A new student-led club is combining hobbies for a single unique space, intended to reinforce and teach students fly fishing and stargazing.

Senior Roland Alexander, who leads the fishing portion of the Star-Fishing Club, has been fly fishing since sixth grade. Alexander is passionate about conservation and preserving Oregon’s rivers.

Fly fishing uses lightweight “flies” to catch most commonly trout or salmon. These “flies” are made of feathers or fur and tied by hand by the angler, the person who is fishing. The angler must cast precisely, paying close attention to the movements of the water. Fly fishing is practiced in streams or rivers, with the angler standing in the water casting repeatedly to mimic the behavior of insects on the water’s surface.

“It’s pretty much a completely different sport or activity,” said Alexander. “That’s what sets it apart from normal fishing, is that you’re fishing with flies, that’s what the trout attack.”

Senior Muriel Cloepfil leads the stargazing aspect of the club. Cloepfil and Alexander are planning the club’s first major trip: a fly fishing and stargazing outing to the Clackamas River.

“We’re going to bring our telescopes and teach [club members] how to fly fish first for rainbow trout and bull trout, and then hopefully, pull out our telescopes and stargaze for a bit,” said Alexander.

In addition to teaching the club members about fishing, including casting and fly tying, Alexander hopes the club will spark more awareness about environmental issues.

“I have donated a lot of money to Trout Unlimited, which is a trout and salmon conservation group based out of the Pacific Northwest,” said Alexander.

While some students are joining the club with fly fishing experience, others are just starting for the first time, like sophomore Tank Castellanos, who originally signed up for his love of astronomy.

“I’m still all about the sky,” said Castellanos. “But once I heard that this club also did fly fishing, I thought it would be cool totry something new. Plus, it’s all outdoors, which I really like.”

Alexander says combining these two hobbies is more than just spending time outside, it’s about learning patience, focus and the importance of the natural world.

“I used to force my parents to take me down to the river. Now I do a lot of solo missions, I’ll go fly fish for the day by myself. It’s really nice, you can reflect, and have a lot of time to think,” said Alexander.