- Car Charging Station – an inexpensive converter box can be purchased at your local hardware store.
- Pack for Road Hazards and Unexpected Weather – have extra water, non perishable foods, extra clothing and an ice scraper.
- Have your fishing clothing and equipment accessible.
- Consider hiding your equipment and valuable in bins.
- Recycled Ikea and other heavy duty bags work well to separate your wet clothes.
- Always have extra water.
- Car Rod Holders don’t have to be expensive. Erica uses bungee cords and a paint roller cover. She guides her rod tip through the front seat for more stability. The paint roller cover is used to attach extra flies and to wrap pre-rigged leaders.
- If camping, it’s best practice to separate your sleeping stuff from the kitchen items.
- Don’t forget your Poop Kit. This kit can include a shovel, toilet paper, wag bag, soap and hand sanitizer.
- Pack it in, pack it out.
Connect with Erica Nelson
Erica Nelson is based in ancestral lands of the Ute Tribe, currently known as Crested Butte, Colorado. She started fly fishing in 2016 in Wyoming. After borrowing a fly rod and watched some YouTube videos. After many tangles and lost flies, Erica leveraged Tinder to get pro tips from all those guys holding fish.
She then started her Instagram account @AwkwardAngler to meet more people who were willing to teach and answer questions, and eventually found a mentor.
Erica is a Brown Folks Fishing ambassador, community that cultivates the visibility, representation, and inclusion of people of color in fishing and its industry. She is co-founder of REAL Consulting and co-created of the Angling for All Pledge.
“I have observed that, there are many barriers to becoming involved in fly fishing. Learning how to fly fish isn’t easy or accessible for all, and my goal is to increase awareness and education around this, while infusing my dry fly humor.”
