Brand new at the 2023 Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival ( February 25-26 in Mesquite): Sponsored by Take Me Fishing, an exciting new program designed by and for women to ensure that women from all walks of life excel in the quiet sport of fly fishing.

“Beyond the Cast Women’s Fly Fishing Symposium,” the first event of its kind in Texas, will offer a wide variety of intermediate to advanced fly-fishing programming created specifically for women and taught by experts from all over the country. “We’ve provided numerous introductory casting and ‘Fly Fishing 101’-style classes over the years,” says Festival Director Beau Beasley, “and those classes have been enormously successful. ‘Beyond the Cast’ is different. What we have here is a program by and for women, with a focus on topics that women have told us they’re looking for and haven’t found elsewhere.” The Texas Fly & Brew is “thrilled to partner with Joan Swartz and Texas Women Fly Fishers to bring this event to Mesquite,” continues Beasley “and so grateful to the RBFF for turning this dream into a reality.”

Stephanie Vatalaro, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communication for the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, says that RBFF is “thrilled to be the festival’s sponsor and support this unique women’s initiative at the fly-fishing festival in Texas. RBFF’s Take Me Fishing brand has an exclusive focus on women with its national campaign Women Making Waves, supporting initiatives that make women feel comfortable and confident in the sport.”

Ultimately, “Beyond the Cast” program developers, sponsors, and instructors hope to build a connected community of confident, independent women anglers. Some elements of the program include:

• an ask-an-expert-anything session;-Tom Rosenbauer
• fishing with confidence- Tina Murray
• how to interact safely and appropriately with wildlife;-Julie Mattson
• how to choose the right waders and wade safely- Kim Ranalla
• how not to stress in a stressed out world-Maia Dalton -Theodor
• the whys, whens, and hows of euro-nymphing; – Julie Mattson
• how to use a kayak when fishing;-Jerry Hamon
• how to plan a safe day on the river, – Jonathan Mozingo

“Beyond the Cast Women’s Fly Fishing Symposium” will not only feature regional and national expert instructors and guides, but will interact with industry leaders like Kim Ranalla Founder of Miss Mayfly; special guest Amy Milne, Director of Operations for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing; participants will meet Kirk Deeter Editor and Chief of Trout Magazine from Trout Unlimited and will also receive a complimentary membership to TU. Attendees will also meet and speak with Joan Swartz, President of Texas Women Fly Fishers.