MEETING FETES WOMEN FLY-FISHERS : FLY FISHERS UNITE.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer

During her youth, Joan Wulff learned the hard way why so few women attempt fly-fishing.

Men did the adventurous activities; women stayed home.

Those like Wulff who broke with tradition and managed to cast lines - much to the dismay of their male counterparts - were at a considerable disadvantage.

They wrestled heavy rods of bamboo or fiberglass. Thick handles made tossing lines more like pushing a broom. Ill-fitting waders of canvas or rubber required more strength to maneuver in than women were accustomed to.

Still, Wulff, the widow of fly-fishing guru Lee Wulff, pioneered her way into the sport, gaining considerable notice in 1951 by winning a distance-casting competition against a field of men.

But perhaps her greatest reward and recognition will come this weekend in San Francisco during the First International Festival of Women Fly Fishers, at which she will speak to some 260 attendees, many of whom consider her a supreme role model.

``I think this is a very big milestone,'' said Wulff, 70, who resides and conducts a fly-fishing school along the Upper Beaverkill River in New York's Catskill Mountains.

``I have been alone in fly-fishing all of my life. It's very exciting to see women pouring in, and they want to fish for the same reasons as men - to escape from the humdrum world, to relax in the most beautiful places on the earth.''

In the last few years, the sport has seen a tidal wave of female followers. This year, Wulff watched the proportion of her classes reach 50 percent women for the first time.

Festival founder and co-chairperson Fanny Krieger, the wife of famous fly-angling instructor Mel Krieger, notes that there are at least 18 women's fly-fishing clubs across the country; they spawned from two in 1983. She co-founded one of the initial clubs, the Golden West Women Flyfishers, which has enjoyed a jump in membership from 19 originally to more than 150 and is now hosting the festival.

``In talking to women across the country, I found that a lot of women were wondering who were the other women who were into fly-fishing and how do we get to meet them,'' Krieger said. ``I thought, `Well, let's have a big party.' ''

Hence, the festival - and Krieger has been overwhelmed by registrants, to the point that they have exceeded capacity.

``It's beyond our wildest expectations,'' she said. ``We felt it would be a real success if we got 100 people.''

Despite this tremendous new interest in the sport, Wulff, who writes a column for Fly Rod and Reel magazine and is working on her third fly-casting book, is quick to point out that men continue to dominate the industry, from designing the tackle to selling it.

``Women still go into stores with a feeling of inferiority, because it has been a man's sport and they presume that a man knows what will work for them and what won't,'' Wulff said.

``I hope that they would come away (from the festival) with the confidence that they can have a place in this sport, whether it is just as a fully satisfying sport or as a field in which they can make a living.''

Everything you need to know for the First International Festival of Women Fly Fishers:

When and where: Friday through Sunday, Fort Mason Fire House, San Francisco.

Mission: A celebration of anglers, artists, writers and other women who make a living in the fishing field. Panels will discuss commitments to the environment, conservation, education and women's fishing clubs, as well as the impact women can make on the angling industry.

CAPTION(S):

Box

Box: FLY FISHERS UNITE (see text)