How Green is your Weenie?

A month ago I had never heard of a green weenie. I probably would have guessed that it was something dangling from a male frog. Little did I know that it was the ‘go-to’ fly for many fly-fishermen.

Fly-fishing had always fascinated me, so I signed up for Orvis’ Women Only Fly-Fishing School. My sisters (who are avid spin anglers) decided to register as well, and Vermont became the destination for our June 2011 Annual Sisters Outing. It wasn’t long before the emails were flying. “Let the games begin” and “Put your money where your large-mouth bass is” were common subject lines.

Having very little fishing experience myself, I contacted Betsy Miraglia of the Delaware Valley Women’s Fly Fishing Association. Betsy invited me to join the club and attend the April 3rd Casting Clinic with Mary Kuss. By the end of the clinic, I could actually cast a line (more or less). The fish in Betsy’s pond had me pegged for a beginner, so I was introduced to the little green weenie. I casted that little chartreuse inchworm until my arm was sore. Nothing!

The following weekend included an all-day class at the Newlin Grist Mill with Mary Kuss and Christine Sharbaugh of The Sporting Gentleman. I continued to work on my cast, and the fish continued to elude me. After several hours, Christine said, “When all else fails...” She helped me attach a lighter version of the mean, green weenie machine to the end of my tippet. I was ready. That little guy was irresistible. Unfortunately, the fish didn’t feel that way. I caught a few rose bushes and a couple of low lying branches, but that was it.

During lunch, Mary mentioned that she had two weeks to find a fourth person for a four day Ohio Steelhead trip. I volunteered right after I asked, “What’s a Steelhead?” Never catching a fish before, I thought any trip with Mary would be a wonderful learning opportunity for me.

Next on the DVWFFA calendar was the White Clay Creek trip. Guides from the local club escorted us to the “best fishing holes” on the creek. Now, ‘best’ must have been a relative term, and we probably should have clarified it before we put on our waders. Three shades of weenies later... we enjoyed a barbeque in spite of torrential downpours. A cold was the only thing I caught that day!

It wasn’t long before we were packing the car for Ohio. It turned out to be one of the most exciting and exhausting trips of my life. Thanks to Mary K, I can proudly say that the first fish I ever landed on a fly rod (and I wasn’t using a weenie) was a 32” Steelhead. The float trip down the Chagrin River was absolutely beautiful. After a long, cold morning of fishing, our guides built a bon-fire and cooked a hearty lunch for us. While we thawed, we watched a Steelhead spawn. We fished through snow, wind and driving rain. It was amazing how quickly I forgot the numb fingers when I held those fish!

A month after my very first casting clinic, I had another opportunity of a lifetime. Lynn Hitschler invited DVWFFA members to fish at the Pohoqualine Fishing Club. Seven of us fished the pristine waters of the McMichael Creek. We had a beautiful day for fishing and enjoyed a gourmet picnic lunch (even without the homemade chicken salad). Eleanor took me under her wing for the afternoon. Not only did I learn how to read a stream, I learned how to use my Swiss army knife to open a bottle of wine!!
We all caught fish on our assigned beats (although some quality human beings admittedly poached and that’s probably why I didn’t catch as many fish as everyone else ). At 6:30 it was back to the Club House for cocktails, dinner, stories and lots of laughter. Lynn asked each of us to share one thing that we learned that day. We learned that Mary B could easily be a professional comedian. We learned never to substitute Buck Magic for cologne. We learned that Mary B has several shades of green weenies in her fly box and asked the infamous question, “How green is your weenie?” We learned that it is fun to laugh until you cry.

What a month it’s been! Not only did I learn how to fly fish, I met some amazing women and had some incredible adventures. Thank you Delaware Valley Women’s Fly Fishing Association for your warm welcome and allowing me to be a member of such a wonderful club.

-- Lynn E. Julin --
Summer 2011 Issue