In mid-October the city of Spokane experienced a slight uptick in its number of Black and Brown folks. These visitors were different from the usual ones who come to participate in or watch a sporting event. They were a small group of black and brown fly anglers and environmental activists from across the country. How unlikely!
These folks fish with rods that cast an otherwise weightless lure called a fly. Flies are meant to resemble naturally occurring fish food. They practice “catch and release” fishing and prefer to fish places where mostly trout live and few people visit. Each one is a strong advocate for the environment. Collectively they are a power to be reckoned with.
Over my many years as a fly angler it is extremely rare to meet another black or brown person streamside or as a member of an environmental group like Trout Unlimited. Fly anglers are overwhelmingly white; they fish overwhelmingly white places and they belong to overwhelmingly white environmental organizations. Black and Brown fly anglers tend to be as rare as “hen’s teeth.”
In 2023, I decided to be intentional in searching for other black and brown fly anglers located in the United States. With the help of Instagram, I found and formed a nonprofit group known as the Ubuntu Fly Anglers Network. We established a leadership team who joined me in Spokane for four days in October.
While here, we fished the Spokane River, hosted a donor and friends’ appreciation dinner, did some strategic planning and spent time in Corbin Park putting fly rods into the hands of black and brown kids for their first time.
Our time together as a leadership team was like a black family reunion! Here’s who came:
Emma Brown, of Longmont, Colorado, is a horse and rider trainer, professional fly-fishing and backcountry guide and lead wrangler for Wanderland Outdoors in Denver, Colorado (you should look them up). She is the founder of EB Outdoors which focuses on creating access for the BIPOC community to equestrian sports. Emma’s favorite thing is venturing into the wilderness and being there for others during their first outdoor experience. Guiding, she says, is truly a gift.
Scot Simmons, of Bloomington, Minnesota, is a professional fly-fishing guide. He claims that fly fishing and creek time help him find and maintain his equilibrium. Scot enjoys chasing fish even in the dead of winter fishing through the ice. Scot serves on the board of the Twin Cities chapter of Trout Unlimited where he focuses on youth outreach.
Jamie Lander, of Bozeman, Montana, was born and raised in eastern Washington knowing only fly rods and fly fishing. She advanced from fishing the area’s lakes in a belly boat to walk and wade fishing high mountain streams in Idaho and Montana. Jamie and her family live near the Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers.
Carl Crawford, of Diamond Bar, California, claims he was “tricked” into fly fishing by the first guide he ever hired. He is a member of the Pasadena Casting Club. He serves on the Board of the Southwest Council of Fly Fishers International. Since 2017 he coordinates activities that exposes hundreds of children to flyfishing across Southern California. Carl fishes the surf near L.A. and the Sierra Nevada’s. His goal is to empower access to fly fishing and remove the mystery of the outdoors for potential anglers of color.
Dr. Loleta Robinson, M.D. MBA, of Wilmington, North Carolina, considers herself a globe-trotting aficionado by day, a fiction devourer by night and a nomadic maverick who dances to the beat of her own drum. She found herself in Omaha, Nebraska, where she took her first ‘Fly Fishing 101’ course. She later joined United Women on the Fly and continues to evolve from a novice to confident solo angler.
Erin Lipsker, of Spokane, was born in Colorado. Her first introduction to fishing was catching sunfish with a Snoopy pole, a red and white bobber and a live worm. Erin’s family moved to Eastern Washington when she was three. Casting a fly rod was a natural progression for her because she already had the fishing bug. These days she can be found passing her love for fly fishing and for the great outdoors on to her children.
Angelica Talen, of Washington, D.C., is a brand ambassador for Take Me Fishing and FisheWear. She is a social media influencer and a digital content creator located in D.C. Angelica served on the United Women on The Fly leadership team for three and half years and has written several articles published in DUN Magazine. She has had professional partnerships with several outdoor businesses. Her favorite things to do are travel, fishing and introducing new people to the sport.
And, yours truly of Spokane – a published author, a fly-fishing instructor, host of a live Instagram show titled On the REAL, serve on the board of iFishiBelong, on the board of directors for the Spokane Riverkeeper, a life member of Trout Unlimited and a regular outdoor columnist for this paper.
This gathering, although small, was a first for Spokane. It did leave a lasting impression on all those who met them and would not have happened without the financial help, love and support of so many. The entire gathering was a Spokane happening! You can follow the Ubuntu Fly Anglers on Instagram @ubuntuflyanglers and on Facebook @ubuntuflyanglers. Hope to see you on the water’s edge.
Dr. Bartlett is a retired educator. He retired from Gonzaga University in 2007 and Eastern Washington University in 2020.