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2018

SPRING

In This Issue...

  1. President's Message
  2. IWFA Tournaments
  3. Farewell
  4. Members' Travelogue: Girls Out Fishing
  5. Special Recognition
  6. Scholarship Trust Announcements 
  7. Monthly Awards Milestones 
  8. Regional Representative Corner
  9. Conservation Corner
  10. Upcoming Events/Announcements 
  11. New Members
  12. Sponsors 

President's Message 

Spring is just around the corner, and with it brings our new membership cycle. Our membership count is over 150 and includes women from all around the world. I hope you will renew your membership prior to April 30 and continue to enjoy the competition and camaraderie that makes this club a great one!

You asked, we listened! Some members expressed the desire to have a “portable” member roster for quick access when a computer isn’t nearby. Therefore, there is now a printable member roster on the IWFA website under the Membership tab. This is a benefit only to our members, so you must first sign in with your member credentials to see and print the roster. It will be updated on a quarterly basis. The online searchable directory will remain intact and includes the ability to find a member by proximity. Simply type in a zip code and a list of near-by members will display. Please give them both a try!

There are many things in store for the rest of the calendar year, giving our members a variety of opportunities to be involved. For starters, the IWFA Annual Meeting, Luncheon and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The event is being preceded by a free Fly Fishing Clinic and a networking happy hour. Then, several ladies will head down to Boca Grande, one of the most diverse areas of fishing in Florida, for a three-day Funament.

The IWFA will be kicking of a Junior Angler Program on the first of May. The Board and the Junior Angler Committee are excited about the opportunity to foster young girls and help them grow with the club.

The next organized event is the popular Louisiana Slam Tournament in Venice, LA. Over three days in June, anglers will seek to enjoy some of the best fishing on the Delta.

Another Funament is in the works in the Big Sky Country of Montana in September. There will be two options for fishing and lodging. Look for more to come on that soon.

And, finally, initial planning is underway for a backcountry tournament in Islamorada in October.

Please watch for announcements about events and other IWFA happenings via email and on the website. And periodically check the website calendar for details of upcoming events.

I hope to see you soon on our Facebook or Instagram pages, at one of our club gatherings, in the news, on the water, or all the above,

Jill Gaddis
IWFA President 


IWFA Tournaments

Save the date!

The 2018 Louisiana Slam Tournament will be held June 11 - 13, 2018 in Venice, LA. The roster is full, any questions please contact Brenda Moore via email at [email protected]

Islamorada Backcountry Tournament:  October 21st kick off and fishing will be October 22nd - 24th, 2018. Preliminary plans are underway, more information to follow. 


Farewell

Beth Boutell (1956 - 2018)

It is with great sadness that we share of the passing of long time IWFA member Beth Boutell. Beth died on February 23rd after her battle with cancer. Beth joined the IWFA in 1991 and served in various positions to include club Secretary and Book Chair. She was respected and admired by many of our members for her funny spirit and caring heart. 

Beth was born in Flint, Michigan in 1956 and spent her childhood on our farm in Grand Blanc and on the water in Palm Beach. In these two places she acquired her life-long love of horses and fishing.

Beth worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines for over 20 years. After retiring, she settled in Florida, and became a lifetime member of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club, and a member of the Sailfish Club of Florida and the International Women's Fishing Association, for which she served as Secretary. Beth was an outdoor enthusiast and an avid fisherman who won several awards. In her later years she made her home in Ennis, Montana, where she owned an outfitting company that operated on the Madison River. Beth's dear friends, her animals, and the Madison Range gave her comfort.

Beth had a very generous spirit. Her kind heart was a gift to all lucky enough to have her in their lives. Her laugh and smile could light up a room. We will be quick to smile back at the many laughs and fond memories she leaves with us.

Obituary from Bozeman Daily Chronicle published on March 4, 2018.

  

Farewell My friends
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
Save the pain I’ll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care…
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul…
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell, my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
For that’s what I’ll like when you live in the hearts
Of those you love, remember then
You never die.

Gitanjali Ghei, inspirational poet (1961 – 1977)


  Members Travelogue: Girls Out Fishing

Melissa Littlewood and Corinne Fuller North did some fishing earlier this year and caught some beatiful Tripletail in Sarasota, FL.

  

Carmen Perez-Padron with a Spotted Seatrout and a Redfish caught and released in Everglades National Park, FL. 

 

Connie O'day, Brenda Moore, Kathy Gillen and Serena Wilson have fun in Sailfish Oasis Lodge. 

 

  

Happy fishing!


Special Recognition

Congratulations to Mary Muratori from Miami, FL for being the first lady to reach "The 30 Fish Club" in Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission's lifetime catch competition. This is a FWC sponsored competition and is open to all anglers. It involved catching 71 particular species of saltwater fish in which the angler submits a photo of themselves along with the fish and other information required for submission. The 4 levels of recognition are: 10 fish, 30 fish, 50 fish and finally 71 fish. To date only 2 anglers have reached 30 and Mary is the first lady to do so.

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Congratulations to Gail Kennedy McManus and Pamela Marmin for winning the Second Runner Up Team and Pam won Female Grand Champion in the 2018 Swamp Guides Ball Tournament held in February in Islamorada, FL. The ladies fished with IWFA Member Cheri Tindal's son, Capt. Charlie Tindal.


Scholarship Trust Announcements

IWFA Scholarship Trust Logo

A Scholarship Trust Fundraising Dinner was held in February at Dr. Marty & Roberta Arostegui's home in Coral Gables, FL. Many thanks to everyone that attended the dinner, bid on live and silent auction items and to everyone that helped make the evening a successful one. Our heartfelt gratitude to Roberta for being such a gracious host and to Dr. Marty Arostegui for cooking such a wonderful latin feast. Thank you!

    

 

 2017-2019 TRUSTEES

Chairmen Pam Marmin, Vice Chairmen Lisa O Everett, Secretary Gail Kennedy-McManus, Treasurer Joan Vernon , Trustees:  Roberta Arostegui, Brooke Denkert-Black, Betsy Bullard, Glenda Kelley, Diane Locke, Connie O’Day, Suzie Villere, and IWFA President, Jill Gaddis.

   


Monthly Awards Milestones 

Congratulations to the following member(s) who have earned such incredible milestones! These monthly award numbers include the November to January stats. Happy Fishing!

Laura Beth Jenks, Abington, VA - 1st Monthly Award

Mary Edmonds, Marango, IL - 1st Monthly Award

Mary Jo Duffy, Atlanta, GA - 1st Monthly Award

Melissa Littlewood, Sarasota, FL - 10th Monthly Award

Brenda Moore, Pearland, TX - 25th Monthly Award

Merrily Dunn Simmons, Brandenton, FL - 100th Monthly Award

Ashley Bahen, Nags Head, NC - 150th Monthly Award

Carol Ott, Boca Raton, FL  - 150th Monthly Award

Carmen Perez-Padron, Miami, FL - 500th Monthly Award


 Regional Representative Corner

In each newsletter we will profile and interview one of our Regional Representatives to provide you with an opportunity to learn more about our IWFA leaders.  In this issue, we will feature the Julie Hebert.

 

Julie Hebert – Southern Territory Regional Rep

I volunteered to be a Regional Representative in order to welcome new members and assist with communication between the Southern Region and the Board for questions and general information. My hope is that keeping us all connected will help to grow our membership and connectivity with one another. Please know that I am here to assist you in getting the most out of your IWFA membership and hope that at some point we will be able to share a fishing adventure together.

I just love IWFA because we are all about being women who love to fish and have great camaraderie whilst braving the elements for those elusive fish! I’ve been a member since 2008, whereby I met the most amazing women who are some of my dear, dear friends! Along with some of those ladies, I co-chair the unforgettable Louisiana Slam Tournament in Venice, LA which is coming up soon from June 10-13, 2018. My family and I (Husband, two grown boys & a Red Standard Poodle) live just outside of New Orleans and have a place on Grand Isle, where we mostly offshore fish, but also enjoy speck and redfishing.

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance or if you have any feedback. I may not know all the answers, but I can help direct you to someone who does.

If you are ever in Grand Isle, please let me know so that we can try to connect! The name of our boat is “The Passion” - If you see us on the water, hit us on Channel 16.

  


Conservation Corner

On March 10, 2018, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation overwhelmingly approved S. 1520, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (Modern Fish Act). This legislation calls for critically important updates to the oversight of federal fisheries, including adding more tools to the management toolbox, improving data collection techniques, and examining some fishery allocations that are based on decades-old decisions.

Through years of deliberation, the priorities of the recreational fishing and boating community were identified and presented to federal policy makers by the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management. This group is also referred to as the Morris-Deal Commission, named for co-chairs Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boat Group. In 2014, the Morris-Deal Commission released “A Vision for Managing America’s Saltwater Recreational Fisheries,” which included six key policy changes to expand saltwater recreational fishing’s social, economic and conservation benefits to the nation.

 Connie O'Day - Conservation Chair


Upcoming Events/Announcements

Upcoming Events 

There is still time to sign up for the  2018 Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon. We hope to see many of you there so that we can see each other, catch up or meet some of our new members as well as celebrate in everyone's fishing accomplishments.

Luncheon information:

When: Sunday, April 22, 2018

Where: Sarasota Yacht Club - 100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota FL, 34236

A Funament in Boca Grande will follow on April 23 - 24 and is SOLD OUT!

There will be a FREE 2 hour Fly Fishing Clinic for IWFA members at Phillippi Shores Park in Sarasota on April 21st from 2pm to 4pm. The clinic will be an IWFA sanctioned and is being sponsored by ORVIS and CB's Saltwater Outfitters. The instructors for the clinic are authorized ORVIS instructors.

From 5:30 pm to 7 pm, there will be a happy hour/meet and greet at the Daiquiri Deck next to CB's Saltwater Outfitters.

Details for all events can be found on iwfa.org under the event calendar section

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  Announcements

Membership Renewal 

It's time to renew your membership! Our membership year is effective May 1 and expires on April 30. Please let us remind you of some of what you’ll be missing if you don’t renew:

Funaments, clinics and socials
IWFA sanctioned tournaments
Monthly, annual and lifetime awards
Access to the worldwide membership directory

Most importantly, you’ll continue to be part of an organization that has been proudly promoting angling competition, conservation and camaraderie among women anglers for over 60 years!

To avoid an interruption in your membership and allow you to continue to take advantage of the benefits, please renew today.

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Exciting News!

It is with great pleasure that the IWFA Board announces the upcoming kick off for a new program beginning May 1, 2018.

The Junior Angler Program will be for IWFA members to provide opportunities for young girls ages 6 to 11 and teens ages 12 to 17 to learn about conservation, develop their angling skills, and participate in a monthly award competition under the mentorship of an IWFA sponsor. Ages 6-11 will compete for monthly award certificates and teen anglers ages 12 to 17 will compete for monthly award certificates as well as Top Teen Freshwater Angler and Top Teen Saltwater Angler. A special award, Top Teen Service Award Angler will be awarded to teens that fulfill criteria related to an activity that gives back to the angling community and our mission statement in the IWFA.

Full details to be disclosed at our Annual Meeting and Luncheon on April 22, 2018

IWFA Junior Angler Committee:

Chair - Connie O’Day

Communications - Rebel Caplinger

Awards - Molly Fleming/Carmen Perez Padron

Membership - Julie Brown/Jenny Goodell

Affidavits – Joanne Kolius

Feel free to contact Connie with any questions [email protected] or 281-610-0053

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Find us and follow @womensfishingassociation on Instagram and be sure to use the hashtag #IWFA to be featured in our posts. 

 Please be sure to check our website www.iwfa.org frequently for announcements, information, and a calendar of all upcoming events


New Members

 

The IWFA would like to wish a warm welcome to the following ladies that have joined our amazing club since November 2017.

Mary Jo Duffy, Atlanta, GA

Deena Taylor, Johnson City, TN

Nancy Llacuna, Cape Coral, FL 

Lisa Lanata, Metairie, LA

Carmen Badillo-Sheeder, Miami, FL 

Jocelyn Boudreaux, Metarie, LA

Dawn Otani, Lithia, FL 


Sponsors

Please support our sponsors!

               

                 

Click on the logo to visit our sponsor websites. Links to our sponsors can also be found on the Sponsor tab at www.iwfa.org

 If you're interested in an IWFA Sponsorship email us at [email protected]

IWFA | P. O. BOX 31507 | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL 33420
[email protected] | WWW.IWFA.ORG