Amanda Marie, Writer
Born and raised in Gilroy, California, Amanda has been an outdoor adventurer and writer all of her life. Her career accomplishments include a B.A. from Southern Oregon University in English and Writing and an M.A. from the University of New Mexico in Rhetoric and Composition. A university instructor for over six years and a financial client services professional for five, Amanda has a passion for learning and helping others learn and grow towards their goals.
Amanda is dedicated to sharing knowledge and learning about the natural world, its resources, and cultural influences in the hopes of raising awareness on the sacredness of wild spaces through writing and storytelling. When she’s not at her computer or writing, Amanda is on the water or in the mountains with friends and family.
Get to Know the Writer: Q & A
How did you get into fly fishing?
Like many women in this sport, I started fly fishing because my husband decided to pick up a fly rod. I was hesitant for the first two years because when he decides to get into a hobby he immerses himself completely in the thing. I don’t. I dabble. I try out. I don’t commit until I know I really like it and enjoy spending time doing the thing. When I really fell in love with fly fishing was on the Snake River in Idaho fishing for smallmouth bass. I had fished for smallmouth before, but doing it with a fly rod was so much more fun. I fully committed myself when I decided to buy my first set of waders. That was in 2016. I still have the same set of waders. I haven’t looked back since.
What are the essential things in your pack?
I have a LOT of things in my fly pack, but the essentials for Alaska are always bug spray (non-Deet), a bug net, sunglasses case, sunglasses cleaner, floatant (Lochsa) for dry flies, a fly box (with flies for the day), spools of leader material, spools of tippet, nippers, hemostats, and snacks. Depending on the trip, I’ll have other things like my sun gloves, a pair of regular fleece gloves, an extra buff, dog poop bags, sunscreen, and athletic tape (for my fingers).
Do you go out solo on the river?
I do not. I almost always go with someone or my dog. This is for several reasons: 1. Rivers and water is nothing to underestimate. Water is powerful and I want someone in the vicinity with me to make sure I am safe and okay if I fall down. 2. Fishing is more fun with friends! I might step away down the river with my own net and hang out by myself for a bit, but at the end of the day I love netting other people’s fish and taking pictures for them to look back on later. I enjoy the community and sharing the moment of bringing a particularly beautiful fish to hand. This is not to say you shouldn’t go out on solo trips! Do it! But make sure you let others know where you’ll be and when you’ll be back, know your own capabilities and limitations, and do your research of the place and water levels before going out. Above everything else, do the extra leg work to be safe while adventuring on your own.
Why did you decide to write a book about fly fishing?
Frustration. I attended a free online seminar about making extra money by publishing how-to books on Amazon. The pitch was to hire a ghost writer to write a how-to-book on a topic like yoga, healthy eating, or a nebulous lifestyle topic. Then, to self-publish it via Amazon’s KDP. I was frustrated with the presentation because it made it seem like all of these people could just publish on topics, they might not really have a stake in, and are flooding the market with how-to books. Now that I have some space from that initial frustration, I know I felt that way because I had spent my life writing and thinking publishing was a magical prestigious thing out of my reach. I wasn’t qualified for it. I hadn’t “paid my dues” in rejection letters. It was this frustration coupled with the frustration I felt with the fly fishing industry and its lack of representation of women and women of color, that I decided to write a book.
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