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DNR Teaches Fly Fishing - By And For Women

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Fishing season is in full swing in Minnesota. You might have tried casting a line from a boat or a dock, but what about from waist-deep water?

Fly fishing can be fun for everyone, but a DNR program is showing women in particular how the sport can also relieve stress.

For years, the sport has been Linda Radimecky's weekend escape.

"I don't know if I want to call it a Zen state, but there is a peacefulness," Radimecky said. "You get to get away, the birds are singing, you hear a frog singing."

A long-time angler, she fell in love with fly fishing and now teaches women through the DNR.

"Women tend to like to learn not from their husbands," she said.

She gave me some pointers, and right away I made a fashion faux pas by wearing felt instead of rubber boots.

"More and more fly fishers are getting away with the felt-bottom boots because of the aquatic invasives," she said.

We grab our gear, a rod and a fly line that has more weight than normal.

"That's what you use to get the fly out because this fly weighs nothing," she said.

Casting the thing isn't easy. And after some practice, I feel like a fish out of water. We look for a weed bed, a line of dark and light, where the fish tend to hang out.

"You can catch anything, any kind of fish on a fly rod," Radimecky said.

No matter the size, Linda is keen on keeping the fish healthy. She tells me to wet my hands before touching. It's important the slime stays on the fish.

"The slime helps protect them from bacteria and viruses that are in the water naturally," she said.

And she says if the hook is stuck, don't tear it out.

"It's better to just cut your line and leave the hook in there because the hook will dissolve," she said. "Their stomach acid is that strong."

While fishing, it's not about the catch but the comradely.

"And lunch is free," she said.

Fly fishing is quite affordable. You'll need a Minnesota fishing license which costs $22 for the season, and a kit that includes a rod and fly line is around $120.

That kit should last you a life time, and hopefully catch you and your family a lot of tasty meals

Click here for more information on the DNR's "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" program.

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