Orvis’ on the Water campaign aimed to inspire more women to get out on the water and discover the joys of fly fishing. Orvis photo.
Let’s hear it for the ladies!
Henry Clement, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, August 2023.
By Henry Clement
My angling partner of nearly ten years, Angie Roth, a retired federal prosecutor, had her sister’s daughter with her for the summer. Abigail Rosen is a 15-year-old devoted outdoor enthusiast who plans to attend Yale to study at the School of the Environment and play collegiate tennis.
While tennis took up most of her outdoor time, her curiosity got the best of her during a late June trip to the Ellerbe Farmstead in North Georgia. The family-owned property is now in the hands of Angie and her sister. The farm straddles the North Carolina/Georgia line, or vice versa, depending on whose perspective you ask.
A river flows through it.
A water course flows through the property, fed by numerous tributaries, constantly bringing in fresh water. Once stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the 1930s, the fishery also harbors bass, which survive in pockets divided by the current and use waterfalls as natural barriers. However, mixed catches in the runs are likely due to significant rainfall. The now naturally reproducing trout match the colors in Thom Glace’s illustrations.
Angie insisted that I coach Abigail on the art of casting. The challenge for any fly angler was the uneven landscape of the Ellerbe Farmstead, which features inaccessible gorges and only three runs where spey casting is effective.
This brown trout [Salmo Trutta] was caught and released – a commissioned work by Thom Glace.
Thom Glace’s Yellow Breeches rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss]. Visit the award-winning watercolorist’s website.
Interestingly, spey casting with a conventional 9-foot rod is much easier than one might expect; it’s actually more challenging with a longer spey rod
I started Abigail out with a 4-weight rod and taught her the roll cast, which she mastered in about a dozen attempts. Her coordination is in the one-percentile.
By the third day, I was in the role of observer and guide for Abigail. It brings great joy to a guide to witness the happiness that catching a fish can bring. Abigail was ecstatic, and her hug sent me tumbling into the water, which resulted in both of us erupting in uncontrollable laughter—a memory I will never forget.
Wanda Taylor, an IGFA world record holder, is possibly the best casting teacher for beginners. She does it all. Click here to visit her casting school website.
Why do women learn so fast?
Like many women, Abigail listened to instructions. She learned faster than most athletes, particularly males who try to apply skills from other sports to improve their casting, by avoiding listening to instructions.
One morning during breakfast, the two ladies decided to engage in a casting challenge. Since there were on-and-off forecasts for heavy rain, we only planned for a day of reading and shopping.
Keep your mouth shut
I chimed in on the challenge, telling Abigail that she had yet to develop her double haul skills and that a lawn contest wouldn’t accurately reflect her spey casting, as the grass wouldn’t create the friction that water does, potentially causing her cast to fail. However, my comment seemed to fall on deaf ears.
After a brief clearing in the weather, we proceeded with the lawn challenge. I set up distance markers at 40-, 60-, and 80-feet. The competition was over in just a few minutes, with less effort than it takes to open a door. Angie easily outperformed her niece with a single double-haul cast that covered about 80-feet, hitting just a yard away from the furthest marker. Angie’s accuracy at 40-and 60- feet was unmatched by Abigail.
A defeat is about learning to win
Abigail took her defeat in stride. Like any good athlete, she showed determination, declaring that by the end of the summer, she would be better than her aunt Angie. By August of 2024, she had indeed surpassed her aunt. But knowing Angie, I’m sure she let Abigail win the rematch, but who knows?
NOTE: The featured image by NPS is a commons image.
NOTE 2: Her family does not allow pictures of Abigail, a 15-year-old. Additionally, no photo of Angie Roth [not her real name] can be used because, as a former Federal Prosecutor, her anonymity protects her against prosecuted criminals.
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