Meet the Drift's :Cat O’Grady "Fly Fishing Lady"

Cat O’Grady “The Lady Fisherman”     Where Are You From:         I was born in Colorado and have lived here my entire life.  I was raised in Rye, a small mountain town south of Pueblo.  After marrying Connell I move to Pueblo and coming from a very isolated area was completely freaked out the first time I heard my neighbor’s phone ring from my own back yard.   How Long Have You Been Fishing:           My parents are avid fisherman and taught me the joys of fishing at a very young age. Mom and Dad, can’t remember who, was the first to put a “pole” in my hand.  I say pole because it wasn’t until I was twenty that I picked up fly fishing.  The transition was amazing and I was luckily enough to be able to teach my parents how to fly fish.  So to answer simply, I have fished my whole life, but I have fly fished for nearly ten years.   What is your position at The Drift and how did you get there?          Some things in life are easy to define and others are impossible, my position at The Drift is in the latter.  Someday I might have to make Alex (Drift Owner) define me, but since you asked here’s the run down:  I work in shop part time, I guide, I teach beginner fly fishing classes and the entomology classes, I handle shop marketing and P.R., I write the newsletter and do lectures and presentations for the public at large.  So if you have a good title that covers these things let me know.        How someone gets into the flyfishing industry is always an interesting story and mine is no less.  Eight years ago I was a budding fly fisherman who just couldn’t enough.  The local shop then was Arkanglers.  I had made friends with the shop employees and when one of them had to move I was thrust into an interview for their position. (Here’s the interesting part) I was a "gamble" and the shop owner at the time, a man I respect more than anyone else on the planet, said this to my face during my interview.  I was barely 22 years old and not only that I was female.  I had not worked for a shop before and I was fairly new to fly fishing.  This was a time when female fly fishermen were not extremely common. They existed, but were rare, especially as professional. Even rarer was a women in her early twenties.      I am so thankful he took a chance on me!! I would not trade my eight years in this business for any other profession.  Since my hire Alex Zipp purchased Arkanglers and changed the name to The Drift and I am so happy to work with such an amazing staff of people.   What kind of schooling do you have?       I have received my degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry, from Colorado State University – Pueblo.   What is so special about Fly Fishing that keeps you obsessed with it?          There are so many things I love about Fly Fishing I don’t even know how to begin.  Part of it has to be attributed to insects.  I have always been fascinated by insects.  I was an odd little girl, go figure, and kept many insects as pets.  I hand fed grasshoppers and was always freaking my mother out by picking up spiders, (Ask Connell some time about when he knew he loved me…. It involves a Tarantula!!).  Fly fishing forces us to study and understand the insect world… WIN! The love does not stop there…. I love fish, the outdoors, a challenge, tying Flies, spending time with my husband on the water (and out fishing him from time to time).  The list of why I love Fly Fishing is longer than my job duties!   Last question, What is the most important advice do you have for other fisherman?          Always keep learning!! The fish are always learning, their environment is always changing, so if you become stagnate the fish will at some point get the best of you!  Shops, Guided Trips, Classes, Books, Internet, Spending time on the water, talking to other fishermen are all resources at your finger tips. When I get asked “How do I land more fish?” or “How do I get into big fish?”  The answer is another simple question…”What don’t you know?”  Answering that question and taking action to learn will up your game farther then you could ever image. The more you are willing to learn about the aquatic world the better fisherman you will be.   Any Last Words?   I want to thank EVERYONE who has helped me along my fishing road.  Whether you taught me something new, took a chance and hired me, took a guide trip or bought something from me, fished with me, or occasionally let me out fish you (Connell hehe…Just kidding... Love you.. I own you more than I can ever write).   I also want everyone to check out my blog: Here’s the Link http://ogradyflyfishing.blogspot.com/   Thanks and Happy Fishing J