AUSTRALIAN women fly fishers are pushing to represent Australia at international competitions, according to an article on the ABC website, which also featured on Landline.
At the recent state championships in Tasmania, there were only four women amongst 30 competitors and nationally, of 140 fly fishing competitors, there are eight women registered.
South Australian Casey Mattson is one of them. She’s so keen to compete at a higher level, she’s joined the governing body for all local competition fly fishing, Fly Fish Australia, to help the push for a national women’s team.
Later this year, Australia will send two men’s teams to Northern Island to compete in the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships, while South Africa, England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland will field a men’s and women’s team.
“A women’s team has always been on the cards, Australia could have sent a team to [Ireland], but they chose not to,” said Ms Mattson.
Fly Fish Australia says women aren’t purposefully discriminated against — the teams are picked from rankings and currently women aren’t in the top rankings.
“We’ve operated on an objective system of rankings through three years of competition and at this point in time we haven’t had enough ladies high enough up in the rankings to qualify to represent at those levels”, said Fly Fish Australia president Rob Staples.
He added that he can understand their frustration.
“I think we have been slow, I think that is a fair and reasonable comment, but I really feel that we are now turning the corner and making some progressive and positive steps to improve the participation of ladies and also younger members within the competition sport fly fishing,” said Mr Staples.
You can read the full story HERE.
