Getting Hooked On The Outdoors
Seven Years ago, Pam Dunlap accepted a blind date offer. After a rocky divorce, the 49-year-old was ready to get back out there. Her date gave her two options: dinner at a restaurant in Charleston or a fly-fishing experience at Pipestem Resort State Park. “I decided to try something crazy,” Dunlap says of her selection to go fly fishing.
She’d never been before, despite her roots in a family full of outdoor enthusiasts. She admits she always considered herself a girly girl with an aversion to all things that might get her nails dirty.
So, on a cold November day, Dunlap and her date meet at the Pipestem lodge. He supplies her with waders, fishing supplies, and instructions on how to cast her line on the Bluestone River. She climbs into the bulky waders, messing up her styled hair in the process.
She’s in a horrible mood by the time they step into the chilly river, already wondering how in the world she’s going to gear down to get to the restroom. But as soon as they settle in, she feels a sense of calm. It’s quiet. They’re the only two on the river, and she finds the steady flow of the stream beautiful and peaceful.
She tries casting her line once, twice, and, by the third time, she’s in knots. Her date steadies her arm, gets her line untangled, and eventually helps her catch her first fish. She reluctantly holds the fish and poses for a photo, but she feels a sense of pride in her first catch.
“It was a good day,” she says in retrospect. Although the blind date didn’t lead to a budding romance, Dunlap did fall in love that day. She fell in love with the outdoors, and she later grew to love fly fishing.
Hook, Line, and Sinker
After that November 2013 experience, Dunlap decided to go fly fishing again this tine on her own. More than the sport itself, she loved the opportunity to travel across West Virginia-more than she’d ever traveled previously in her home state-enjoying the scenery. “I wasn’t catching any fish the way I was casting,” she says with a laugh. “It was a learning curve, but I enjoyed it. It was a positive thing for me to be doing at a really negative time in my life.”
As she continued learning the sport on her own, mostly through trial and error, she began asking friends and coworkers to join her on her outings. The majority of the women she asked had never gone fly fishing before but many were interested in giving it a try. She had so many interested friends that, in December 2015, she created a Facebook group she called Women Wine and Waders.
Sometimes, learning something new is easier surrounded by friends-old or new. Dunlap says Women Wine & Waders was created for friends to learn new skills together and to enjoy some laughs along the way. The group’s tagline, “Cast like a girl,” is an empowering statement, she says, showing appreciation for the previous generations of women whose explorations opened the way for today’s fly fisherwomen.
“Creating the fly-fishing group is one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Dunlap says. The group helped her channel her energy in a positive way. It kept her outdoors and active, and it led to countless friendships formed over the past five years. “I have more friends now in my 50s than I’ve ever had. I’m so excited about how much the group has grown over the past five years.”
Like Dunlap, many of the women who participate in Women Wine & Waders are going through a tough time. From divorce’es and widows to empty nesters and retirees, women going through all types of hardships turn to the outdoor offerings and camaraderie of the group. Some women just want to share a new experience with old friends or find a way to make new friends. Then again, some ladies tell Dunlap they’ve been interested in fly fishing ever since they saw actor Brad Pitt in the 1992 film A River Runs Through It.
Fly fishing is a sport that can be enjoyed at the surface level or by taking a deep dive. “You can take it to all levels, learning about the flies, tying your own flies, the conservation efforts, and more,” Dunlap says.
Getting Away from it All, Together
Since the spring of 2015, Women Wine & Waders has been offering a variety of fly fishing experiences, from group and and private events to skill-focused classes and full-blown weekend getaways., The weekend experiences are Dunlap’s favorites. “We get together in these cabins and we laugh, we cry we share stories. I’s about friendship and fun. Fishing’s the bonus.”
She’s had women as young as 19 and as old as 74 join the adventures. The group draws women not only from West Virginia, but also from surrounding states, All ages and experience levels are welcome during the excursions.
And what weekend getaway would be complete without the “wine” portion of Women Wine and Waders? West Virginia Fruit and Berry of Bridgeport sponsors all their outings and events. Dunlap’s favorite of their offerings is the blackberry wine. She loves promoting the local winery as well as tourism throughout the state.
She also tries to give back to those in need of a little love. Since the first trip, Dunlap invites a special guest, typically a woman who is having a health hardship, to join the trip free of charge. “Our first guest was a breast cancer survivor who was somehow managing to work two jobs. We learn so much from each other, and we offer support.” In addition to Dunlap’s group geared toward women, she says there are a number of other fishing organizations throughout the state that mentor specific groups, like veterans and foster children.
While events are postponed for 2020, Dunlap encourages everyone to check out womenwineandwaders.com or visit the Women Wine & Waders Facebook group to learn more.
-Wendy Holdren
