Kara Tripp and Lynae Axelson are sisters from Montana, and they are the straight-up real deal. I met these two several years back at a fly fishing show in Denver, and they became one of the first TU Business members focused entirely on creating great fly fishing experiences and gear especially for women.
Kara is an outfitter and guide who is committed to teaching and sharing her passion with others. When she’s not on the water, she is designing for Damsel Fly Fishing, a women’s fly fishing accessory brand she co-founded with her sister Lynae. They add feminine twists to bland fly fishing accessories. In between, she hosts trips to Belize in search of the “silver king”, can be followed to the Far East in pursuit of the carnivorous mouse-eating trout, or on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest chasing steelhead.
After being interned briefly in Seattle, Lynae moved back to Montana in 2015. It was back in Montana that the lifelong dream of designing women’s fly fishing accessories finally hatched and Damsel Fly Fishing was born. When she is not putting together sales forecasts for Damsel, she is exploring local water, improving her spey casting, and plotting her next fishing trip.
Damsel Fly Fishing has been Kara’s dream since she started to regularly fly fish in college. Spending all that time on the water in ill-fitting and unstylish outerwear took a toll on her. After all, just because you’re fishing doesn’t mean you don’t want to look good while doing it. When she started searching for a specific women’s fly fishing brand, she found nothing you could call fashionable and functional. The dream for apparel and accessories designed by women anglers for women anglers was born. Naturally, Kara shared her dream with fellow angler and younger sister Lynae, who immediately jumped on board. Today, the sisters are partners in Damsel Fly Fishing.
Damsel Fly Fishing was started by women who have a story to tell through the products they make. Women who fly fish and get their tan lines from being outside. Who understand that even though you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, you still want to look classy and comfortable. These are real women who are making high quality, functional but fashionable accessories to take you from drift to drinks.
They get to know you, our customer, through fly fishing lessons and adventures. Their involvement with Casting for Recovery and Rivers of Recovery will show you what moves their hearts. For those in faraway places they will get to know you on their online community. Damsel Fly Fishing is more than just fishing products, it’s a family.
Damsel Fly Fishing
Lynae Axelson and Kara Tripp
Belgrade, MT 59714
(406) 274-1997