Flyfishing Travel for Women, by Women

From time to time we like to introduce you to some of the amazing women in flyfishing today. Meet Kristin Wing! She was a participant in the 2022 Sun Valley, Idaho trip and Finatical Flyfishing is honored to have her write and submit this blog.

I started fly fishing over thirty years ago, with my first husband, Mac, with a trek to Blue Quill Angler in Colorado to attend a three day Orvis fly fishing school. We both adored the outdoors and were looking for a sport to do together, rather than apart. Plenty of fly trips later, we found our safe place together on the stream.

 A few years later he died. And I kept on fishing.

Why do I tell you this? Because the women I’ve met fly fishing know the power of perseverance, the ‘damn it all’ attitude it takes to put yourself out there even if you doubt your ability to make a decent cast. Or your ability to carry on with your life.

This past summer fished with two incredible young women (coworkers) from Texas who were eager to fish for the first time on a big, breathtakingly beautiful, technical Idaho river. Tentative about their fishing skills, they tried to keep their expectations realistic while their hopes for landing the perfect fish were high.

They were learning drift boat basics, water etiquette, casting the perfect loop and how to set a hook when a big rainbow hit. Each was comfortable in her own skin knowing that the perfect cast is often not perfect, but a revelation in the attempt.

They persevered every day, reveling in the fishing secrets they uncovered with the help of a patient fly fishing guide.  Each was convinced it was the number of fish they caught that defined success. They quickly learned it wasn’t, it’s about the experience.

One day toward the end of the trip, they caught dozens of fish. Their faces lit up over dinner as they told the story about the fishing frenzy they experienced that day in Idaho. They persevered.  Despite snagging rocks and trees or each other with flies or tangling a line with a wind knot, both knew they had to try again. And again.

Fishing with women is different. We all bring our wounds, our experiences, our hopes and a need to just put real life aside to come to the river. We’re patient, we’re supportive and we push each other to understand that the experience is what really matters.

If you haven’t given yourself the gift of a fishing trip with other women, do it. Not only will you come away with fish stories, you’ll share the gift of experiences with women who don’t give up but learn with every cast.

Living in Kansas City, Kristin is a retired marketing professional who balances time on the river with four grandchildren while devoting her talents to area nonprofit associations. 

From time to time we like to introduce you to some of the amazing women in flyfishing. Meet Lily Bertram! Lily grew up in western North Carolina and when she had the chance to work for a friend of her Aunt’s in Punta Allen she jumped at it. She spent three seasons working at Cuzan Guest House for Sonja and Armando. She then became the lodge manager full time and Punta Allen became her permanent home.

Cuzan offered flyfishing trips and other Mexican adventures. Lily had never fished before and wanted to learn and Jose Ucan (who grew up in Punta Allen) was guiding for the lodge. In their ‘down time’ over those first few seasons Jose taught Lily to fly-fish. When she returned to the lodge to manage full time, Jose and Lily began dating and are now married and partners in Kay Fly Fishing Lodge.  

Lily managed Cuzan from the same location until 2012 when La Pesacadora was being built. They moved into La Pescadora in 2013 and Lily continued as lodge manager and Jose the head guide through February 2021. In November of 2021 they moved into their own building as Kay Fly Fishing Lodge and Lily and Jose own and operate their own business today. 

When they renovated the current building, they had a family operated fishing lodge in mind from the start.  The home opens to the beach with a beautiful patio, hammocks and rod storage and cleaning facilities under the palm trees. Just inside you’ll join the group for dinner around a beautiful wooden dining table. Fishy artwork and a couple of Jose’s trophies from the Del Brown and March Merkin tournaments lead the decor. The main floor also holds a fly-tying room for guests, main floor bar and a commercial kitchen in the back. Double occupancy rooms include A/C and private bathrooms. Don’t miss the rooftop bar -a great place for fish stories and your favorite cocktails with friends overlooking the beach and the water.

Lily has now been fishing in Ascension Bay and managing flyfishing lodges for 19 seasons. She and Jose are both hands-on owners and their goal is to have those staying at the lodge feel like family. Lily and Jose are there for dinner, to help with gear, guide pairings and questions about the fishing and the bay. Guides are invited to dinner on the last night and friendships between anglers and the Kay Fly family run deep. These friendships and the remarkable Ascension Bay offerings keep anglers coming back each year.

Lily is quick to point out Jose’s experience and style are unusual in the Punta Allen lodge opportunities and it makes a difference. He is native to Punta Allen; his grandparents and uncle were lobster fishermen. Having spent his entire life here, Jose has ‘intimate relationship with the bay”. He understands it, began guiding when he was 14 and enjoys sharing it with visiting anglers. This Ascension Bay knowledge and his willingness to join anglers for dinner each evening and assist with questions is unusual.

When asked why Ascension Bay over other locations…. Lily loves both Ascension Bay and the small town feel of Punta Allen. “There is so much less pressure on the fish than places like the Florida Keys offer”, she notes. The keys offer recreation to jet skies, yachts and major airports to feed them. Ascension Bay offers one road from Tulum and one rarely used road from the jungle. The pressure in Ascension Bay is far less than the keys; offering a much better chance at Permit, Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish and more.

Although quite modest, Lily’s flyfishing skills are impressive. She is fishing the Herman Lucerne Memorial Tarpon Cup and the Ladies Fly Tarpon Tournament in Islamorada, and gets a few days on the water in Ascension Bay between guests, managing the lodge and her two boys. She finds women’s groups at the lodge tend to offer a less competitive and more supportive environment. Everything on the salt happens so fast! It can be intimidating but it is worth the effort! 

Lily is definitely another supportive and successful woman in the flyfishing industry that you will want to get to know. She enjoys hosting  anglers of all ages and from all walks of life. If you get the chance to visit the lodge don’t miss out! Join the Finatical Flyfishing women’s group Feb 4-11, 2023. 

From time to time we like to introduce you to some of the amanzing women in flyfishing today. Karlie Roland has had a passion for flyfishing her entire life. Growing up in a fishing family any vacation was centered on the water. She’s a fourth generation angler on the Henry’s Fork, and never takes that for granted. She started her flyfishing career at Fins and Feathers in Bozeman and then moved to Seattle to work for Emerald Water Anglers. During her two and a half years in Seattle she helped Emerald Water Anglers build an amazing women’s program that showcased Karlie’s desire to support and mentor others in flyfishing. Karlie helped to start classes, group meetings and hosted trips. Her fishy excursions were both in the region as well as to places like the Henry’s Fork and Christmas Island. Karlie’s fun, fishy personality welcomed many women to the group and her own following continued to grow.

It was one of these women’s trips that got her noticed on the Henry’s Fork by TroutHunter owner Rich Paini. Soon Karlie started guiding for TroutHunter and she spent the last four years guiding on this legendary river. As many of you know she is a very fishy guide who takes great care of her clients to make sure they have an exceptional day. During this time she met her fiancé Ryan Loftice and they married on the Henry’s Fork this summer. Although Karlie was happy guiding, the opportunity to become the Northern Rockies Sales Rep for Umpqua came before her. With a desire to push herself and support local fly shops, Karlie happily accepted this position. She now serves fly shops in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and is there to support their needs and growth. “I am proud to work for a legendary company that has offered commercially tied flies for more than 50 years,” she said. Karlie started in April and has already taught fly tying in Bozeman at Chica De Maya, been at events in Denver and at the famous Silver Creek, Idaho opening weekend, the Missouri, the South Fork of the Snake with World Cast and doing some photoshoots along the way! Karlie is very excited about her new career, marriage to Ryan and all of the great things ahead. As in previous roles, the Umpqua position allows Karlie to continue to mentor and assist both anglers and fly shops every day.

Finatical Flyfishing will miss having Karlie guide on the annual Henry’s Fork trips but are watching to see all that Karlie will accomplish. Congratulations on your latest career move and your marriage to the amazing Ryan Loftice!