Association president Mark Barrett said the club and other fishing organisations were trying to get more people involved in fly-fishing.
Lessons and courses had already been done to entice more people into the sport.
He said women wanted to get involved and enjoyed being with similar-minded people so they could be at the same level and experience the social aspect of the pastime.
‘‘It is a long learning curve in fly-fishing, but having a friend to do it with makes it a lot more fun. You are not going to catch a fish every day but within time you might well catch a fish,’’ he said.
He said the key to fly-fishing was that one had to be accepting of failure.
‘‘I compare it to learning a musical instrument. It’s pretty rough in the beginning but it comes together, comes together quickly, and before you know it you have caught a fish.’’
There were small rivers near Dunedin which were good fly-fishing rivers and easily accessible, he said.
The Otago Anglers Association, founded in 1881, has a proud history of competitions and community. Women on the Fly NZ national co-ordinator Leigh Johnnson said for many women, the challenge was not a lack of interest but a lack of access.
‘‘The barriers are often as simple as not knowing where to start or not having someone to go with,” Ms Johnson said.
“When women leave an event with new friends at the same stage of the journey, they are far more likely to continue.”
In a traditionally male-dominated sport, initiatives such as Women on the Fly NZ were helping women overcome barriers to get started, she said.
Mr Barrett said as with many clubs, membership was smaller than in decades past, and women remained significantly under-represented.
Creating genuine pathways for women to join ensured the club remained sustainable.
‘‘We want to make angling available to everyone.
“A broader base of engaged anglers supports healthy rivers, sustainable fisheries, and long-term access for future generations.”
The introduction to fly-fishing event will be on March 29, at 10am at the Otago Anglers Association clubrooms at Young St in South Dunedin.
