During the classes at Exeter Adult Edu, I quickly became friends with one of my students; Art Reed, the Newfields, New Hampshire, Chief of Police. Art really liked FCFF's community first approach and talked about doing more with FCFFt, outside of the Exeter Adult Edu class. But, after the class ended, I lost touch with Art and did not talk to him for another eight months.
Fast forward eight months, I am driving through the town of Newfields, New Hampshire. I can't recall the exact wording, but I saw a bunch of signs that clearly indicated that there was something wrong with the Newfields Police Department. I looked into it and discovered that the town council was soon to vote on dissolving the entire police department. I instantly thought of Art Reed and his fellow employees, and how they might be out of their jobs. So, I called Art and said the following, "I know this must be a stressful situation for you, your employees, and their families....I would like to offer free casting lessons to all of your employees and family members...maybe this might help relieve some of the stress that you folks have been going through." Art replied, "thank you for your kind offer...in the past eight months, you are the first person to reach out to offer support." From that point forward, Art and I now talk, tie flies, and fish on a regular basis. Oh, and the story has a good ending; the police department was caught up in some town politics and was never dissolved.
Fast forward to Rangeley, Maine, the birthplace of the Grey Ghost, created by Carrie Stevens, who was known to tie flies by hand:
On a warm fall New England day, Art Reed and I were fishing the upper Magalloway River. We split up and did our walk-wade thing. Long story short, Art get's a ride back to his truck by four women from Vermont. One of the women in the truck, taught Art's wife how to cast, via Casting for Recovery. The four women tell Art that they are going to Patagonia, in 2014. Art tells them that his New Hampshire fish'n buddy (me) lives and works in Patagonia; in the winters only. Some how, on that day, I did not get to meet these four women; but they later contacted me and we discussed the possibility of them fishing with me in Patagonia, Argentina.
Fast forward to March 03, 2014: for the very first time, I am meeting these four women at the Petrobras gas station, located in Junin de los Andes, Argentina. I am not just meeting four women, I am meeting the Fish'n Sistahs!
In the spirit of women anglers, such as Carrie Stevens from Rangeley, Maine, I would like to explain who-what the Fish'n Sistahs is all about.
For over a decade, the four Vermont women mentioned above, volunteered as instructors for an organization called Casting for Recovery. CFR is a national organization that offers fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer. As two of the volunteer's became more actively involved in managing the local CFR chapter, they noticed an issue with the budget/finances. In short, they noticed that up to 50% of the money they raised for local outings/efforts 'had' to be sent back to the national home office. Being independent free thinkers, much like Carrie Stevens, they decided to ask why so much money had to be sent back to the national office. Little did they know that this question would ignite a fire-storm and uncover a nation-wide multi-million dollar issue (I believe it made national headlines). You see, there are hundreds of CFR chapters, all having to send back money to the national home office; i.e. there are salaries to be paid at the national home office, and some of the salaries are HUGE! Obviously, this information, along with the fact the CFR would not offer services to any other female cancer patient (breast cancer = tata's only), did not sit well with these two Vermont women. So, along with a few of their friends, a non-profit entity called Fish'n Sistahs was born. They will service all women cancer patients and 100% of the money raised will stay local! Currently, the Fishin' Sistahs are operating/holding events in Vermont and New Hampshire. A long term goal = they hope their story inspires other women, in other parts of the U.S.A., to start similar non-profit entities. If interested please contact Mary Ward or Susan Bulmer at www.fishinsistahs.com
One Day with the Sistahs: Part 2, Malleo...Yellow Bridge
I only had one day with the Sistahs; Mary Ward, Susan Bulmer, Janine Small, and Caroll Ellis Ruhlman. I can honestly say, it was one of my best days on the river, ever! Why? These ladies, like any one else wanted to catch big wild Patagonia trout, on every cast. But, most importantly, they simply wanted to have a good experience. In the end, and in less than 24 hours, I showed them as much as I possible could, but also allowed them plenty of space to have their own DIY experience.
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| Meet the Sistahs...Hermana's Pescadoras! |
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| Even for a day, this river reaches into your soul and brings you to a place that was previously not imaginable. |
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| Yellow Bridge = up/down stream, time to bring your 'A' game. |
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| Caroll is now called the 'nympho-maniac.' For many nymphying is nothing but pure boredom. But, for a select few, who truly know, nymphing is an art form, equal to poetry and ballet. Good on you Caroll for sticking with it. |
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| The fishing slowed down for most of the Sistahs, but Caroll stuck with her newly taught FCFF nymphing technique, called 'The Tango' = Fish. |
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| Another FCFF technique called line dancing = NOT. We never fish Patagonia rivers this way (just a silly joke). This photo was taking only for memories. Thereafter, we spread out and fished the river till 8pm. |
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| In Patagonia, I don't actively guide; I host anglers and meet their needs. The Sistahs left Junin at 7am and returned at 8pm. Meeting their personal needs was easy = Food and Beverage. |
Rio Malleo Facts
Location: Junin de los Andes, Argentina. Approximately, +/- 1 hour from Junin.
Province: Neuquen
Fishing Season: Generally, November 01 till May 31st.
Licensed Required: Yes, general fishing only.
Floating: Floating the Malleo is prohibited.
Entrance Fee: Currently $40 pesos (per day) to enter the lower section or Mapuche reservation.
Camping: Yes, only on the Mapuche reservation, $15 pesos per night.
Length: 64 Kilometers or 40 miles.
Origin: Lago Tromen (third major lake tributary to the rio Alumine).
Termination: Alumine.
Termination: Alumine.
Fly Rods: 9ft/4wt through 9ft/6wt. Switch = 11ft/5wt.
Fly Lines: Floating for dry flies and nymphs. Seasonal use of sink tips for faster-deeper water.
Flies: Sorry, but we only share this information with our guest.
We feel very fortunate to host anglers from all over the world...it's a wonderful experience sharing our angling cultures. We also feel very fortunate to host anglers from the USA; in this particular instance, Vermont...our 'green mountain' neighbor (Vermont is next to New Hampshire). We have had some great moments, both on and off the river. Thanks again Fishin' Sistahs. Please feel free to read client testimonials at http://firstcastflyfishing.blogspot.com.ar/p/raves.html
Many Thanks.
Mark
PS. Our business is 100% organic and by referrals only. So, please feel free to share amongst friends, or reply with comments. We also have a Facebook page.