Puget Sound Women on the Fly
About Us
We pride ourselves on creating a community of like-minded anglers who want to spend time getting to know the waters of the Puget Sound.
Check out our Event Page, Facebook, or Instagram to see what we have been up to and what we will be doing next! We look forward to seeing you there.
Meet our team
Penny Mabie
Co-Founder
TU Board Representative
Conservation and Education Coordination
I'm an angler.
I'm a traveler.
I'm retired.
I’m on the go – a lot.
I'm a business owner.
I'm a niece, a sister, an aunt, and a cousin.
I'm many things and many people all in one.
At heart, I'm a gregarious woman who loves people, loves to fly fish, and loves to camp in my trailer. I’ve been all across the country, meeting up with friends and acquaintances and strangers to toss a line, tell a tale, share a laugh, and lift a glass or two. I hope you’ll join me sometime.
If you're looking for me, check the nearby waters. And if you want to wet a line, come on in. The water's fine and I've a spare rod to share.
Whitny Hart
Co-Founder
Treasurer
Fundraising
Growing up in Southern Utah, I was always outside doing outdoorsy activities with my family. We fished occasionally on the reservoir, but not very often. I remember seeing fly fishing in movies (ok maybe it was just A River Runs Through It ha!) and being mesmerized by big rivers and the flow of the cast.
After moving to Northern Utah I saw many men out on the rivers fly fishing, but I felt too intimidated to get out there and learn. A few years later I went back to school at Utah State University where they offered ‘Fly Tying’ and ‘Fly Fishing 101’ - I signed up for both and fell in love! We ended up in Washington shortly after I graduated and I’ve enjoyed exploring different areas and learning new bodies of water. I love getting out and learning with and from other women. I’m a big believer that you can get out there with whatever gear you can afford. I started with a hand-me-down rod that is not fancy at all, but it worked!
My hope for Puget Sound Women on the Fly is to help break down barriers to entry whether that’s cost, learning, or even if you’re shy (I am too!). Reach out and let us know how we can help get you out on the water!
Alison Zoltowski
Media Manager
The good:
I love animals, spooky things, Lord of the Rings, Lego and breakfast sandwiches. We have a dog named Rexton and he's way funnier than me.
The bad:
Never once in the history of earth have I recognized a movie quote. I get hangry and the only remedy is mac and cheese.
The values:
I believe that fly fishing saves people. I believe in getting things wrong and giving ourselves and others the grace to learn and get them right. I believe you don't have to be an expert at anything to love it and be connected to it. I believe in celebrating all the wins. If you've fished with me, you know I'll jump in as your net gal, I'll hype you up when you land any fish, but I'll also celebrate you getting your fly out of a log jam unscathed. Success is whatever we want it to be. If I can put on my waders without toppling over, I consider that a good start to my day.
Sarah Nguyen
Fundraising
Partnership Liaison
The biggest thing between me and fish was fear - the fear of looking dumb, the fear of being alone, the fear of asking for help, the fear of going into a fly shop or taking up space on a river when you feel like you don't belong.
To get over these fears, I reached out to women like Penny, who became one of my first fly fishing friends. She and many others gave me a judgement free zone to learn and build confidence, and I mean it with my heart when I say I wouldn't be who I am today without them.
Through PSWOTF, I hope to pay it forward in similar fashion and help others on their journey. I was told that if you can catch fish in Western WA, you can catch fish anywhere. So if you're new, have patience, but more importantly have fun! There won't always be fish, but there will always be friends :-)
Sharyn Wooten
Partnership Liaison
Conservation & Education Coordination
A good friend of mine signed me up for a fly fishing lesson in 2021 at Crow Creek Fly Shop in Roslyn. We spent time learning to cast in the park and then took a float down the Yakima. I was coachble and happy to be told what to do and where to try and get my fly. Ryan got me on a beautiful cutthroat that day. He was patient and brought energy kindly. The Yakima was showing off all shimmery, the bends available to a float were perfectly adventurous. Fast forward to 2023 and I'm sitting in a park with Penny and Whitny to learn about rigging! I found PSWOTF after a couple of failed attempts to make connections in the world of fly fishing. I drove south, sat at that table, learned, listened and laughed a ton. Penny even bopped me with a pool noodle until I tightened up my casting stroke!
I remember the sunset on the drive back north that night, I knew I had walked through the right door. Many outings, shenanigans, lessons, rivers, miles, fish, fails and smile later, I am so proud to know the PSWOTF community. I've fished in WA, OR and MT, met women anglers from all over the country, river friends for life. Conservation has come to the foreground, understanding this delicate ecosystem is critical. I have so much to learn. Thanks to so many great orgs and fly shops, I'm getting schooled.
By day I am a Creative Director at JAS Design, where I've worked for 21 years. We design and build projects of all kinds in Seattle and beyond. I love to be outside, to sew, to make things and gold with my husband Mark. My Bernese Mtn Dog is up for any adventure and my campervan ready to skip town for the weekend, coast, river or mountain.
Get me started talking about fly tying and Ted. Ask me, I'll tell you, but better yet, come learn how to tie some flies with me, there's always room at the table.
Three Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited
The Puget Sound Women on the Fly group is an Alternative Engagement Group (AEG) that operates under the Three Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Trout Unlimited is a national organization. We focus on bringing people together across the country to care for our rivers and help make our water cleaner and our communities healthier.
State councils like the WA State Council and local chapters, such as Three Rivers, identify and fund local conservation work that relies on volunteers to get it done. Covering the entire Seattle and Bellevue region, the Three Rivers Chapter drive conservation goals, volunteer work, and grassroots advocacy for the national Trout Unlimited organization.