The 2023 Izaak Walton Award Honoring Nancy Zakon

Nancy Zakon, as past President of the International Women’s Fly Fishers, instructor in Orvis’ first women’s flyfishing school, a designer of Orvis’ first women’s flyfishing gear, founder of Juliana’s Anglers and Sporting Club of New York City, and Bonefish Bonnies of Key Largo, FL, has been a trailblazer for women in fly fishing.

When Nancy Zakon was eleven years old, her father taught her how to fly fish on a small pond near their home in Alabama. Though a pleasant pastime, it certainly was not a career calling for Zakon—at least not yet.

By the early 1990s, Zakon had established herself as a successful professional. She married, and her husband Alan asked, “Why not do something you truly enjoy? You’ve always enjoyed fishing.” She resigned from her job and decided to expand her knowledge of fly fishing.

Zakon joined the Orvis store in Manhattan as a clerk and bookkeeper. She observed that there was a need for casting instruction and encouragement geared toward women, and she collected the names of women who fished and women who would like to learn. This led her to establishing casting instruction for women in Central Park and promoting women’s enjoyment of fly fishing through demonstrations at trade shows. Before leaving Orvis, Zakon worked with fly-fishing guides Lori-Ann Murphy and Christy Ball to teach the first women-only Orvis casting classes and designing Orvis’s first line of women’s fly-fishing gear and clothing; the line was released in the spring of 1995.

Zakon founded two women’s fly-fishing organizations during her second career. In 1995 she started Juliana’s Club in New York City, and in 2002 she established the Bonefish Bonnies® at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. Both clubs promote the sport among women through regular meetings, outings, casting instruction, and newsletters. Whether the focus is fresh or salt water, these clubs encourage women to make fly fishing a part of their lives.

The Izaak Walton Award was established by AMFF in 2014 to honor and celebrate individuals who live by the Compleat Angler philosophy. Their passion for the sport of fly fishing and involvement in the angling community provides inspiration for others and promotes the legacy of leadership for future generations. Nancy’s pioneering spirit and trailblazing work have had an immeasurable impact on the sport of fly fishing, embodying the spirit of the Izaak Walton Award.