Any woman interested in learning to fly fish can join a special day that has been set up for women only and which will be held at Laois Angling Centre on Saturday 11th November 2023.
The Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association has organised the event and it will include a short indoor session followed by 3 hours of casting instruction and practice outside.
The course is aimed at beginners and novice anglers aged over 18 and all equipment will be provided. Booking is essential. Please visit www.irishladiesflyfishing.com for a booking form or email Liz Dermott at [email protected]
Anne Kerrin, Chair of the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association said,
“The world is still coming out of Covid and as an organisation our annual programme has not yet returned to full strength; however we have held several social events and organised a competitive league this year but all were aimed at experienced anglers.
One of the objectives of the ILFA is to encourage new women into flyfishing. This is our second introductory day this year for women who have never tried flyfishing.
There are many women in Ireland who love to immerse themselves in nature, which is evident from posts on social media. We’d hope to encourage some of them to experience the peace and tranquillity that comes from spending a day on the water, or the camaraderie that stems from attending a women’s fishing event. We will be trying to reach more and more of those women over the coming years.
Angling by its nature takes the flyfisher to stunningly beautiful places and its worth remembering that the angling skills honed in Ireland are easily carried to any fishing venue in the world. I hope that this will encourage a few more women to come along on the day and try it for themselves”
According to American psychologist Dr. Tamar P. Martin-Franklin, the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing include improvement of fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, balance, range of motion, concentration and self esteem. Many anglers would agree that the gentle lapping of waves or a tug on a fishing line is enough to push any stress far from the mind.
And while flyfishing itself isn’t necessarily going to get an angler’s heart rate up, unless they manage to meet the fish of a lifetime, many fishing venues can require rowing or hiking to reach, both of which have proven cardiovascular benefits. It has been proven that the great outdoors has many health benefits and one of its most promising is its positive effect on a person’s mind and mental state.
The Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association is a national organisation that encourages women to take up flyfishing and it runs a league of 4 trials annually to select a team to represent Ireland at the Ladies International Flyfishing Championships. The last one for 2023 will be happening on Lough Rowan on Sunday 5th November.
To find out more about the last trial of 2023 or for information on the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association please email Liz Dermott PRO at [email protected]
For any woman interested in taking part in this training event please contact PRO Liz Dermott on [email protected]
