When New Wave Fishing Academy was started it was based around the mission of helping everyone become more successful anglers and especially those who do not have the family, friends, or easily accessible opportunities to push them into the sport. From our short time in operation trying to make accomplish this mission there has been a very clear population that has a hard time breaking into the industry. From critics online challenging their skills as anglers to talking down or belittling their accomplishments / questions there are a lot of unnecessary hurdles for women and young girls to get into the sport. While we know that these people setting up these hurdles do not represent the bulk of the members in the industry they unfortunately are often the loudest voice. To combat this we want to highlight some of the best ambassadors for "Women In Angling" that we know and share their stories for those that just need a little push to get into the sport or some role models to look towards!
This weeks feature is Jennifer Jess-Tereschuk! After stumbling across some of the other Women In Angling posts we have made her husband contacted us and said she would be the perfect fit. After reaching out we have come to realize some of the common connections we had including our friends over at Camp McIntosh! We hope you appreciate hearing from Jennifer as much as we did.
"Fishing has been a lifelong love for me! It started when I was young with my father teaching me how to fish. It wasn’t always about catching fish, it was spending time with my Dad.
Fishing went from being a fun hobby, something to do while camping, to being an absolute passion several years ago. I needed something that could center me, something that can block out the noise and stress of everyday life. Fishing had always done that for me in the past so I threw myself into it again!
I started out only fishing from shore and quickly decided that I needed a boat, ANY BOAT! I progressed from little tinners with 9hp motors that always needed something to be fixed to what I have now…a sweet Lund with all the bells and whistles.
Despite my love for the sport one thing always struck me whenever I walked into a tackle shop, sports store, or marina. Salespeople would avoid or even straight up ignore me! They would ask if I was shopping for my husband. If he was with me he would be the first to tell them “SHE’s the angler here, not me “. That is probably one of the biggest hurdles for women getting into the sport. Women can and do catch the big fish, haul in huge numbers, and talk about lures, rods, and tactics with just as much expertise and passion as the boys. I simply can’t learn enough about fishing no matter how much I try! I’m a self proclaimed ‘super geek’ so I research techniques, skills, and equipment in every possible way. Practice the findings over and over again until I’m proficient and then look for more to repeat the process. I love learning the details of a water system, fish habitat, and their life cycle. As a multi-species angler learning as much as I can about fish behaviour and what environmental factors affect a specific species puts me and whoever I’m taking out that day on more and bigger fish.
It can be intimidating for women in this male dominated industry. There is dismissal just for being female, a lack of clothing with a female fit, keyboard warriors dismissing your catches and commenting on your body, and the disbelief that a woman can actually launch and trailer their boat by themselves, let alone guide people to fish! But this is only one part of the industry, and hopefully a shrinking part. There are also many people in the industry that are very supportive. These are the people to connect with. These are the people to ask questions to and learn from. For those that are looking to get into the sport or just grow your connections in it there are many supportive online female angling groups you can become a part of. Ones where you can talk about worms and the mayfly hatch for hours on end, or discuss guiding challenges in your particular area. I would encourage you to connect with these women, you might just find your tribe! There are other great places that are for all anglers to learn. One of these resources is New Wave Fishing Academy! They have great videos, blogs, and a wonderful instructional series that is worth checking out! (Zero to Hero Masterclass). I was first introduced to New Wave Fishing Academy when my husband purchased the Zero To Hero Masterclass as a gift for me. While I have only got through a portion of it I can already tell it is worth the cost and loaded with tons of detail to help anglers of all skill levels. For those that are unsure the beginner modules are free to download from their website and also available on their YouTube channel so there is no risk to giving it a look.
While I love taking people out fishing and showing them the healing power of being out on the water above everything else I want to show my daughter and my son that fishing is for everyone, and even if you don’t catch anything, it can still be the best day ever. With just a rod, reel, and nature, thinking about nothing but cast and retrieve and waiting for the feel of that first tap on the line is where it all begins. "
We would like to thank Jennifer for putting together this blog post and sharing her experiences with us all! We hope that by sharing these experiences as well as highlighting the expertise that is out in the female angling community that more women and girls will join in and enjoy the sport we love!
If you know somebody who is a great ambassador for Women In Angling (Or the outdoors) that deserves to be recognized and would be willing to create a post please reach out to us on any of our social media platforms so we can get in touch with them.
If you or someone you know is looking to get into fishing or you just want to become a more successful angler be sure to check out our "Zero To Hero Fishing Masterclass" for courses on everything fishing! The masterclass is built to help you learn how to find and catch fish like the pro's by providing all the information you need and a clear development path! Don't miss out check it out now at www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero
Have you ever wondered why lures don't come with instructions and wanted to know how to fish them? Look no further than our "How To Fish" series where you will learn what each bait is, how to use it, when and where it excels over other baits, our preferred setup to use it on, and the common mistakes anglers make when using it. www.newwavefishingacademy.com/how-to-fish
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