Social media gets a bad rap sometimes. Sure, it can be abused and negatively disconnects us from ourselves and others. But, when it serves as a vessel to create beautiful new friendships, I consider it a blessing.
I connected to Vikki Casey, who is on Facebook and Instagram as Chasing the Open Air, through one of the hunting groups on Facebook. Her page is dedicated to helping women connect through all things outdoors. She coordinates group trips for women to connect and share their passions, such as fishing, hunting, and hiking. It’s a resource for women to bounce ideas off each other and a place to share knowledge.
We met up recently to do some fly fishing on the Schoharie Creek in New York targeting bass. The weather was perfect: sunshine, blue skies, and about 70 degrees. The fishing conditions weren’t ideal. A storm front has moved through the day before, churning and raising the creek level just a bit. Not enough to deter us, but enough to keep the fish from being super active.
We connected around 7 a.m., headed to the creek, rigged up our fly rods, donned our waders and boots, and were on the water in no time.
Schoharie Creek flows north 93 miles from the foot of Indian Head Mountain in the Catskills through the Schoharie Valley to the Mohawk River. It’s rocky and scenic.
We spent the day working on our fly-casting form, reading the water, checking out different spots in the river, chatting, and laughing.
In addition to running her online pages, Vikki, with her friend, is busy building the Northeast Chapter of the American Daughters of Conservation. ADC is a nonprofit organization of hunters and anglers who love the outdoors and come together to conserve wild game habitats and provide education in all things outdoors to women and kids.
Magic happens when women connect, especially in the outdoor space. In the past decade, the number of women owning firearms and participating in target shooting and hunting has increased significantly. According to one study, women now make up more than a quarter of all anglers and represent the fastest-growing segment within the hunting and shooting communities. Follow Chasing the Open Air and American Daughters of Conservation to keep up with the magic Vicki is creating for women in the outdoors.
