The Fish ‘n’ Chicks Fly Fishing RSO provides a comfortable and safe environment for women to learn about the sport of fly-fishing.
Mackenzie Morrison, the club’s president, said the group started from a desire to introduce more women to fly-fishing.
“Our goal is to get more women involved in fly-fishing,” Morrison said. “Girls want to learn, but they don’t have access or someone to teach them.”
Fly-fishing, the complicated and mysterious cousin of spin fishing, offers a hefty buy-in cost, a steeper learning curve and typically yields less fish. But Wildlife and Fisheries Biology student Britney Wagler said the unique skills and difficulty present benefits.
“I like it because it’s more tactical,” Wagler said.
The group, started by Morrison, came about as an offshoot of the university’s Flycaster Club in response to the lack of women involved in the club.
“Even though we knew how to fly fish we were somewhat intimidated,” Morrison said. “We thought we should get more girls involved.”
The group’s vice president Brittany Nordberg said the group receives scrutiny for having “chicks” in the title.
“We think of it just like women’s tennis basketball, volleyball etcetera,” Nordberg said.
Despite the title of the RSO, the club is not closed to male members.
“We’ve actually had a guy sign up,” Nordberg said. “We’re open to everyone.”
For Morrison, the club’s newness presents many opportunities for excitement.
“We’re the very first women’s fly fishing club on campus,” Morrison said. “It’s great to be on the ground floor of something like this.”
The club is in the process of planning multiple trips, from simply walking the shores of various rivers around Laramie and the state, to guided float trips on the Platte River with t-shirts and lessons aimed at helping beginners snag their first fish. The group wants to entice anyone and everyone to come out and learn how to fish.
“We want anyone that has an interest in being outside and in nature,” Morrison said. “It’s a connection to nature. Whether you catch fish or not, its still a good time.”
