The Juliana’s Anglers was originally founded more than 25 years ago in 1995 in the heart of New York City by Nancy Zakon* (an Orvis Store employee, and avid fly angler), and other like-minded female fly fishing enthusiasts. Their goal was to create an atmosphere where women could engage in, and learn about fly fishing in a safe, comfortable space. That has remained our core mission, but over the years our interests have broadened to include clay shooting, archery, kayaking, bird watching, hiking, and any sport that allows us to be immersed in nature and the great outdoors. This led to the unanimous decision to change the club’s name to The Juliana’s Anglers Sporting Club a.k.a. JASC or The Juliana’s.

The Juliana’s was named after Dame Juliana Berners, an English prioress and writer on heraldry, hawking, fishing, and hunting. She is credited with the earliest known volume on sport fishing, A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle (1496).

The JASC is run entirely by its members, which means volunteers. We have an elected board (see photos above), who plan the trips, staff the school, make decisions, chair committees, and occasionally drink and eat too much! The board encourages all members with special skills (writing, graphics, general good humor, sports ability, etc.), to participate in every way they can.

*The Juliana’s congratulate Nancy Zakon for receiving the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s 2023 Izaak Walton Award.