REG: The only people we hate more than the Romans are the Judean People’s Front.
PFJ MEMBER: Splitters!
REG: And the Popular Front of Judea.
PFJ MEMBER: Splitters!
REG: And the People’s Front of Judea!
PFJ MEMBER: We’re the People’s Front of Judea!
REG: Oh. I thought we were the Popular Front…
PFJ MEMBER: Splitters!
If the confusion highlighted by all the “Fronts” working against the Romans in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian doesn’t resonate here, Jo’s an Otter’s Nose (you have to watch it to understand).
Let’s be honest — if you’ve ever caught yourself whispering something similar to that iconic scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian about the explosion of women’s fishing groups across Australia, you’re not alone. I’ve done it too.
“Wait… is it WIRFAB? WIRFNQ? WRFL? AusWIF? Reel Women? Or that new Facebook one — NSW WIRF?”
YEP! They’re all legit. All active. And yes, to the untrained eye, there’s a lot of similar acronyms to disentangle.
Some are government-funded. Some are privately run. Some have membership fees. Some are social groups, others are structured pathways. Some cast a wide community net, others hone in on competitive edge or personal transformation.
Whether the goal is confidence, community, skill development, personal leadership, mental health resilience, or high-level tournament success — each initiative is part of a rising tide. One that is long overdue.
President of WRFL’s NSW Chapter and National VEEP, Karen Van Bael is living proof of the efficacy of the WRFL Fast-Track. Learning the Double-uni knot at her first XFactor in 2022, she started as an independent boater in bass tournaments in 2024 and hasn’t looked back.
This year, I took some long-overdue time to work on the WRFL, not just in it. The process was revealing — and exhilarating.
We stepped back, listened, simplified. And what emerged was a crystal-clear vision of where WRFL fits in the recreational fishing landscape — and how we can make the whole ecosystem of initiatives and programs easier to navigate for women and supporters alike.
We mapped our entire strategic collection of initiatives into a single, nationally-structured plan: The Ten Year Parity Playbook — a blueprint for how we can reach 25% female participation by 2035 (to be as active as men).
We’re not turning up to compete for the microphone. We’re stepping up to hand out a roadmap.
We’ve built the bridges, simplified entry points, and gamified exploration and learning. We’ve created an ecosystem that closes the loop — from curious beginner to confident leader who gives back by mentoring the curious beginner. And thanks to those calling for clarity, we’ve now removed the guesswork for every business, organisation, and government body who wants to roll up their sleeves and contribute… but doesn’t know where to start.
And that’s why I hope the League’s stand at this year’s Tackle Show will feel like an epiphany. Not just a celebration of women’s participation — but a masterplan for how to take it further, faster.
Let’s Call Out the Unspoken Risk
Despite all the good work across the board, something else has surfaced. Something we can’t ignore.
When multiple passionate, purposeful groups surge onto the scene with similar language but different models, it creates friction… or at least muddy water.
Jo Starling joins early WIRF Leaders on stage at the National Rec’ Fishing Conference 2019 (from left, Nikki Duckworth, Cara Cummings, Jo, Belinda Yim (initiator of the WIRF movement), Shea Bloom and Karen Rees). It was at this event that Belinda asked Jo to create what is now WRFL.
One of Jo’s favourite photographs taken to help WIRF promote one of their promotional initiatives, “Sisterhood of the Roving Rod”.
Back in 2019, I was invited by the leader behind the WIRFAB initiative (then simply WIRF) to explore a national model that could complement the Victorian Government’s grassroots momentum. That invitation sparked the WRFL — a vehicle to fast-track women who wanted more from their hobby.
We didn’t build WRFL to compete. We built it to complete the picture.
But as more voices and visions have emerged, so has discomfort and confusion.
When the outside world sees a flurry of similar-sounding groups, they don’t pause to examine nuance. They often do one of three things:
- Funding bodies freeze, wary of duplication or unclear value.
- Industry partners hesitate, unsure which horse to back — or afraid to “stoke a fire.”
- Anglers disengage, overwhelmed by options, underwhelmed by clarity, and uncertain whether they’re supposed to pick a side.
And most painfully…
Women stand on the shore, unsure which path is “for them,” wary of wading into perceived politics — and ultimately choosing none.
We can’t let that happen. Not after how far we’ve come.
Kymmy Adams, entrepreneur behind Lady Anglers Downunder, is also the President of WRFL’s Queensland Chapter and sits on the national committee.
What we can do is recognise that diversity in delivery is not a threat, but a strength. That state-led, sector-driven, and privately-run initiatives (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) all have their place — and all serve different women at different stages of their journey.
This shouldn’t be about whose logo is on the leaderboard. It’s about whether women across Australia feel confident enough to pick up a rod, back themselves, and take the next step.
And we can remind each other (and the world watching) that we’re not fractured — we’re flourishing. We’re not fighting — we’re forging a future.
At the Recreational Fishing Forum (Gold Coast, Tuesday 22 July, hosted by ARFF — OMG, an acronym without a W!), there’s a bright, shiny focus on Celebrating Women in Fishing with a 35-minute panel featuring the biggest players.
And at the AFTA Tackle Show, we’re expecting the strongest-ever presence of women’s fishing orgs to date — promising to shine a spotlight on the important (and often unsung) work happening across the country.
If you’re coming, come say hi. I’ll be hanging out with the WRFL cohort, right behind the Fishing Stage. We’ve fundraised hard to enable a double booth — not just to show what we’re doing, but to invite people into the why and how of accelerating female participation in our sport.
Here’s a quirky fundraising initiative that you can still support: This funky print is a limited edition “fun-raiser” to help the League cover costs of the Tackle Show. The image will only ever be printed 100 times, creating a limited drop of funky apparel. Each piece of clothing sold with the print contributes $50 to the League’s booth costs. Discover the styles at women-s-recreational-fishing-league-merch-outlet.myshopify.com
To women across Australia who have any level of interest in our sport:
You don’t have to choose teams. You just have to choose yourself.
Your confidence. Your curiosity. Your courage.
And to those whispering “Splitters!” from the bleachers? We hear you.
We even giggle with you. But please… recognise the harm if we don’t row together. Don’t just sit back and snicker. Grab an oar.
We’re not the People’s Front of Judea!
We’re just passionate Aussie anglers chipping away at barriers. And we’re just getting started.
Until next time, FISH ON!
For three decades Jo has worked with businesses and personalities, helping them to promote themselves in one form or another, whether through graphic design, advertising, promotions or marketing.
She has owned a fishing rod for just as long, but it’s only been in this new century that it hasn’t been allowed to gather dust.
Jo is a passionate advocate for the sport of fishing and its promotion as a healthy lifestyle for women.
To find out more about Jo visit her website HERE
Or you can visit her Fishtopia Web site HERE or on the banner below.
Jo is also the founder and National President of the Women’s Recreational Fishing League (WRFL) Inc. The work they do is very important in balancing the participation ratios of fishing in Australia, thus making the collective voices of Aussie anglers more harmonious and powerful, as well as shoring up the economy of the sector. For more information visit their Website at womensrecfishingleague.org
