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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Amelia Gentleman

‘I just want to be equal’: female angler takes on elite men-only flyfishing club

Marina Gibson standing in a river, flyfishing
Marina Gibson said in her memoir how she set up her own flyfishing guiding company because none of the established guide organisations would hire her. Photograph: Mark Pinder/The Guardian

After she remarked that it was about time that Britain’s leading flyfishing club admitted women, Marina Gibson received a rush of helpful suggestions from male anglers who felt protective of the club’s heritage.

Gibson could set up her own flyfishing organisation for women, one man suggested. Another pointed out that she could join the Women’s Institute if she really wanted to be part of a club, or visit the Flyfishers’ Club in the evening (but not at lunchtime) if she was lucky enough to be invited in by one of the 600 men who are members. Others emailed asking her to explain why she wanted to join in the first place.

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