We’ve talked before about how fishing can be good for both our physical and mental wellbeing; it de-stresses us, challenges us mentally and encourages us to get out into the fresh air and move around a bit more. Angling is often talked about in terms of men’s health, and it’s very much a male-dominated pastime, but more women are taking part in recreational fishing and there’s currently something of a revolution on the river bank, with initiatives such as ‘We fish as one’ being launched in an attempt to open up fishing to a wider audience, and the introduction of women-only tournaments. Here in the UK, we have some of the best fishing spots, so it seems only fair that everyone should benefit from them.
We thought we’d take a look at some of the top female fishing influencers paving the way in the world of fishing. Each of them has a different motivation for fishing, but each one has plenty of followers. So, let’s have a look at this new community of female anglers.
CLAUDIA DARGA – 198,000 followers on Instagram
Claudia’s dad used to take her fishing as a child in Germany, but she found the experience quite boring. It wasn’t until she was a bit older and had friends who fished that she fell in love with the outside element of fishing, of being out in nature and enjoying the peace and tranquility with the odd burst of activity. She kept it to herself for a while, after all, fishing isn’t the coolest sport for a teenage girl, but now she makes her living out of it. As a female angler in a male-dominated sport she’s had a fair bit of negativity from male anglers; with comments about her appearance (including one about how she can’t possibly fish as she has painted nails…) but her advice for fellow female anglers? Just do it, and don’t give up.
APRIL VOKEY – 123,000 followers on Instagram
April has been passionate about fishing since she was a child, fishing on the local rivers in her native British Columbia, and now her main passions are fly fishing and conservation. She’s an instructor, does guided trips and writes for several fly-fishing publications and films. She’s always been drawn to the water, nature and adventure, and fly fishing combines all three and she sees it as an escape from the modern world. She doesn’t fish to relax, although as British Columbia fishing can involve dealing with rapids, bears and cougars, it’s not quite the peaceful British riverbank experience we’re used to over here.
MADDIE BRENNEMAN – 97,000 followers on Instagram
Maddie grew up loving the great outdoors and fly fishing, she and her family spent most summers in the lakes in Canada, where her parents were from. She’s now a professional guide and travels all over the world to fly fish. She tries to encourage people to take their children on hiking and camping trips and get them used to activities such as fly fishing early on, particularly young girls. Her advice for anyone wanting to get into fly fishing is to take one step at a time and not to spend lots of money on expensive equipment straight away. She also thinks it’s important to go on your own sometimes too as you learn more when you have to make your own decisions.
MARINA GIBSON – 74,000 followers on Instagram
UK fly fisher Marina pretty much grew up on a riverbank; she was taught to fish when she was just 5 years old, and her mum in particular was passionate about fishing. Although fishing wasn’t a priority in her teens, she re-discovered her love for it in her early 20s when she received fishing rods for her 21st birthday. It’s her way of escaping and feeling grounded; she sums it up best when she says: “Fishing is one of the most mindful sports you can do – the art of fly fishing requires complete concentration, total absorption, and is both exhilarating and relaxing.” Marina is an international fly fishing instructor, a coach and a writer. She also helped set up a charity that encourages the use of angling as therapy for cancer sufferers. She’s very passionate about conservation and is a trustee for River Action UK, a charity that addresses the problem of river pollution, and an ambassador for The Angling Trust.
LAUREN STANFORD – 28,000 followers on Instagram
Lauren was the first female angler to be crowned Carp Angler of the Year in 2023 at the age of 22. She’s a popular figure in the carp fishing scene and runs her own business, ‘Carp Fishing Socials’ which runs trips to social fishing events in Europe. In one year alone she caught three different 70Ib-plus carp from two different countries; something a lot of carpers would be happy with in a lifetime. She’s relatively new to fishing, having only started around six years ago, fishing with her friends at a local lake, but it looks like she’s got more to offer the sport.
BEV CLIFFORD – 18,000 followers on Instagram
Bev has her dad to thank for her passion for angling; Kevin Clifford was once named the ‘Carp King of the North’ and her whole family fished when she was growing up in East Yorkshire. She took it up herself in her twenties and now manages the England Ladies Carp Team and runs the Ladies Carp Academy which encourages women to get out on the riverbank and learn new skills. She loves the outdoor aspect of fishing and is also a keen runner. Like most anglers, she’s a huge advocate of sustainable fishing, ensuring all carp are returned to the water safely, and urges other anglers to be aware of their impact on the environment. She’s also very supportive of women wanting to get into the sport and would advise anybody interested to just give it a go.
LOREEN SCHMIDTKE – 6,000 followers on Instagram
Loreen grew up in Germany with a love for the great outdoors. She went on frequent camping/canoeing trips with her parents and always enjoyed fishing as a child, but her passion for carp fishing came later – first of all as an observer, then as an angler herself. Her first carp weighed 20 kilos; something that surprised everyone, not least herself, and made her a bit of a celebrity. Being a female angler in a male-dominated sport doesn’t really affect her, and she wouldn’t want to be treated any differently, but while she’s happy to fish alone during the day, she prefers to have someone with her on overnight trips. She loves fishing in Germany and there are still plenty of lakes she’d like to fish in.
PAULINE BELLICOURT – 1,859 followers on Instagram
A fishing leader, instructor and guide, Pauline is also both a French, and World Champion surfcaster. Her speciality is sea fishing, but she also enjoys fishing for carp, and she’s fished all over the world, as well as in her native France. She’s been passionate about fishing since being a child; her dad first took her out fishing when she was two, and she’s always loved the nature aspect of it, as well as enjoying the physical, mental and technical side. She opened her fishing school ‘Anim’ Pêche Nature’ in 2014 with the aim of passing on her knowledge and experience so that other people can feel passionate about fishing too. She admits to having to deal with ‘the machismo of the fishermen’ and in her opinion there are still not enough women competing, so she wants to show young girls that fishing isn’t just for men.
OTHER FEMALE ANGLERS TO LOOK OUT FOR
There are a lot of female anglers out there, women such as:
- Noemie Hehn
- Pat Tuschewitzki
- Amanda Hook
- Mandy Jellema
- Flora Dubault
- Zena Drury-Gregorek
- Emma Pickering
- Lynda Lythgoe
SUPPORT FOR FEMALE ANGLERS
- Carp Crossing Girls & Girls That Carp – these are both platforms for female anglers to support each other.
- This Girl Can – this is a campaign that actively encourages women to get involved with sport, including fishing.
Get Fishing – a campaign set up by The Angling Trust who hold regular events for beginner anglers, regardless of their age or gender. There are plenty of ‘Get into Fishing’ events taking place locally during the summer months that let you try fishing just for a few hours.
Fishing is still thought of as a male-dominated pastime, but social media has played a huge role in making female anglers more visible, which will hopefully encourage more women to give it a go. The women we’ve highlighted all have different backgrounds, and they all get different things from fishing, whether that’s relaxation, a chance to reconnect with nature, or the chance to learn a new skill, but each and every one of them is passionate about their sport.
If we’ve sparked something in you and you’d like to find out more, have a look at our blog for articles about fishing; for example, information about when fishing season starts, and some of the most common fish in the UK that you can expect to catch. And if you do feel like giving it a go, you might want to consider insuring your fishing gear; you can get New for Old, cover for Loss, Theft or Accidental Damage, Public Liability and Personal Accident, to name just a few. You can also tweak your policy with some Optional Benefits so that you know you’re reeling in the policy that suits both you, and your budget. Have a look at the website today, or give us a call and get a free, no-strings quote.
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