A how-to for female anglers

Over the years of tournament fishing, I have seen many trends arrive. 

One of these trends have been more women participating in tournaments each year.

This year saw female anglers Chantal Cochan winning the Gogama First Annual Walleye Tournament with partner Ken Perreault, and Christine Dallaire winning the Mattagami First Nation Fall Walleye Classic with partner Yves Boissoneault.

We also saw Annie Roberge fish six tournaments with her husband Henri and finish fifth overall in the Angler Of The Year race in the Northern Ontario Walleye Trial (NOWT).

Delores McKay also showed that women can compete in the winter by winning not one but two Mattagami First Nation Annual Pike ice fishing tournaments.

I can't go on without mentioning Cindy McKay, Jessica Clare and Jo-Anne Naveau and all their hard-working volunteers for putting together great tournaments for Mattagami First Nation over the years.

These Ladies are always willing to share their experience and knowledge of running tournaments with other tournament committees. 

After joining National Pro Staff, I noticed a female angler named Yvonne Brown who was involved in the fishing industry. 

During the last couple of years of reading her postings, I decided to reach out to her to see if she would share a little bit about herself and her organization with other female anglers.

Whether you are just new to the sport or already a experienced female angler I believe you will find this article interesting.  

Yvonne recently became a media ambassador with the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association and helps to promote National Fishing Week and the Catch Fishing program.

Aside from her volunteer work, she is an active participant in a number of tournaments in Ontario including the Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing, the Canada-US Walleye tournament and the Ontario BASS Nation Qualifier.

In 2012, Yvonne created the Fishing 101 for Women seminars which have been offered in various cities in Ontario to women with an interest in learning recreational angling. 

Yvonne’s focus is to contribute to the growth of the sport by increasing female participation, and in turn, so that women will pass on their skills and knowledge to the next generation of new anglers.

Fishing 101 for Women is a non-profit program that offers free seminars and instruction for women who are interested in learning the basics of recreational fishing.

Participants are provided with the tools and knowledge to start fishing on their own, and so they can bring their children out to fish with the confidence of knowing how to set up a rod, bait a hook and release a fish.

Other seminar topics include licensing and regulations, safety, fish identification, rods, reels and equipment, conservation, community and online resources, fishing with children and much more.

After each seminar, women have an opportunity to put their new knowledge into practice by participating in a fishing activity from shore on a local body of water.

Fishing 101 for Women is about getting women and children outdoors, learning to appreciate and take care of our natural resources so they will be available for many generations to come.

Even if women don't want to learn how to fish for themselves, the seminars are a good opportunity to learn skills so they can take their children and grandchildren out on the water.

It is an opportunity for women to meet others who have an interest in this sport, to be able to share experiences and fishing knowledge with each other, and sometimes to make new friends.

At the moment, Yvonne is making changes to the program that will benefit women from around the province and beyond.

She is also collaborating with another organization to provide an opportunity for those that fish and those who want to get involved in the sport, to connect with other female anglers.

Yvonne is interested in hearing from women in Northern Ontario who would like to introduce women in their communities to fishing and bring the 101 program to their areas.

Her goal is to have instructors in various parts of the province that can organize and implement the seminars.

This may not happen until 2016 however a Train-the-Trainer program is one of her next goals for this expansion. 

On Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7 a couple members of the Fishing 101 for Women team will be at the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association / Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry booth at the Toronto Sportsmen's Show to provide fishing tips and hands-on activities for both children and adults.

Everyone is welcome to participate.

They will also be running a seminar at the Spring Fishing & Boat Show called "Reel Ladies."

It will be on Monday, February 15 from 9 a.m. to noon and will feature several female guest speakers, door prizes and a silent auction.

Lastly, over the next couple of months, Fishing 101 for Women will be expanding to make its activities geared toward a larger audience of female anglers - from the beginners to those more experienced.

Whether you are just starting to fish or are already an experienced female angler, I encourage anyone that is interested in learning more about Fishing 101 for Women to check out their website or follow them on Facebook.

Are you passionate about fishing? Would you like to be featured in my series or do you own a lodge that you would like to be featured?