The Reel Hooker’s Club

We are crazy.  Remember the lasting winter pounding we had?  No, not this most recent one, but the other one……no not that one, but the one before that??  Remember that?  Well if you are menopausal it doesn’t matter, just let me remind you it was this year.  My mother-in-law awoke at 5:30 as giddy as a child on Christmas day, because this was going to be her very first time on the water.  We were going to a Spey casting clinic.  Now I confess, I didn’t wake up with thoughts of mistletoe and stockings hung by the chimney with care.  For pete’s sake (whoever pete is) I was sincerely hoping and praying someone would have the gumption to cancel the blessed event and leave us all sleep in our cozy beds.  No phone call came…..darn.

Let it be known, hear ye, hear ye - I’m a fair-weather fly fisher.  O.k. I said it.  It feels liberating.  I have decided that I don’t need to prove nothin’ to nobody!  I think most women would like to say the same, but somehow in the back of the back of our minds we know this could turn into a competition to see if we women are “just as good” as the men in terms of fly fishing.  Just as hardy, just as acute to our environment, can cast just as far and are just as adept to the history and poise of the sport.  You can’t compare apples with oranges,  pomegranates with bananas -they’re just not the same thing!!  Again I say:  “I have nothing to prove.”   

So I made a decision personally to stop doing that.  Stop trying to be something I’m not.  I don’ t like to fish when it’s freezing cold out, I don’t fish for hours and hours on end.  I like to take pictures of my sons and girlfriends fishing more than I like having pictures of myself.  I truly couldn’t care less what size the fish is I catch and how many.  And furthermore, how far I can cast doesn’t have anything to do with how many fish I catch.  I’m not a trout bum.  I don’t like to sleep in cold, damp conditions like a Neanderthal and dream of fish porn all night.  Get serious. When I travel on my fishing trips, I like to come home to a dainty, warm, clean fresh bed every night and a warm shower is a must.  I like food served to me and I love to drink wine in a glass not plastic cup.  You could even peel me a grape if you like.

I like to be treated like a lady on the water and not like a hedonistic hen!  I love collecting antique fishing items and I love to sit in my wing back and read books called “Positive Fishing”. Yes, I have romantic visions of fly fishing and I love gadgets, gear, flies and bugs.  I’m o.k. with not hyperventilating about the lastest fly rod, but I do appreciate the advancements when they come.  Because of these advancements I am able to handle a rod and reel with greater ease.

Fishing for me is yoga in waders.  It’s meditation of mind and soul.  It is poetry (which I love to read).  It’s beauty and art and as feminine as I want it to be. 

Having said all that, I adore Spey casting (back to my original point).  Val and Courtney came from Vancouver Island to give a free Spey casting clinic to the brave souls who endured the cold, snow, sleet and other harsh elements to have a go at it.  I adore Val.  She is larger than life and I was delighted to have the pleasure of her and Courtney’s company that day.  Many thanks to you for the wonderful time on the water and the great council on techniques of Spey casting. 

Friendship is something I would brave the cold for!

Photos of Spey casting courtesy of Lynda McLennan.

Anita is the owner, along with her husband Dean, of an Internet Business and Design firm. She lives in Calgary with her two sons (Theo and Hudson) and two dogs - Mutley and Sydney. She has recently given up her job and become a full-time “Reel Hooker”. There’s nothing (other than being a mom) she would rather do with her life. She is grateful to her husband for supporting her dream.

No time for exercise?

Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.  – Edward Stanely, The Earl of Derby, 1873.

How true!   The average person does not have physical activity in their weekly routine let alone daily.  Most routines consists of driving to work, sitting at work and lunch, driving home from work, sitting down to relax and watch T.V. and then to bed.  Not much action!  Of course, this will lead to illness, from diabetes to lack of stress management.  People tend to get stuck in a rut and are bewildered at how to change.  I’m here to share with you some benefits of physical activity to motivate you to move.  Don’t be one of the members of the “flat bottom club” because of excessive sitting.             

-Benefit & Effect on Health:                                    

-Reduces the risk of premature death.                                                
-Active people live longer with a better quality of life. 
-Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. 
-Strengthens the heart, cardiovascular  system, and respiratory system to help fight cardiovascular disease.
-Decreases resting heart rate Reduces the daily wear and tear on the cardiovascular system.
-Keeps resting blood pressure normal Lessens the stress on the walls of the veins and arteries in the vascular system and reduces the risk of coronary event or stroke.
-Improves heart efficiency Improves the ability to perform daily activities at higher intensities with greater ease. 
-Decreases body fat Reduces the risk of major life threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
-Increases HDL (good) cholesterol and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol  atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
-Lowers the risk of developing diabetes. 
-Keeps body fat in control, increases cellular sensitivity to insulin, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
-Promotes joint stability.
-Increases strength of all connective tissues, decreasing susceptibility to injury.
-Increases muscular strength.
-Improves ability to perform daily activities with less effort.
-Strengthens bones Helps reduces the risk of osteoporosis and reduces the chance of injury and broken bones.
-Increases muscular mass and improves physique with more toned appearance, decreases body fat and the body burns more calories at rest and during exercise to sustain increased muscle.
-Increases resting metabolism More calories are required by the body at rest, which helps with weight management.
-Improves core strength.
-Develops strong abdominals and back muscles for better posture and less chance of back pain.
-Improves balance, coordination: all movements in daily life become easier and safer and agility when the body has better control.
-Improves body image and self esteem. Exercisers experience improved mental health and self-image.
-Reduces depression and anxiety.  An improved outlook on life makes all activities more enjoyable.
-Assists in stress management.  Everyday life becomes more enjoyable because the person has a positive way to deal with stress.

Foundations of Professional Personal Training:

Hippocrates said…
Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise.   For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health.

Now you can’t argue with the “Father of Medicine” so Get Movin’!!

Charlotte has an Education degree from U of S and masters in Counselling Psychology. She had been working for the Calgary Catholic School as a guidance counsellor before resigning to stay at home with her three boys. She is currently studying for her personal training certification and working on her new business Physical Quest. She looks forward to connecting with all the ladies from the Reel Hookers Club.

Dear Member:

Here is a list of things happening within the next few months.  Please be sure to check our forum calendar for details of time and place, as some events may change.  http://www.reelhookersclub.com/forum/   
(Photo courtesy of Bow River Shuttles.)  

April 4, 5th - Spey casting clinic on the Bow River – more information forthcoming.  Please feel free to contact the club. Ph. 710-8140.

April 24th - Photography workshop.  To register please contact the club or see website for details:  https://www.reelhookersclub.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=17

April 26th - Free casting clinic with Jim and Lynda McLennan.  Please contact the club or Lynda McLennan directly for details and to register. Women and men welcome.

April 27th - Advisory Board Member’s meeting.

May 6th - Club meeting at Bow Waters Canoe Club (7:30).  Jennifer Buck (a guide with Country Pleasures) will be speaking about “Elements of a good rod and gear” as well as sharing many of her insights with us.  Bring someone new!!  They don’t have to be a registered member.

May 10th - Special Introductory Level – Women’s 1 Day Fly Fishing Symposium.  Don’t miss this one!!  To register please contact the club or book online:   https://www.reelhookersclub.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=9

*We would like to thank the McLennan Fly Fishing School for donating a percentage of the proceeds for each class booked through The Reel Hooker’s Club.  This effort enables us to help women enter the beautiful world of Fly Fishing.