Sisters on the Fly make return visit
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Angela Durrell - Special to the Sun
'It all started because of the fishing,' Kaarin says reflectively, gazing around the campground at her chattering compatriots. 'And the cowgirling,' she adds.
’ÄòIt is a nationwide fellowship of women who share a love of fly-fishing, travel, camaraderie, and vintage camper trailers. They call themselves the ’ÄòSisters on the Fly’, and boast over 800 members nationwide, including Hawaii. They’re all women with a fierce love of adventure, a commitment to meeting challenges, and steadfast dedication to their own empowerment.
Founded by Maurrie Sussman and her sister Becky, the group started out almost on a whim. 'In the summer of 1998, my sister Becky and myself sat on a drift boat in Montana fly-fishing. We were happily drinking a glass of wine in celebration of catching an 8 lb. Brown trout. Our Fly-Fishing outfitter and guide, Austin, (also my son) congratulated our good job,' Sussman writes on the group’s website. 'From that moment on we invited friends to share in our adventures’ĶIt is all about the participating in outdoor adventures with women of the same mind set’Äîhaving more fun than anyone. This past weekend, a group of more than 40 Sisters converged at Camp James in Kernville for a weekend of fishing and fellowship, bringing their distinctive, vintage trailers and setting up housekeeping along the Kern River.
'We have four rules,' Kaarin ticks them off on her fingers. 'Be nice. No men. No kids. No dogs.' Other than that, it’s pretty much a free range get-together. Women of diverse ages, backgrounds, and professions roamed the Valley in search of cute guides’Äî'One of our unofficial rules’Äîthe guides have to be handsome,' says a Sister, adding with a grin, 'We work a lot with the guides at Kern River Outfitters.'.
They enthusiastically explore every opportunity for outdoor activities, sports, and of course, good fishing. Outgoing and gregarious, they’re as much an attraction as their surroundings wherever they happen to go in their 'Cowgirl Caravan'’Äîbecause people love to come and look at the adorable, cozy campers that have become something of a trademark.
'People ask us, ’ÄòDo you mind if we look inside?’ And we’re like, 'No!! Come on in! We’ll tell you all about it!' laughs Joyce, a Sister from Tehachapi.
Indeed, the women are more than happy to open their doors and let complete strangers prowl through their individually painted, and decorated temporary homes. 'Lots of us do murals; some of us just paint them,' Kaaren says. All over the campground, the little campers are a magnet to everyone who sees them, often provoking squeals of delight from visitors. Each seems to have its own color scheme and theme’Äîone brings to mind Jimmy Buffett and his immortal Margaritaville, complete with colorful parrot and lanterns. Another extols the joy of being a cowgirl. It’s obvious that a lot of time and effort went into each one.
Almost always, the Sisters tow 50’s and 60’s era trailers, although it’s not a hard and fast rule’Äîsome of them have more modern accommodations. Even tents and horse trailers are accepted. The idea started with founder Sussman, who writes, 'While driving around the country, it became more comfortable and easier to drag or own bedroom with us.'
Thus began the Cowgirl Caravan. 'Maurrie painted her trailer, and then her sister painted hers, and then someone else said, ’ÄòWell, I wanna do that, too,' explains Kaaren. Now the Caravan features a cornucopia of dollhouse-like hideaways’ÄîHolidays, Shastas, Aljos, Scotsmans, and even little Airstreams.
Tami, from Glendale CA, just joined last year, using a more modern trailer and selling it when she was able to renovate her vintage model. 'It took a lot of work and money,' she admits, smiling happily at her pride and joy. But it was worth it. Even when she’s not traveling on the Caravan, she still uses it when it’s parked at home. 'I just like to go out and sit in it,' she laughs, and a few other Sisters within earshot shout their agreement.
It’s their last night in the Valley, and as they start preparing for cocktails and dinner, it’s clear that the Sisterhood is about camaraderie as much as it is about their mutual love of fishing. Carol, a member since 2004, traveled from her home in Ventura to a Sisters Christmas party in Phoenix. She was an avid fly fisher at the time, and had seen a Travel Channel program about the group and its founders. Once she met them, she was’Äîno pun intended’Äîhooked. The fishing was a bonus, she says. 'I like to meet people.'
She’s got loads of opportunities to indulge herself. Throughout the year, the Caravan traverses the country, organizing meets and weekends through chat boards on their website, which also features shopping, trailer photos, their event calendar, and membership information. While fishing is a staple marker of the organization’s inception, the Sisters stress that it’s not a prerequisite; a girl just has to have fun. Which is good news for the Kern River Rainbow Trout.
Kaaren, who was tickled to be on the scene on the day that Fish and Game restocked the river, explains that most of the women toss their catches back at the end of the day. One group of four women caught and released about 40 fish over the weekend.
'I don’t know of anyone who keeps them after catching them,' she muses. 'I always throw mine back. We want them to grow so we can come back again next year and get bigger fish!'
Visit the Sisters on the Fly website at www.sistersonthefly.com
