Former Women’s World Champion fly fisherwoman and fly-casting instructor Glenda Powell, who lives in Kilmurry, tells Ellie O’Byrne how she’ll be spending her winter.
It would be hard to find someone who loves the outdoors as much as Glenda Powell.
The Kilmurry-based fly-casting instructor and fishing guide spends eight months of the year teaching on the Blackwater or leading expeditions to far-flung spots in the great outdoors.
But come winter, when the fishing season closes, Glenda battens down the hatches to spend time with family, start planning for her next season’s adventures, and to get creative with her writing.
“I’m not in the office much all season, so basically it’s a question of finding my desk again under all the paperwork, catching up on all the e-mails that haven’t been answered, and filing things that haven’t been filed,” Glenda says.
“I spent the first week of the closed season this year doing things like taking the kids to the dentist, getting the car ready to pass its NCT, and renewing our First Aid certificates: all the things I don’t get to in eight months of work.”
“For the rest of the year, I’m out of the country twice a month doing something. I work in France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Greenland, Norway and Patagonia. So for me, it’s kind of good to be home in the closed season. It’s like making your nest and lighting your fire.”
‘Everyone has their own story’
Once Glenda has all her affairs in order, though, the mother-of-two lets her love of nature seep back into her routine, with regular walks in the Knockmealdowns, or along coastal routes in Ardmore or Ballycotton.
Full story in our Christmas special ‘By The Fireside’ in shops now
