Reel women love fishing

Kathryn Maroun
Special to Sun Media

As the host, director and producer of the internationally televised adventure show What a Catch! for the last eight years, Kathryn Maroun has cast her line in exotic places such as India, Australia, the Bahamas, South Africa and Iceland.

 Maroun has been a professional fly fisher since her late 20s and is among just a handful of women in North America certified as a casting instructor by the international body of the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF).

Though she enjoys exploring different cultures, Maroun enjoys fishing in Canada as much as anywhere. She has served as National Director of Trout Unlimited Canada, an organization that protects and restores Canada¹s cold water resource. In addition to her production company, she has established What a Catch Travel, which offers guided fishing trips, and Angler’s Line of Fashion for outdoorsy females.

As president of Casting for Recovery Canada, Maroun has treated more than 90 breast cancer survivors to fly fishing retreats. “It’s about helping them learn something new and is a nice distraction from their plight,” she says.

“At the beginning of the weekend, many don’t want to even touch a fish, but by the end of the weekend, they’re kissing them.” Maroun believes all the life lessons she’s learned were taught to her on the river. It’s a hobby she encourages everyone to explore. “You don¹t have to practise a lot to enjoy it,” she says. “In the end, it’s the fish that decides whether it’s going to bite. Everyone has the same chance of having a successful day.”

Kathryn Maroun¹s Top 10 reasons why women should take up the sport of fishing

1. Fish live in beautiful places where we should spend time. Go fishing just to breath in the ‘green’, and re-connect with nature. By studying the life cycle of bugs, weather, flora and fauna, and specialized ecosystems we learn the language of fish. This helps us to understand our place in the world.
2. Fishing is the only sport I know of that women are on an equal footing with men. After all, the fish decides whether to take the bait/fly. The fish doesn¹t know what your cast looked like or how often you practise. A novice angler has as much of a chance to catch a fish as someone who fishes all the time. In fact, the novice angler has beginner¹s luck on their side. This sport doesn¹t discriminate based on age or gender.
3. Fishing is a great distraction from the daily grind. A real/reel stress buster. Time stands still and you live in the moment. Perhaps that is why all anglers are late for dinner. Fishers lose all sense of time and place; it’s a very Zen sport. Sometimes you need to get lost to find yourself.
4. Landing a fish and releasing it gives a person a great feeling of accomplishment and a feeling of being in harmony with nature. As I watch the fish swim away, I¹m aware that my senses are heightened. I feel like Indiana Jane. So alive, so primal. Fishing doesn¹t make me feel masculine. I’m not a hunter-gatherer. I’m a woman, and women bring life into the world. We nourish, protect, teach and help life to thrive. Fishing makes me feel powerful and self-sufficient. I don’t need to try and look like a boy to be good at what I do. It’s OK to put on a little red lipstick and dance a tango with a brown trout.
5. Fishing is about who you want to spend the day with. Fishing brings people together. It’s quality time, a time when people truly listen to one another. No phones, faxes, e-mails or interruptions. Just the sound of water lapping on the shore. If you want to hear what is going on in the mind of a teenager, just take them fishing. You will be amazed how much they will share with you as you laugh about the one that got away.
6. Fish are the canary in the coal mine. We are caretakers for the environment by fishing our locals waters. We can sound the alarm if things don’t seem 100 per cent. Fishing keeps us connected to what is going on in our own backyard and reminds us to keep an eye on the quality of our water. I could argue that fishing is, therefore, critical to our own health.
7. Fishing builds memories. If you need proof of this, just ask someone to tell you about a cherished childhood experience. A fishing outing at the cottage on a lazy summer day with the family seems to top the list. Take a kid fishing today and help build memories for life.
8. Fishing keeps us fit - physically, mentally and spiritually. It is a great way to build physical activity into your life. Fishing is one way to be part of a community. Lots of clubs offer group activities and this is a great way to meet people. Fly tying, dynamics of casting or rod building are just three areas of study in this sport for life, but there is so much more. If you like to travel, then this is a sport for you .... I have fished all over the world in pursuit of the top game fish.
9. Fishing brings out the kid in us. We re-learn how to play. It keeps us young at heart.
10. Fishing is the best place to find a partner for life. I never met a fisherman I didn¹t like. So why do I recommend that you take up fishing? Fishing gear is sexy. (Need I say more?)