Casting Forward Project

In April 2021, several Ms. Mayhem reporters undertook an ambitious project. They wanted to learn how women were evolving the sport of fly fishing. The team initially approached the project through three main lenses: gear, safety, and conservation and education. Since then, they’ve added a fourth focus examining the lack of visibility and representation for women of color and other marginalized groups. They spoke with company founders making equipment more accessible; heard women’s experiences of safety concerns on and off the water; and discovered how women are shaping conservation efforts. Our reporters spent hours in the car traveling across Colorado, conducted interviews over Zoom, and even made it out to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a weekend to bring these valuable stories to you. The project consists of four multimedia stories and five films.