With tickets going on sale June 1, 2019 for Orvis’ Down The Hatch Festival, we wanted to feature Isabella Polansky. She is one of the remarkable young women included in a youth panel hosted by our very own Heather Hodson and Jen Ripple.
Isabella Polansky has been fishing for most of her 10 years. She began her love of fishing when her father took her to a trout hatchery at the young age of 2, armed with a princess fishing rod and a push button reel. The hatchery was a catch and keep fishery and Isabella caught and kept her first trout with a little help from dad.
As Isabella grew older, she fished with her father and occasionally mom and little brother, on family vacations. She graduated to a spinning rod, catching among other species, speckled trout, redfish and barracuda. In addition to fishing, Isabella has accompanied her dad to fly fishing shows such as Somerset, Lancaster, Edison and her favorite, the annual Catskill Fly Fishing Museum Summerfest. It is at Summerfest where Isabella has met Joan Wulff and was soon recognized by the show regulars as the young lady who loved to fish.
Over time, Isabella learned to fly fish at the trout hatchery and she soon became addicted. She continued to spin and fly fish on vacations, catching bonefish and barracuda in Belize, tarpon in Puerto Rico, mahi and sailfish in Costa Rica. Her crowning achievement in fresh water came
earlier this year in State College, Pennsylvania. On Spring Creek, she caught a 7 plus pound rainbow trout on a fly. She casted, fought and landed it by herself. She made her father very proud.
In addition to her fishing pursuits, Isabella is a top student in middle school and an avid reader. She plays the violin and saxophone in the school orchestra. She also plays lacrosse and soccer for local traveling teams. Isabella cares about conservation and helps to stock a local stream in New Jersey. Isabella is active in teaching her younger brother the finer points of fishing. She is a member of a private fly fishing club and continues to be her father’s favorite fishing buddy.
