Madeline Kelly from Co Down has always been passionate about getting more women hooked on fly fishing.
During the Covid pandemic she focused her mind on a lockdown project and from there, her efforts to get more women involved have only grown.
"As a 'lockdown' project in 2020, I set up 'International Women's Fly Fishing Day'" explained Ms Kelly, who is an international angler.
She is also Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association, a national organisation that encourages women to take up fly fishing.
"It's an annual event now. We have a Facebook page where women are invited to post a picture of themselves enjoying fly fishing," she said.
"In the first year there were 500 posts from 15 countries, now we have over 2,600 posts from 25 countries."
Fly fishing may not be the most popular of fishing pursuits but there has been an increase in popularity in recent years.
In saying that, around the world fishing still remains a male dominated sport.
As part of continued efforts to attract more women, fly fishing courses for beginners are taking place across the country.
Their aim is simple - to increase the number of women casting their leisurely lines.
This weekend a group of women gathered at the Laois Angling centre near Portlaoise for an event, aimed at beginners and novice anglers.
Julie Gerry, from Co Westmeath was on hand, to show beginners how it is done.
She is one of the finest fly fishers in Ireland and the only woman to have ever won the Fly Fishing World Cup, which she did in 2004.
"We're trying to reach the ones that it sparks a wee interest in them," said Ms Kelly.
"Maybe they've never thought about taking up fishing, but they've read something or seen something and thought, I'd like to try that out" she said.
The beginner's courses are organised by the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association.
It runs a league of four trials annually to select a team to represent Ireland at the Ladies International Flyfishing Championship
"The benefits of angling have been known for a long time but it's been a well-kept secret," said Chair of the Irish Ladies Flyfishing Association, Anne Kerrin.
"To be outdoors with nature surrounding you, in beautiful places, really gives a boost to your health and wellbeing," she said.
She also pointed to the physical aspects of fly fishing, which people may not be aware of.
"Wading through streams, casting, scrambling five miles along a river bank, maybe rowing a boat, and sometimes hiking to remote locations are definitely exercises to work your inner core," she said.
"It's known that physical activity releases endorphins which are the body's natural mood lifters, as they help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression," said Ms Kerrins.
"The gentle, low-impact nature of fly fishing makes it accessible to many across all ages and is a perfect way to release those endorphins" she added.
However, the association acknowledges that there are some factors that are holding women back.
"It's not like if you're playing badminton or a game of football and you can run down to a local centre and be there for half an hour or an hour," said Ms Kelly.
"With fishing you can be talking about a whole day, certainly a few hours and women can find it hard to get that time especially at weekends."
When asked "Is safety a barrier in encouraging more women to get involved?" Ms Kelly said she puts that at the top of the list.
"A lot of women just do not feel safe to go fishing. I'm one of them. I'm not the kind of person who would walk up to a little bank on my own to go fishing," she said.
"Safety and feeling safe is a barrier, there's no doubt about that, but this is one of the reasons why I like to run women's days."
She added: "I'm trying to also bring women together so that they can meet each other and make friends and have someone to go fishing with".
Ms Kelly believes there are huge benefits from fly fishing.
"The focus required to cast a fly, watch the water, and anticipate the movements of the fish encourages a state of mindfulness where the angler is fully present and aware of the moment.
"I know from personal experience that fly fishing looks after my own wellbeing," she said.
Ms Kelly said most anglers join angling clubs and through that become involved in the conservation management of waterways because they understand that the health of local aquatic ecosystems is an important element of their hobby.
"Hopefully women who attend our beginner's day will become interested in looking after their local waterways," she added.
