Glenda Powell, Fisherwoman

As a child, Glenda used to love watching her Uncle Michael tie flies made out of feather and fur to his fishing lines. She began fishing seriously at the age of nine when he died and left her his fishing rods. When she was eighteen, she told her father she was going fishing for the rest of her life. She was determined to work in fishing, teaching and being around an angling community. A qualified fly casting instructor, she went on to become a world champion, and is currently the chairperson of the professional Game Angling Instructors Association in Ireland.  In her work, Glenda helps people learn to cast, to throw the line out across the water using the rod and reel,  and also to relax and get away from their busy lives.  Watching and listening to the river allows most people to calm down enough to experience the beauty around them. Glenda gets great pleasure watching someone go from not being able to cast to suddenly discovering that things are working for them.  She especially enjoys seeing someone catch a fish; their reaction, being able to experience their joy, and be part of that moment.

Photo: Beta Bajgart