Still casting about? Lessons can help beginners, veterans

By Connie McDougall
Special to The Seattle Times

CONNIE MCDOUGALL Peg Van Natter (center, in pink shade) teaches her signature "whomp" method of roll casting to a group learning fly-fishing techniques at the Northwest Fly Anglers' annual eight-week class at Green Lake.

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"Now, when you get that line out there, just give it a whomp!"

This describes a decisive move that plops the line into the water without having to sling it behind your back, a handy trick when avoiding snags on bushes and trees.

"Now check that thumb," Van Natter adds. "It should be straight up, then come down with your whole arm. Make that rod-tip work!"

The students try, and at first it's more wimp than whomp. Everyone grins at their listless lines, but no one is much surprised. Fly fishing is all about patience. Guaranteed, if you don't have patience to begin with, you'll develop some.

Dockside, Karen Kunde of Redmond stands next to Sharalyn Williams of Kirkland. They carefully sling their rods forward, and on one effort, manage to tangle lines. As they puzzle through the matrix, they laugh at the inevitable hazards of learning to fly fish.

Both beginner and veteran can learn something through this eight-week class. Sponsored every spring by Northwest Fly Anglers, a family fishing-club founded 30 years ago, the course appeals to a broad range of skills. Bruce Farwell of Sammamish says he came to bone up on his casting because it's been a while since he caught an actual fish.

"That's why I'm here!" he says. "I want to catch something!"

Kunde, unraveling her line from her neighbor's, once did some fly fishing when she lived in Colorado, but finds her attempts at Green Lake a bit clumsy. "It's an awkward movement at first," she says, "kind of unnatural, but with practice, it gets better."

Patience, practice required

Take note of the other p-word in this sport: first patience, then practice.

	CONNIE MCDOUGALL A display at Patrick's Fly Shop includes rows of dyed buck tails.

Practice applies even to the experts. Champion angler Jimmy LeMert, a Federation of Fly Fishers certified master instructor, got started at 12, began teaching at 16 and continues more than 20 years later. Yet, if he had to go out today and compete in a tournament, he says he probably couldn't win, "because first, I'd have to practice."

LeMert owns Seattle's venerable Patrick's Fly Shop, and offers different levels of instruction, including novice — two hours indoors to learn equipment, knots and basic entomology (the bugs that fish like to eat), followed by an outdoor class for casting. "Almost anybody can cast beautifully at the end of class, but that's just the beginning," he says. "I tell people they can't learn to fly fish in four hours, but I can get them started."

While traditionally male-dominated, fly fishing increasingly attracts women. "It doesn't take that much power to do this, to get the line out there," says Stacy Stratton, president of the Northwest Women Flyfishers club. "Most fish are within 30 feet of you anyway, so accuracy is at least as important as distance."

While many women get into the sport via dads or husbands, women have their own reasons. "I think the aesthetics of fly fishing is a big part of this," Stratton says. "It's peaceful, something you can do with a group or alone."

Like most fishing groups, the NWF sponsors special outings, including to Montana and Canada, but most trips are local to lakes, streams, rivers and beaches. "On a lot of these outings, women bring their spouses and kids." With parents competing with a raucous world, "the quiet of fly fishing is a great thing to share with a son or daughter," she says.

Learning to fly right

Back at Green Lake, Peg Van Natter leads another cast, calling for people to pull out more line. Looking on is her husband, Bill Van Natter, a retired attorney who introduced her to the sport in the 1980s. Before too long, she was at least as good as Bill. "She holds her own," he agrees with a smile.

For general information on fly fishing, contact the Montana-based Federation of Fly Fishers at 406-585-7592 or see www.fedflyfishers.org. The cost for fly-fishing classes ranges from $35 on up, but is typically between $50-$75. Numerous groups and shops cater to fly anglers in this region. A good place to ask questions is at your local angler's shop, or contact: • Northwest Fly Anglers: This family-oriented club meets at the Haller Lake Community Club, 12579 Densmore Ave. N., in North Seattle, on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Contact Bill Van Natter at 425-486-5011 or see www.northwestflyanglers.org. • Patrick's Fly Shop: With a long history in Seattle, Patrick's offers classes for beginners and experienced anglers, plus hosts an annual fishing trip to Belize. Owner Jimmy LeMert leads introductory classes all summer through Seattle's Discover U. (Call Discover U at 206-365-0400 or see www.discoveru.org.) Patrick's is located at 2237 Eastlake Ave. E. 206-325-8988 or www.patricksflyshop.com. • Northwest Women Flyfishers: Founded in 1988, the club doesn't teach classes but refers newcomers to the many angler shops and groups in the area. Once instructed, take part in NWF outings held throughout the year. Contact Stacy Stratton, president, at 206-937-4071 or e-mail: NWFflyfishers@hotmail.com. Web site: www.NorthwestWomenFlyfishers.com.

For this class, Peg Van Natter points to the bit of yarn on the end of their lines, "in lieu of critters." But flies are the core of this sport because they imitate the look and action of insects in and out of water. There are hundreds of flies to choose from, but according to Bill Van Natter, "one of the best things to do is just upend a rock at the fishing site and see what crawls out. That's what the fish are eating."

An entire subculture of anglers makes its own flies, constructed from exotica like yarn, animal hair and feathers. "Some people only want to catch fish with a fly they make," Bill Van Natter says, "and I'm one of them. I tie flies as a safety factor. If I had a two-dollar fly caught on a bush across the river, I'm liable to get in trouble going across to get it," he laughs.

Like any sport, it's easy to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment, but to begin, anglers say you can get a decent rod and reel for between $75 and $150. And do take a couple of classes to learn that essential "whomp."

From there, it's a lifelong lesson in patience, practice and poetry.

"Fly fishing is a total experience physically and intellectually," says Bill Van Natter. "The surroundings, the line hovering overhead then dropping down into the water; someone said that it's like a dance with a line, and that's just what it is. Beautiful."

Connie McDougall is a free-lance writer who lives in Seattle.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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