By Dave Streett / Staff writer

Freshman Heather Seitz uses her role as captain of the U.S. junior national fly fishing team to inspire other women to get into fly fishing.

Seitz was voted captain by her teammates, all of whom are men. They respect the way she fishes and count on her to get the team together. Most men do not show Seitz the same respect on the river.

“If a guy would see me fishing anywhere near him he would tell me to leave, but I stay there,” Seitz said.

With a black belt in “Bruce Lee’s deadly Kung Fu,” Seitz would have no problem defending herself on the river. Earning a black belt required her to pass a physical and technique test.

“We had to run a mile and a half in under 13 minutes, do 100 push-ups and 150 sit-ups, then pass sparing techniques.” Of course Seitz passed the test and earned her black belt, but she continues to challenge herself everyday. She works at American Eagle Outfitters and baby sits while taking 18 credits (fifteen at Oakland and three at Greensburg). On top of everything else, she tries to fish everyday.

Fly fishing requires you to know the weather, the water, where the fish are and what bait to use. Seitz has mastered all these categories through years of practice. She began fly fishing at four years old.

“I originally went fly fishing to spend time with my dad, but I began to really enjoy it,” Seitz said. Her father, Dr. Bob Seitz, was a professor in State College and is currently one at Pitt. He was present when Heather caught her biggest fish, a 28.5 inch brown trout at a fishing derby. She was only 11 years old and took first place.

Seitz has said Heather’s fishing has far exceeded his own.

Surpassing her father was significant, but Seitz has her goals set even higher. She wants to inspire women to fly fish.

“Every time I take one of my friends fly fishing they love it, and can’t wait to go out again.”

Besides taking friends fishing, Seitz has traveled around the Pittsburgh area speaking about the sport. She tells her personal story and will answer questions about anything. She is almost always the only female in her competitions, but that didn’t stop her from placing 20th at the youth world fly fishing tournament.

Traveling to the tournaments is expensive, and raising money for her junior national team is another one of Seitz’s responsibilities. The trip to New Zealand costs around $10,000 and with no sponsors, each team member will be forced to pay his or her own way.

“We are in the process of sending stuff out to sponsors now,” Seitz said

The competition is tough without the added stress of paying his or her own way. The team has seven members, five fishers, one fly tier and one alternate. Each one of the fishers will be sent to a different river in northern New Zealand. They will fish for four hours and get points for each trout eight inches or bigger, with points being added for every inch over eight the fish is. The rules are strict.

“If you talk to anybody other then the judge or your coach, you are automatically disqualified,” Seitz said.