Female anglers help keep Strutz hopping

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January 4, 2007 By Patrick Durkin ** you do not have permission to see this link **

Patricia Strutz moved from Appleton to Los Angeles when she was 18 to be a California girl, but after eight years, she returned to Wisconsin in 1995 with her husband, Jim Behm, and settled down in Eagle River to pursue a slower, quieter lifestyle.

Eagle River might offer such leisures to some, but Strutz has failed miserably at finding her own slow slice of Northwoods life. About six years ago, she launched a muskie-guiding service, "A Blond and Her Boat" (www. ablondandherboat.com), and her year-round schedule is as congested as any L.A. freeway.

When she's not guiding, she's writing about fishing, or traveling the Midwest giving seminars on fishing. Her tour includes stops at the Madison Fishing Expo (Feb. 23-24), the Northeast Wisconsin Sport Fishing Show in Green Bay (March 2-4), Madison's Canoecopia (March 9-11) and New London's Musky Magic event (March 18).

One reason for Strutz's popularity is she recognizes her pace isn't unusual in today's world. Most people can't easily sneak out to fish after work or entire weekends. If they want to get away with family or friends for even a half-day or four-day weekend of fishing, they often must plan months in advance.

Perhaps more importantly, Strutz doesn't need government surveys to tell her that even though angler numbers are declining overall, female participation in fishing is increasing. Without really trying, she's capitalizing on that trend.

During her first year as a muskie guide, all of her clients were men. That never happened again. The next year, husbands began booking muskie trips for their wives, and fathers started booking trips with their daughters.

To make fishing even more convenient, Strutz sells gift certificates for anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and other special events.

"One of my clients has two daughters he brings every year as a Father's Day gift to himself," she said.

Her approach is working. By 2005, 60 percent of Strutz's clients were girls and women, and she estimates that percentage was even higher in 2006. In addition to guided muskie trips in Vilas and Oneida counties, she offers fishing vacations to Ontario and Minnesota. Some are women-only group trips and others cater to couples. "I'm lucky because my husband is a very patient teacher, and I've learned a lot from him, but I realize not all husbands are so patient," she said. "It takes patience to learn how to cast, how to back up a boat, and how to operate a boat. Trying to learn those skills can be a real turnoff for women if someone expects instant results."

Strutz also offers muskie fishing options. During summer, most of her clients prefer to cast, but during autumn, she prefers trolling in her 17-foot fiberglass rowboat. Row-trolling has long been a niche skill among muskie hunters, but Strutz believes women enjoy it because it's "female-friendly."

"Not everyone enjoys pounding the water half-a-day with a heavy bait-caster," she said. "Women enjoy the exercise of rowing. It's pleasant, and it lets them look at the scenery and watch wildlife. I took four women row-trolling in November. That's the best time for muskies, but you must dress for it."

Which leads to another of Strutz's expertise: equipping female anglers.

"I'm on a mission to get women the right gear and clothing for fishing," she said. "Nothing was user-friendly when I started, but now there are lots of clothes, boots, rods and reels that fit women. If you have the right equipment, you can stay comfortable and have fun." Strutz believes even more women would experience fishing's excitement if they realized it isn't complicated.

"It can look intimidating only because many women are inexperienced," she said. "But fishing is a skill, and it can be practiced. The more confident they get, the more likely they'll keep fishing."

With all the fishing enthusiasm Strutz shares, that slower lifestyle will just have to wait.