The river was low, really really low, so we knew the fishing was gonna be tough at best. Fortunately we weren’t here for the fish, we were here drift the Quinault, swing some flies, and capture the experience for the fine folks at AKHG.
AKHG ambassador Kathleen, known as @theminnowslayer, was our talent for the day. When she's not fishing, Kathleen works as a Deputy Forester for the LA County Fire Department, where she runs the Defensible Space Unit for the Department’s Prevention Bureau. Despite being relatively new to fishing, she has immersed herself fully into the sport. Determined to bring more women into the sport, Kathleen actively teaches her friends and volunteers with a local club’s women’s intro to fly fishing program, empowering more women to embrace the adventure.
The fishing might not have been the best, but we had one incredible day on the river with even more amazing company.
We asked Kathleen a few questions to learn more about her background and her experience in fishing.
How did you get into fishing? I have always been into fishing but, I did not have anyone teach or take me fishing. My boyfriend now fiancé , took me on a fly fishing lesson in Kern, CA. I actually didn’t get into it until a year later, where I got a ton of frustration from casting to the lack of catching fish, until the end of the year when I caught my first fish on a dry fly.
How are you trying to bring more women to fishing and what would you say to a woman who are wanting to try fishing for the first time? I am hoping that my adventures in fishing would inspire women to pick it up and try it. I would often offer to take some of my girl friends fishing and teach them the basics. In addition, I also volunteer to teach fly fishing with a local club where they do an annual all women intro to fly fishing program. What I would say to a woman who is wanting to try fishing for the first time would be, do not be intimidated to ask for help or ask where to start. There are a ton of people willing to help and teach you.
What's your best catch? My best catch would be my brown trout I caught in 2023. It was my biggest brown yet on the fly rod.
Any funny fishing stories? I do have a lot of funny fishing stories, one of them was in 2022 when I went fishing with my buddy who guides. We decided to chase some browns and on one run, I was about to reset my fly when a fish smacked it and I was on. We were in the rapids, so there was no place to anchor up and so we had to continue to drift. The fish started swimming under the boat and I asked my friend what to do and he just said no clue. We both started laughing. He was dodging tree branches and I was trying to keep the fish from the going under the boat. We drifted for 200 yards before anchoring up and landing the fish. It was a good day.
What's the best part about fishing? For me, the best part about fishing is sharing the experiences with your friends and having a good day doing it. Most of my amazing fishing experiences are with friends.
