Fly to Water

R.O.U.S.

2012-02-05T16:29:00.001-07:00

If you are a dog owner you know that one of the 3 perils of the uplands is the North American Porcupine, or Rodent Of Unusual Spikiness.

Having a pup get a face full of quill pig is no fun, as I can personally attest. Yesterday I was out in the field without dogs, looking for raptors with JayMorr. When you don't have to worry about your pointers, these can be fascinating creatures to watch.

Ambling about in the unconcerned manner of an animal coated in acupuncture needles, Porky is easy to approach. While the concept that quills can be launched is a myth, porcupines still have a chip on their shoulders because they place 3rd on the list of large rodents behind the capybara and beaver. No one likes to be number three. Use a little caution - as they will swat you with their tails if given the opportunity.

As wildlife goes, the quill pig is a relatively easy subject to photograph once located. The main consideration is not to be lazy and fire away from a standing position (which creates an awkward, downward-looking perspective). Go ahead and get dirty. Sitting, laying on your side propped up with an elbow, or going prone are all options that will put you at eye level with the subject for a more engaging image.

It's hard to believe it's February out there with highs in the 45° F range, no snow at mid-elevations, and copious sunshine while it should be the dead of Winter. I for one am not complaining.

Getting Started in Photography - Part 3

2012-01-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

This week the eyes of world have been on CES, or the Consumer Electronics Show. A huge part of the proceedings involves photography equipment which will allow you to get unprecedented shots of awesomeness. Sadly, without the latest gadgets, your imagery is doomed to becoming a festering pile of digital offal.

In this installment of GSiP, Fly to Water saves you the cost of a brand spanking new Nikon D4 and spills the beans on how to get excellent, close-up shots of wildlife by:

Getting Close Enough to the Wildlife

(Photo of me: www.jaymorr.com, Post: Me)

One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that prime lenses, like spotting scopes, are designed for high magnification. It's wishful thinking. Baboons probably wish they didn't have those garish, red asses all the time but it doesn't change anything. Expensive glass is actually designed around a very large aperture, which allows more light into the camera and therefore expands the range of conditions that can be dealt with by the photographer.

In these posts I've tried to offer some low-cost suggestions that helped me greatly in learning how to advance my outdoor photography. The single, most significant improvement you will ever see in your wildlife images will come from learning how to get closer. Gear is nice, and over time you will find yourself upgrading. Here's the bottom line: My best wildlife images have come from my closest encounters with wildlife. A few weeks ago I captured my all-time favorite image a of a chukar partridge. I was 6 steps from the bird, in good light. The result would have been great with any SLR and 300mm lens, or point and shoot with 6x optical zoom.

The motif you might be noticing is: WORK. There is no EASY button or quick fix. It will take a lot of time and patience - patterning and stalking animals involves skills which must be developed and practiced. Effort and dedication provide the pay off - everything else is secondary. The best advice I can give:

Find a place where your subject wants to be, and habitually frequents. Get there first, and wait. It's that simple, and that complex. Many are unprepared for the time investment. As a somewhat general rule, the average is probably close to 1 good opportunity per full day in the field with wild subjects. Understand that, and have realistic expectations. Your commitment will pay dividends.

Bird's Eye View:

( Photo of me: www.jaymorr.com, Post: Me)

My View:

California Valley Quail
Nikon D300, f/8, 1/125
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR
Nikon TC20-EIII Teleconverter
Distance to Subject: 8 paces

Getting Started in Photography - Part Two

2012-01-14T17:44:00.001-07:00

As Fly to Water alertly reported in our last installment, the world is anxiously awaiting events foretold by the ancient Mayan civilization in late 2012: Announcement of the Nikon D400 SLR.

In the meantime we all need to find constructive ways to occupy ourselves, which is why I am now threatening to demystify camera controls in part 2 of this wildly popular feature that has been read by not less than 1 resident of Gilbert, Arizona.

The main functions of a modern digital camera are difficult to understand due to: Math teachers. Individuals identified through psychological examination as having a certain moral indifference will often select a career in mathematics. It's not easy to fathom, but during key formative years children K-12 are exposed to fractional numbers. No one knows why math has been chosen to blight an otherwise pleasant educational experience, but apparently it's been happening since the days of Peking Man. Well into adulthood such trauma is often repressed, and fractions are avoided.

Aperture and shutter speed values, being fractional numbers, create unsavory flashbacks to things like reciprocals, numerators, and denominators. Happily, it's all pretty easy stuff when you boil it down - much as the Frobenius Method simplifies finding an infinite series solution for a second-order ordinary differential equation of a given form.

Images are destinations, and cameras are the vehicles that take us there. Just like a car, there are only a handful of really important controls that will come into play with high frequency.

A – Aperture: Controls Depth of Field. Settings are fractional numbers called f/stops. The smaller the number, the larger the aperture. In other words, ½ or f/2 is a bigger aperture than ⅛ or f/8. Settings such as f/2, f/3.5, or f/4 are large, while small apertures are f/16, f/22 etc. Large apertures give you shallow depth of field where the subject is in focus, but everything else is not. Small apertures give deep depth of field (both foreground and background in focus). Use large apertures for portraits where you want only the subject to be in sharp focus. By contrast landscape images require both the foreground and background to be clearly visible, so you want to select a small aperture.

S – Shutter Speed: Controls Motion. Fast shutter speeds freeze motion, slow shutter speeds blur motion. Use this setting when you have a moving subject. For sports, shutter speeds of 1/500 will freeze motion, while 1/100 will blur the action. Capturing fast-moving subjects like birds in flight requires shutter speeds of 1/1000 or faster. You can also employ very slow shutter speeds (1/4, 1/8, 1-sec) to intentionally blur moving water. To use very slow shutter speeds, you also need to stabilize your camera on a tripod.

M – Manual: Aperture and Shutter Speed are Controlled by the Photographer. Use this setting when you need precise control of both depth of field and motion. Manual mode has a wide variety of highly applicable uses depending on your own personal style. I use it extensively when employing off-camera lighting, as one example. It's less intimidating than you might think because most cameras have a bar chart on the display that tells you if the image is over/under exposed. All you have to do is center the exposure and adjust as needed.

AUTO MODE/CAMERA CASTRATION: As with seemingly all modern electronics, many fine efforts have been made to allow the equipment to make decisions for the user. These days Auto/Program modes do a great job of evaluating a scene and recommending a proper combination of aperture and shutter speed to expose the image correctly. The problem is that the camera has no way of knowing what the creative intent of the photograph is supposed to be. Going straight to the point: If you want to improve your imagery - forget Auto mode. Take control of the tool, and make conscious decisions in order to obtain intentional results as opposed to guesswork.

WB - White Balance: Cameras need to know what is neutral (gray) in order to correctly interpret colors. This control probably should have been called something like "color balance" but as you can see we are sticking with confusing terminology throughout. Here's the bottom line: If you don't like the way colors are looking on your LCD, you probably need to adjust the white balance. Once you understand this principal it seems very intuitive. When someone is standing in the shade, there are more blue tones present. In direct sunlight, tones are warmer with more reds and yellows. Many cameras do a very good job of automatically determining what the WB should be, but it's a setting that can also be used creatively. Using a sunlight white balance (adding red) to photograph Southern Utah red rock landscapes is one example. The following modes are probably present on your camera. Use them and see what they do:

Probably the most valuable book I read in the early going on this topic was Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's about $17 bucks in hard copy, and simplified several concepts that had previously seemed hazy to me.

Getting Started in Photography - Part One

2012-01-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

Here we are at the beginning of 2012, less than 12 months away from the END OF THE WORLD on December 21st according to the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar. As a major socioeconomic force, Fly to Water will now respond to these most weighty of matters by discussing: How I got started in photography.

In the Fall of 2005 I was contemplating a great truth: There were people who could take a quality photograph, and I was NOT one of them. At the time my definition of "quality" was somewhat limited, but I knew that certain images were engaging, held my attention, and struck me as art. By contrast my work was as attractive as an uncorked bung hole.

Of course I had the option of going out and buying a nicer camera than the Nikon D70 I was shooting, which would make an immediate difference by doubling the file size of my schlocky snapshots. Oddly, many people believe in the mathematical formula E = GP², where E is an expensive camera and GP is a constant called "good photos." I call this the Kopi Luwak delusion: You'd think I was making this up, but there are actual people who profess that because coffee beans are eaten by a civet cat and shat out in the jungle, they make a phenomenal beverage. Now the civet cat is a fine animal, and my Nikon D70 was a solid camera, but it turns out both can be sorely misused.

This leads me to my point: ~~Dudes are out there selling palm civet dingle berries for $160/lb.~~
If you're getting started in photography or looking to improve prior to December's sweet release, consider this:

Anyone can take great photos, regardless of what you feel your natural talent/ability level might be.
You will need to work at it, with the same kind of dedication that it takes to sell cat crap coffee.

Very early on I came to the realization that successful images happened because of the human elements of photography. More importantly, I began to discover that many of the qualities generally described as "artistic" were acquirable. There were principals, camera controls, and techniques which could allow me to get the results I wanted - if I was willing to educate myself.

Step One: Composition

We live in a 3-dimensional world, and from the youngest of ages our minds are conditioned to connect with an environment that involves depth, distance, and perspective.

I was fascinated to learn that the human mind naturally imposes 3-dimensional thinking on flat, 2-dimensional images. It turns out that fairly straight-forward guidelines exist which help broker the connection with the viewer.

In a general sense, this is called "composition," or the way in which objects are arranged (intentionally and creatively) within the frame. There is nothing about composition that should be left to chance. Inclusion, exclusion, angle of view, position relative to the subject(s), portrait vs. landscape orientation, foreground, background, and many other considerations play an enormous part in how the viewer will interpret a 2-dimensional image.

It took some reprogramming for me to begin seeing in 2 dimensions - actively thinking about how I would use the spacial relationships in the frame to hold attention rather than create distraction.

The topic is too broad to cover in a blog post, but here is the take away: Regardless of your equipment, there is a FREE way of making your photos more engaging with simple compositional techniques that can be learned and practiced at home. I started by reading Photographic Composition, and Brenda Tharp's excellent Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography - both available on Amazon for about $15 bucks.

Read up before 12/21/12, when it will be human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... MASS HYSTERIA. If this has been helpful, drop me a line. I've got a few more pre-cataclysm thoughts brewing.

Chasing Quail

2012-01-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

When all else fails...NEW TACTICS.

Around Thanksgiving I wrote HERE about a covey of jittery, rural quail that have unabashedly given me the bird for years. This group and I have a certain understanding: I foolishly attempt to approach them, and they in turn show me their asses at 100 yards. It's not an equitable arrangement.

As the new year approached, I began wondering if a tried and true upland hunting technique - using a blocker - might work on the photo front. Thinking back, I believe my wildlife photography has benefited greatly from a lifelong background as a sportsman. Understanding animal behavior patterns, body language, vocalization, and other factors seems to provide me at times with an edge behind the lens. The idea of pushing/blocking upland game is not new, but shotguns have an effective range of about 50 yards - a distance that needs to be cut in half with a camera. Still, it was a concept that seemed worth testing out.

I gave Jason Morrison a call, and the game was afoot. Jay is a guy who I knew had the skill to nail a fleeting opportunity that would last only seconds.

Arriving at the scene, an old farm in Northern Utah, I was disappointed to find that the birds did not pass the night in their usual spot. It was a downer, because the golden light of morning created a perfect stage upon which there were no performers. Preparing to seek other possibilities, we suddenly noticed the covey near an old corral that had not seen use in ages. It was at this point that long experience with upland birds kicked into gear, and I knew even before our approach that the situation was ideal.

It was my feeling that the covey, upon seeing my voluminous biomass heading in their direction, would sprint along the corral's contour for some 75 yards. Here, they would reach a dead end and begin flying up onto some aged fencing and an old, rock wall. Doing so would give them an escape route to the wheat fields beyond. If Jason could position himself near this natural collection point in advance, he would have front row seats as 30 quail paraded past him at about 8 paces.

Morrison took the road less traveled, going far out of his way and remaining concealed from view until he eventually circled back about 20 minutes later and got into position. I knew the birds wouldn't let me get close, so in the meantime I dug out my Nikon TC20-EIII, a 2x teleconverter that would double the focal length of my lens.

Getting the ready signal from Jay, I emerged from cover and vectored towards the corral. I say "vectored" because it's something of an art to advance on animals without appearing as if you are necessarily headed directly at them. It's one of those "look casual" things. As the pusher, I carefully observed the birds in the covey to watch for signs of nervousness, and paced myself to avoid a flush. The quail moved deliberately, but not in a panic, towards the blocker position. A few stragglers occasionally tried to double back, and afforded me several medium distance shots from perhaps 20 yards.

At one point I was able to lie down and capture a unique image as this male passed into a natural frame created by the bottom rail of the corral and 2 posts. Shadows from the fencing formed a number of leading lines, drawing the eye towards the well-lit subject:

The day nearly ended in tragedy as JayMorr encountered a rare, silent killer: A quail stampede. 60 tiny feet, possibly descended from the velociraptor's, bore down on the blocker position. From my perspective the whole thing wound up looking like some kind of avian flash mob dancing a Spanish Flamenco around Jason. True to form he did not miss the opportunity. Be sure to drop in and see some of his fantastic imagery - shot from 8 paces (HERE). If you haven't attempted to photograph wild, rural game birds - it's difficult to articulate how extraordinary a situation like this really is. The aggregation of great light, point-blank subjects, correct position relative to the sun, and very little time to work with all combine to make Jay's photographs remarkable. It was the ideal way to spend New Year's. A big congrats to Morrison on his first wild California Valley Quail images, and all the dues that were paid leading up to the moment.

Nikon D300
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR - f/8, 1/320, ISO 400
Nikon TC20-EIII Teleconverter
Distance to Subjects: 60 Feet/20 Yards

Devil Birds

2011-12-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

I had been hiking for a while now. The ambient temperature was 14° F (-10° C), which was comfortable. A few years ago my outdoor wardrobe experienced some natural base layer enhancement courtesy of merino wool, which is a miracle fiber. Like your garden variety wool it insulates even when wet, but against the skin it does not itch and feels like fleece. Inexplicably it can also stave off odors for a remarkable amount of time, and it breathes extraordinarily well. I was glad to have my Icebreakers on this occasion. Incidentally, if you are one of my fly fishing readers, merino socks by this company are the dog's bollocks (meaning badass in the UK) for cold weather wading.

Chukar partridge were my goal for the day. Early in the Fall it's often possible to locate a covey by listening for calls, but typical of this time of year it was dead quiet. Wild birds soon realize their chatter is giving them away, and they start dishing out the silent treatment.

Hiking in the steep, rocky talus that chukars love with a 14-pound camera rig offers a pucker factor of about 9.0. Opportunities can be so unexpected and fleeting, I've never been able to successfully make use of a tripod, monopod, harness, or pack. It's all free-hand. At double the weight of a typical shotgun, and with the awkward size/shape of a big telephoto, the visual is like watching someone Riverdance on a cliff face while cradling a huge baby.

Presently due to insubordination on the part of my pulmonary system I stopped to catch a breather in a large boulder field. About 3 weeks ago I acquired the felicity of walking pneumonia and am still feeling the effects. After a minute or two, what I can only describe as a chukar whisper seemed to emanate from the rocks to my immediate left. The sound was barely audible, and far more subdued than I had ever heard before. My thought was that the call must have been more distant and I'd experienced a sound effect in the strewn boulders.

Following a few seconds of questioning the wisdom of combining thin air with cough syrup, I heard it again - "chuk-chuk." There were partridge about, and they were close. Really close - within feet. Over the last 25 or so years, I've hiked, hunted, scouted, and photographed in chukar habitat hundreds of times, and I can't say that I've ever managed to get nearer than 15 yards. Until now.

18 feet in front of me a mature, well-marked bird hopped up on a rock and was positioned ideally to catch the morning sun. Had I not been forewarned by the muted calls, which enabled me to raise my lens just in time, I have no doubt a flush would have been instantaneous. As it was, I captured a short series of images from spitting distance. At this range I believe my Sitka Gear Open Country camouflage probably made a huge difference, allowing me blend in under point blank scrutiny.

This was a great way to finish out 2011 - with a humbling opportunity that I was privileged to see through the viewfinder.

Nikon D300
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR - f/8, 1/320, ISO 400
Distance to Subject - 6 Yards/18 Feet

The Eyes Have It

2011-12-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

If you are a guy of they XY chromosome persuasion, chances are you have had this type of exclamatory remark flung in your direction. Due to a vast conspiracy between extroverts and chick flick producers, eye contact became an important, non-verbal communication element at some point in history.

While information technology professionals have been fighting this alarming and intrusive trend for decades via non-violent, downward gazing - such efforts have done little to stop the insanity.

Looking into the eyes establishes a connection. Similar body language is evident even in animals, where the direction of a stare or glance can have much deeper social meaning.

In wildlife photography, creating a linkage between the viewer and the image is paramount. Eyes are a critical component of the subject in this regard. Aside from intentional, artistic abstractions - successful images must capture the eye in sharp focus and without motion blur. This remains true regardless of distance and whether you are capturing a tight shot or broader environmental portrait.

It can be Hell's own fun tracking focus on the eye of a fast-moving bird while experiencing a fit of the galloping shivers. It's a perishable skill that takes practice. If you're looking to improve your technique, my suggestion is to find a location with a lot of mid-sized birds like seagulls which tend to congregate in groups and fly around in circular patterns. Use the same gear you take into the field, and rehearse focusing on the eye. You might get some odd looks bombing photos of gulls, but it's a small price to pay to avoid the opprobrium of eye blur when it counts.

Don't settle, like Kate Hudson did for Chris Robinson. If your intent is not an abstraction of some kind - the eye simply needs to be sharp. Make sure not to confuse missed focus with motion blur caused by a shutter speed which is too slow. Waterfowl will usually have some wing blur at 1/1250, with action freezing well at 1/1600. As a starting point select the camera's shutter priority mode on one of these two settings and adjust as conditions require.

Happy Holidays - and thanks for reading during 2011! I wish everyone a fantastic New Year.

Nikon D300
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR - f/5.6, 1/1600 (8x Optical Magnification) - Hand Held
ISO 400
Distance to Subjects: 20 yards/60 Feet

Quote the Chukar

2011-12-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

The chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), is so named due it's distinctive call which sounds like "chuk." Native to locations in Asia such as the Himalayas and Nepal, it should come as no surprise that these little birds enjoy rugged terrain.

To describe the habitat chukars prefer as "steep" is to say that getting kicked in the gonads is bothersome. Somehow it doesn't adequately sum up the experience.

Hunters and photographers of these partridge can also be identified by their calls, which happen to rhyme with "chuk." It has been said that a person hunts chukars for the first time out of curiosity, and thereafter for revenge.

To me, no other game bird embodies the qualities of a survivalist quite like them. Living in the high desert foothills is a game of extremes. Water and food are scarce, and predators abound. The chukar is well suited to a harsh life, and is tremendously challenging to photograph.

Infiltrating a covey with 20+ sets of keen eyes, each pair honed by daily existence as a prey animal, can be an exercise in futility. Add rocky, vertical geography to the mix and it's downright sporty. If those were the only considerations involved, life would be good. Unlike the hunter, the photographer also needs to make it all happen during ideal lighting conditions and be positioned on the sunny side of the bird as the opportune moment arrives.

A truly complete image is rounded out by some supporting environmental elements within the frame, helping to add context to the scene.

Some native grasses in the foreground, sage brush in the immediate background, and the ever-present rocks so common to a chukar's stomping grounds help complete the story.

Nikon D300
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR
Nikon TC17eII Teleconverter

Distance to Subject: 45 Feet/15 Yards

Taking to the Valley

2011-11-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

No religious extremist has ever been as fanatical about a concept as quail are over the posting of sentries. In covey society, forgetting to have someone stand guard is like wearing an argyle sweater vest - it's the unthinkable. Spanish Inquisitors took Christianity far less seriously, and appear slapdash in comparison to the diligence of these feathered lookouts.

Where I live, quail are somewhat of a dichotomy because they adapt well to urban settings. In residential areas birds are semi-tame as they move from feeder to feeder, pausing only to avoid the occasional obese house cat crossing their path. As subjects of photography, these city dwellers are far from ideal. Photos of game birds perched on a Prius or crossing a well-manicured lawn don't represent the proper wild, upland heritage.

Unfortunately for me, quail living in a rural setting are more paranoid than a methamphetamine addict that's just downed a double espresso and Red Bull frappé. Constantly contending with numerous raptors, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, racoons, snakes, and other predators - the wild variety invariably appear to be on the verge of a psychotic break.

Upon seeing a hominid in the distant atmospheric shimmer, a rural quail's eyes will protrude slightly out of the head and cause a jolt of adrenaline to surge to the wings. Any attempt to approach to within 100 yards will result in the wholesale evacuation of the premises.

Last year I scouted a really nice farm that had both a healthy quail covey and some classic upland habitat including some fences made of nicely weathered wood. My hope was to get a few shots of these birds in an iconic setting, but despite making 4 separate attempts, the covey never let me get closer than a football field. Even with a long lens, my operating distance on a subject this size is about 25 feet. I wasn't even in the ballpark.

Last weekend I visited the location again. It's a 2-hour round trip, so I had now driven a total of about 10 hours and this was my 5th day in what had so far been a fruitless attempt to stalk this group of quail. I was immediately excited as I glassed an area and saw my quarry disappearing behind a 4-foot-high fence. This was the obstacle I needed to screen my approach from the watchful eyes of the 20 covey members. In full camo and in max stealth mode I performed what I thought was a flawless stalk and got into position. Somehow they busted me yet again! I can only surmise they heard me, but upon peeking around the fence all the birds were in the air 200 yards away heading for an immense field of cattails...

Except one. The sentry male had taken up the rear guard position, perched on a section of broken fence. In a fleeting moment of opportunity I made a digital copy of him from about 25 feet away. I was glad to finally glimpse this this well-dressed gentleman through the viewfinder.

Preening

2011-11-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Preen - transitive verb

To dress or smooth oneself - to primp.
To groom
A tactic used by the female in a dating arrangement to grievously delay commencement of an evening's planned activities - to lag.

OK, so #3 isn't verbatim from the dictionary - but it falls within the bounds of literary license.

I couldn't help but notice in the process of capturing this image of a preening mallard hen that a rather impatient-looking drake was paddling back and forth a short distance away. In the land of ducks, he was essentially in the formal entry checking his watch every 30 seconds because his reservations at the corn field clear across town were in 10 minutes. Of course he had shown up half an hour earlier at the agreed upon time, but had failed to take into account that preening can only begin upon his arrival. Few things, after all, are more deflating to a lady than a stale preen job.

I was fortunate to have this hen swim very near to me during a window of wonderful light on Saturday. The distance to her from the end of my camera lens was perhaps 6 feet. Shooting at 8x optical magnification, what you see here filled the frame.

After she was all primped:

To Flush or not to Flush

2011-11-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

...that is the question.

Shooting through foliage is usually not ideal, but chukar partridge are fiendish birds with a natural inclination toward sneakiness. It is not uncommon for a photographer to make loud, rattling sounds with the throat that carry at least as far as alpine yodels after being very close to a large covey and getting no shots whatsoever.

The unpredictability of wild subjects will at times preclude the ability to move and recompose. In these cases, foreground foliage can be used as an element to draw the viewer to an area of crisp focus. When using this technique, it's critical to achieve a high amount of detail in the area of interest. Catch light in the eye and sharpness throughout the bird's mask and head grab attention, while also leaving something to the imagination.

Despite spending the morning in the general proximity of around 40 birds, this was the only opportunity that panned out. I'll be chasing them again.

Nothing but Net

2011-11-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

For about the last quarter century Wachter has been cranking out hand-made fly fishing nets down in St. Paul, Texas. About 2 years ago I was poking around online looking for a combination of features that I hadn't found locally.

I wanted a mid-length handle. It needed to be longer than all the typical trout nets made to hang neatly from the back of a fishing vest, but not as long as the usual boat style.
My goal was to find a slightly over sized hoop without infringing on portability.
The bag needed to be tangle-free, hook resistant, and difficult for a fish to twist while netted.
An individual look rather than a sterile, manufactured appearance - but without being too expensive.
Made in the USA.

I happened upon Wachter and found a model called the Magnum Pontoon that was exactly what the doctor ordered. On top of the fundamentals I was nosing around for, they had one in stock with a beautiful curly maple handle...

This has turned out to be my all-time favorite net. The proportions were ideal - perfect for extra reach on the pontoon, but short enough that it easily holsters in a wading belt without getting in the way. The PVC net bag is sufficiently rigid to avoid twisting, and it's easy on the fish. Wachter also has a new MRB (Molded Rubber Bag) option in addition to their injection-molded PVC that's lighter and more flexible.

Actually I don't even get to fish with my Magnum Pontoon about half the time, because anglers are an unscrupulous lot who think nothing of snatching up a companion's net and darting off at speeds that risk a groin pull.

Since my initial purchase, I've since added a couple more of these beautiful nets to the gear bag. Plenty of custom woods and options are available.

Engraving:

Scrimshaws:

Measuring dots every 2-inches on the longer handles:

A variety of woods like this maple burl:

UV-protected, 6-step marine-grade finish:

Net prices start at $60 for the Outfitter series, and both Guide and Master grades are offered. You can order a completely custom net, or take a look at models which are available for purchase immediately here:

In Stock Wachter Nets

If you get one, choose your fishing buddies carefully.

11-11-11

2011-11-11T22:12:00.001-07:00

At one time in my younger days I hunted upland birds without a dog, and consequently went about life largely unfulfilled. Part of this may have been due to the fact that my father, in response to vehement requests for a sporting breed, obtained a beagle/fox terrier mix. In the field this dog's primary talent was turning into a linear motion blur and racing off until he was concealed by the curvature of the Earth.

One can only speculate as to why Dad chose to deprive his posterity of gun dogs, when he himself was raised with a brace of Brittany Spaniels. My theory is that it had something to do with excessive intake of maple nut ice cream - a bastardized confection he purchased with reckless abandon during my childhood. Essentially the frozen dairy equivalent of fruitcake, maple nut should ideally be re-gifted during the holiday season and never consumed. Yet eat it my father did, and in so doing caused irreparable damage to the petulla oblongata, or pet-selecting portion of the brain.

Regardless, I soon reached an age when I could apply the guillotine choke when parental objections were raised and immediately set about the procurement of a proper canine companion. Dogs in the field have since become the element of upland hunting I enjoy the most.

It was great to be out on a sunny, Fall day. Thanks to the pups a few wily phez found their way into the vests along with a limit of chukars. It doesn't get much better than putting boot to cover with a 4-legged friend leading the way and a well-balanced over/under in hand. 11-11-11 worked out nicely.

Sage 6080 Fly Reel

2011-10-22T15:59:00.000-06:00

Fly to Water doesn't sell any fly fishing gear or offer commission-based links to companies that do. When I write about equipment it's usually due either to reader inquiries or impressions I personally want to share.

Sites like MidCurrent do a fantastic job of emerging product coverage, including videos and a plethora of initial thoughts.

My reviews are based on long-term use as an angler. In the case of the Sage 6080, I've been using the reel for 2 years. Some of the species that have tugged on the drag include tarpon, snook, jack, tiger musky, bonefish, largemouth bass, and trout. Living with a piece of gear for this amount of time tends to shed light on factors that might not be as readily apparent once the newness wears off.

What stands out about the 6000 series? First and foremost is the spool release mechanism - there is nothing on the market quite like what Sage has accomplished here. Depending on what kind of fishing you do, it may or may not be necessary to frequently change spools. In my case, I change spools a lot. During much of the year, the switcheroo is happening when it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Certain reel designs can range from slightly inconvenient to REQUIRING the use of galloping profanity in such conditions. Not so with the 6000-series. Nothing could be easier under any scenario, with or without gloves, than the effortless locking system of Sage's flagship reel.

Originally I suspected the system was so simple to use that over time it might result in premature despoolization (PD), or an unwanted release. To date this has never happened. The alignment needs to be so visually precise to free the spool that it's highly unlikely to occur by accident. In my opinion this is the best retention system on the reel market - the spool can be removed or replaced with a 1/3 turn of the lock.

The drag is a heavy duty affair utilizing carbon and stainless steel disks in a fully sealed cassette. It's very strong, and dissipates heat efficiently. Yes, it will stand up to the full range of big game you might chase with 8-12 weight rods (available models are 6080, 6010, 6012).

Where the 6000 series again stands apart is the drag knob. The full range of motion is 1 revolution, and it's numbered. I'm still a little baffled as to why more manufacturers don't offer some kind of drag index. I want to mention here that well-executed drag numbering does a few things:

Provides a means of visually setting the resistance
Allows for repeatable settings to be achieved
Can be duplicated across multiple reels

Well, the 6080 delivers on all points. In higher stress applications it's sometimes useful to actually test the breaking point of your leader/tippet combination. The bigger the game, the more important it becomes to have the ability to confidently set your drag, and know that 5 = 5 every time. You may even have multiple spools that are rigged differently, requiring discreet tension levels.

While certainly not laboratory quality I've used a scale accurate to 1/100 of a pound to test multiple copies of the 6080, and found the drag settings to be very repeatable. If you are a guide/outfitter and want several clients to be using equivalent rigging, this is a highly desirable feature. An associate of mine who regularly takes clients to Cabo for inshore species has gone exclusively with 6000-series reels based primarily on the drag system's combination of high performance and reliable/repeatable numbered settings.

Switching from left-hand to right-hand retrieve is easy and involves inverting the clutch bearing inside the cassette. This is done with no tools and instructions are included with the reel.

The frame is light weight and rigid. Sage does a good job of going with a minimalist design that still results in plenty of bracing.

On the subject of visual impact, there is an attractive symmetry to the reel. Five spokes out back create identically-shaped voids, and in the front there is balance between the 3-spoke spool and triangular spool release.

So what could Sage improve here? My main suggestion would be to offer a 6060. As someone who fishes a lot of stillwater, there are constantly 4 or 5 lines in my kit. Swapping spools this easily is so convenient that I've been known to fish the 6080 on my 7-weight. In a slightly smaller size, I'd prefer the 6000's design to the O-ring release system of many other reels - including Sage's own 4500 lineup.

I also feel that many anglers personalize their rig via the reel. Rods have a tendency to look very similar from anything but a short distance away. Distinctive/individual appearance is something many customers look for, and I'd like to see more variety in the selection of finishes. Even a black-on-black 6000 would be welcome.

Fly to Water Rating:

★★★★★ - Drag: Numbered, 1-Rotation, Fully Sealed, Stellar Spool Release

★★★★★ - Price: On Par with the Competition in this Segment
★★★★★ - Weight: A Hatch 7+ is 8.6oz, the 6080 is 7.37oz, a Lamson Vanquish 8 is 7.30oz
★★★★☆ - Visual Design: Could Benefit from a few More Color Schemes

Get a 6000-series from your local Sage dealer, or visit the crew at Stillwater Fly Shop. Tom and his staff offer incredible customer service, a free fly line with your 6000, and free shipping. They also have a video review HERE.

Kid Stuff

2011-10-15T15:37:00.000-06:00

If you are more perceptive than I am, you might have noticed that there is occasional fly fishing content on this blog. Such an observation might lead a person (not that I am referring to any type of spousal unit here) to the mistaken belief that all I do is fish. Nothing could be further from the truth. I only mostly fish.

Take this morning, for example. I had the ~~mandate~~ opportunity to accompany my niece to her last soccer game of the season. At six years old she is considerably better at fútbol than Uncle Fly to Water, so I brought along the camera to get a couple shots of her in action.

Whether it's team sports, fly fishing, or portraiture there are two basic fundamentals of composition that are helpful to keep in mind when photographing kids.

The first seems obvious but I'm surprised how often it's overlooked. Children are classified scientifically as short people, or stubby sapiens if you want to get technical. Adults taking pictures of kids usually don't bother to kneel or sit on the ground so as to shoot from eye level. Dropping down will often result in the heartbreak of grass-stained jeans, but a level perspective gives the subject more prominence.

Secondly, as with most portraits, it's important to align the child's eyes with the upper third of the frame. This is a fundamental of the Rule of Thirds that helps the viewer connect more intuitively to the subject.

This photo was taken at 8x optical magnification and f/5.6, which is well within the range of nearly all point & shoot cameras. The reasons I like this image are purely compositional and result from several concious choices:

Positioning the camera at eye level
Including story-telling elements (expression, jersey, implied motion)
Excluding distracting elements (other players, chairs along the sideline, goal posts, etc.)
Alignment of the eyes along the upper third of the image (Rule of Thirds)

A repeatable recipe for fun kid shots is to get low, and simplify the image by leaving out anything that doesn't need to be there.

I really did have a great time at the game this morning and it was my privilege to be cheering for the Lemon Heads (as they call themselves). For the most part I hardly thought about my Sage One 796-4 fly rod that needs to get bent very, very soon by some slab-like salmonids.

Supersize Me

2011-10-01T19:30:00.001-06:00

Mayflies.

These buggers are small. Not midge small, mind you, but nothing like the morbidly obese terrestrials of Summer.

Photographing these iconic little insects begs for a macro lens, but there's a problem: This type of glass produces a reproduction ratio of 1:1 (or actual size). With diminutive subjects, that's great for images that emphasize the insect in its broader surroundings.

What if you actually want a mayfly to be the main event, and fill a more significant portion of the frame? You can certainly crop your image as a means of bringing the viewer closer, but often there isn't enough detail for a bug to stand on its own 6 legs as an engaging portrait.

The other option is magnification - a method known as super macro photography. There are a large number of techniques that can be used to achieve larger-than-life insect images. Tools of the trade include reversing rings, teleconverters, close-up lenses, extension tubes, bellows, and enough accessories to roughly equal the mass of a neutron star.

If you talk to 10 blokes who delve into super sizing, you'll find 10 different ways of shooting. Using a $7 reversing ring, you can jump in feet first with a 50mm conventional lens and a Google search on reverse macro. One thing is certain: It's a technique-intensive specialty. No piece of equipment is going to do the deed without some patience and a lot of practice. Still, it's fun to dial in the detail on trout food once in a while.

Nikon D300

Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Macro Lens

A Variety of Super Macro Accessories

Brika Does National Geographic

2011-08-29T18:00:00.002-06:00

National Geographic's Your Shot page has long been a favorite of mine. Images are submitted from all over the world for consideration, and the senior editorial staff selects 12 photographs on a daily basis to display.

The images that are chosen never cease to be remarkable in some way. Rare moments, human emotion, nature, world events, and artistic creativity are among the elements that can often be seen side-by-side in the Daily Dozen. Unique is probably the best way to describe the shots in this feature.

It's fun to see some fly fishing subject matter in the mix today. Brika, the sweetheart pup of WorldCast guide Casey Birkholz, is posing on a wooden dory in today's picks.

I've been asked if this image was done using HDR software, and the answer is no. I achieved the effect using a neutral density filter, an off-camera strobe diffused through an umbrella, and some light burning of the clouds in CS5.

Nikon D300
Tokina 12-24mm AT-X Pro
Nikon SB600, off-camera, diffused through a 32" umbrella & triggered w/ radio slave
Tiffen HT 2-stop ND Grad

Loaded for...Chipmunk

2011-08-20T11:19:00.010-06:00

On a recent hike into the backcountry looking to photograph elk, I decided to carry the Boomstick - a Nikon 400mm f/2.8 AF-S VR lens. When I say "carry" I don't mean in a backpack or harness, I mean freehand.

With camera and grip attached, this rig weighs in around 13 pounds. I often carry this lens without a pack, and shoot it hand held. Mature bull elk in areas where hunting is prevalent are a cagey bunch, and opportunities can last only seconds.

In this case, however, I hiked over an area roughly the size of the Louisiana Purchase and didn't catch a single glimpse of elk hide.

As I was making the steep descent back to the vehicle, I came across a common Least Chipmunk, neotamias minimus.

A few things jumped out at me when I spotted this little guy.

He was facing towards the sun, allowing for the all-important catch light to be reflected in his eye. This is a small detail that is always on my mind when photographing animals.
The chipmunk was positioned on a log that would give the foreground some texture, as well as a little elevation from the grasses on the forest floor.
Most interesting was the pattern of pine needles and leaves in the foliage beyond the perch. I immediately knew this would make for a soft, dappled, pleasing background.

When looking to capture an image of a relatively common subject, consider ways you can make the rest of the frame uncommon. Foreground, background, texture, and details like catch light are great ways create engagement with the viewer.

The final step involved compositional fundamentals.

It is key in wildlife portraits to shoot at eye level. I had to get very close to the ground to accomplish this, but it's important because downward angles in photography weaken the subject's presence in the image.
The chipmunk's eye is located 1/3 of the frame from the top edge, which is a foundational element of the Rule of Thirds as it applies to portraits.
Lastly, I chose a position that allowed the chipmunk's tail to enter at the corner, creating a natural leading line for the eye to easily follow into the photo.

When getting outfoxed by the day's primary objective - improvise and look elsewhere. The practice pays off when the main event suddenly shows up, and all these fundamentals need to be more instinctive and less deliberate.

Nikon D300
Nikon 400mm f/2.8 AF-S VR (hand held) - f/5.6, 1/250
LensCoat Camoflauge
Equivalent Optical Magnification: 8x
Sitka Gear Open Country Camo
Distance to Subject: 20 feet

Fly to Water Expeditionary Vehicle

2011-08-14T18:05:00.008-06:00

During some of my recent off-blog time, the build has been continuing on the 2nd generation TroutSnatcher. This rig started life as a Toyota Tundra TRD Rock Warrior, but as is all too common with "stockers" it wasn't yet a keeper and needed to grow up.

OEM-edition pickups tend to be immensely practical. While seated in the driver's position you can generally reach down and access ground-dwelling forbs and berries without the hassle of a dismount. The downside of practicality is that you are frequently mistaken for the driver of a Subaru Brat or Chevy El Camino, neither of which are known for staggering off-road capabilities.

The first order of business in this case was to eliminate what I call the Tutu Effect. Due to a variety of boring reasons, stock trucks tend to have wheels and tires that are slightly recessed into the fenders. When viewed from the front or rear, this creates a silhouette not unlike a ballet dancer in a tutu - bulbous at the hips and tapering down to a more narrow profile where the rubber meets the road. Good for a plié, not so good for a 4x4.

To rectify this situation I added a set of XD 798 Addicts in an 18x9 size, with a more appropriate offset to fill out the wheel wells and widen the stance slightly. Wrapped around the alloys are 35-inch ProComp Extreme A/T tires, which I've used several times in the past. I have found these meats to be a very happy medium between reasonable highway ride and off-road performance.

Getting enough air under the rig to clear the bigger rolling stock was accomplished with a ProComp 6-inch suspension lift.

Changing the wheel offset results in having about 2" of rubber outside the fender. Some states frown on this condition and may issue an equipment citation - but it also causes road debris to flip onto the painted body panels. It's well worth adding a set of Bushwhacker Pocket-Style Fender Flares for a little extra coverage, as well as the assurance the truck will pass a safety inspection.

Mrs. Fly to Water appreciates the powder coated N-Fab Nerf Steps, making both entry and exit more convenient given the Tundra's higher cruising altitude.

Next on the list: Cold air intake and exhaust upgrades.

I'm Back

2011-08-14T17:52:00.002-06:00

Alright, the blog is back in action!

I took the month of July off as a hiatus to welcome a new addition to the family. Fly to Water Jr. was born 6/30. While he has initially cut seriously into my fishing time, I do appreciate his arrival during local temperatures that have not been optimal for trout feeding activity.

Mrs. Fly to Water and I have felt extremely blessed during this time. We have a great group of family and friends, and express our appreciation for all of the collective kindness that has come our way. Mom & baby are doing well and the little guy is starting to establish a pretty good grip on cork too!

Silver Wilkinson

2011-06-26T21:25:00.002-06:00

I wanted to share another great tie by Rocky Maley. This is a Silver Wilkinson shot at 4-times life size. Adding color to the shot is a day lily, which I back-lit using a Nikon SB800 strobe on location.

Rocky can be contacted by e-mail: maleyqh@ortelco.net

On the Rocks - Rocky Maley

2011-05-25T21:41:00.003-06:00

At the Wasatch Fly Tying & Fishing Expo, Rocky Maley tossed me one of his salmon flies. I thought I'd share a quick shot of this beauty because he wraps some mean mylar.

This a 3:1 supermacro, so it's three times life size in the image.

If you are interested in contacting Rocky, you can reach him at maleyqh@ortelco.net.

Fishtopia

2011-05-09T18:07:00.004-06:00

In the world of fishermen, fantasies abound. As an example, consider the following completely outlandish and unlikely scenario:

You arrive on location for a day on the water, planning to pursue the prized species of your choice. Awaiting you is a well-maintained, late model drift boat ready to embark. The on-board cooler has been filled with your food and beverage of choice.

Nothing too unusual for a guided outing so far, and no suspicions are aroused. During a non-fantasy outing, the guide then emerges from his vehicle. He is a bedraggled individual, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep the night before. He stares at you with a morose, far-away look through sleep-sodden eyes and breaks the predawn silence with a belch that wakes up every bullfrog within a 10 hectare radius. This is likely to be one of his more pleasant biological emissions as the day progresses.

Allowing our minds to stray, let us instead imagine a slender blonde lithely exiting the guide vehicle, attired in some aesthetically pleasing shorts. Braids keep her golden locks at bay, because she is all business. Barking a few initial orders lets it be known who runs the show. While certain stereotypes attempt to crowd their way to the front of the mind about this being a man's game, quality work at the oars quickly puts all concerns soundly to rest.

The fictitious blonde proceeds to put you into the most fishy water around, pausing only to grab you an ice cold beverage the instant you begin to feel in the least bit parched.

Approaching a stretch where some technical casting is required, you festoon the branches on shore with a series of macho yet ineffectual casts. It turns out the archer fish is among the few species that will strike at a streamer a full 6 feet above the surface of the water. Your petite guide assists with fly retrieval, and then adroitly performs numerous and flawless casts in order to demonstrate proper technique. She hands the rod back to you with a snide remark, something like "Now keep this bug out of the damn cabbage!"

Sound preposterous? I would wholeheartedly agree if it wasn't for the fact that the scene described above materialized right before my eyes this weekend. Some lanky, fleece-vested type loosely associated with WorldCast Anglers claimed to have something to do with Missy's formidable skills on the sticks - but history teachers are notorious for sweeping exaggerations. If you don't believe me consider this: Following the War of 1812 (actually taking place in 1812, 1813, 1814, and 1815) came a period known as The Era of Good Feelings. It turns out that during this time, there were numerous BAD FEELINGS which were swept under the carpet, ultimately exploding into The Panic of 1819. High school history teachers have collectively refused to address this glaring issue by renaming the span from 1816-1824 "The Era of Mixed Feelings."

Many thanks to Missy & Casey for letting me tag along on the trip. I broke out the trusty Singh-Ray Gold & Blue filter to create the look in these images in-camera.

The Patagonia Journal

2011-05-05T06:07:00.000-06:00

If you haven't checked out The Patagonia Journal - you're missing out. Head on over and take in some great photography and scenes from extraordinary places.

Click on the image to visit:

PhoDOGraphy

2011-04-25T18:06:00.000-06:00

A week ago I enjoyed the opportunity to attend a field trial event held in Utah by the National Vizsla Association (NVA). Since this was a formal, judged event there were not many opportunities for photography, but it was a great experience to see some extremely well-trained pointers in action.

While there I was speaking with a trainer who was interested in capturing better images of dogs in the field. The first question that came up was, "What is the most important piece of equipment that makes the biggest difference?"

My response was simple - "Your kneecap."

I went on to explain that the biggest mistake most people make when photographing dogs is to shoot standing up, creating a strong downward angle from the camera to the subject.

In 2-dimensional space, a downward angle makes the subject appear less prominent as it occupies a weaker position within the frame. The next time you see one of those campaign ads about dogs and cats that are in need of rescue, take note of the camera angle. It will always be high, looking down at the animals to create a feeling of helplessness and dependence. This is done intentionally. Typically these are the qualities you want to avoid in photographing sporting breeds where strength, athleticism, power, and confidence are the elements we are seeking to portrait.

Kneeling down and lining up the lens at eye level is the key to creating a strong, powerful presence for subjects like hunting dogs.

On Saturday while fishing in Wyoming I took a few shots of Brika (my favorite German Shorthaired Pointer that I don't own myself) to illustrate. Dropping to one knee poses a few problems out in the sticks where mud, cactus, rocks, and all manner of detritus usually make kneeling a real pain in the patella. Regardless, perspective is always paramount and foremost in my mind when looking to capture man's best friend.

Getting low and shooting at eye level will give your pup a more commanding presence in the photo and create a stronger connection with the viewer. The photographer's willingness to mess up a nice pair of jeans and hork down ibuprofen for a few days after the shoot makes a bigger difference than any choice of gear.

Blog Rollin'

2011-04-22T05:45:00.001-06:00

As I find new blogs that are worth following, I add them inconspicuously to my "bloggification" section for easy access. I thought I'd take a few minutes to highlight 3 sites that have yet to block me from making infantile comments:
If you haven't checked out Kirk Werner's digs, make sure to start with his world famous Dirty Harry & Flyfishing post complete with movie posters of upcoming Clint Eastwood features.

Rebecca Garlock, AKA "The Outdooress" became an international woman of mystery by facing down a field mouse within the confines of a sleeping bag in the pitch blackness of night. Check out her post Of Mice and Mummy Bags if you haven't known the thrill of battling a perverted rodent armed only with a thong.

Last but not least is the new blog of Jim Browning, titled Two Guys, Wet Waders, and Flies. Jim is a class act and I have been enjoying the photography that both he and Kevin Browning share on the site. Click on the image below to visit - these guys are showing a lot of promise behind the lens.

Telephoto Fishing - The Trilogy

2011-04-15T18:05:00.000-06:00

Speculation has been running wild among as many as 7 Fly to Water readers as to whether or not the wildly successful Telephoto Fishing series would bloat into a gratuitous trilogy.

By taking decisive action, I hope to avoid the possibility of this extreme tension spilling over into the weekend.

Part III - SIMPLIFICATION

Fly fishing photography, especially when it comes to the fish themselves, often involves unpredictable action sequences. Separating yourself from the fray and shooting at longer focal lengths makes it easier to concentrate on one aspect of the scene unfolding dynamically before your eyes.

Wide angle lenses have the capability to include so much in the frame, that a clear focal point and strong composition often become the casualties of hurried decision making.

Longer focal lengths limit field of view, and can therefore be an aid to simple, strong compositions. There were plenty of additional elements involved in the scene below: Angler, shoreline, fly rod, horizon, sky, clouds...each could have been included with a different lens choice. Going telephoto allowed me to easily exclude them all. I wanted to capture the final moment of the fight, with no distractions. Fish, net, water - the only 3 objects in the frame.

Picking one aspect of the proceedings to focus on is great practice for capturing action with wider lenses. Even though you can see more at wide angles, achieving a compelling image is still about anchoring the photo in an element that draws attention. Mentally narrowing your focus is a skill that can be developed by physically limiting field of view through telephoto optics.

The point of this little 3-part diddy is that the end is really about the beginning. Rather than picking the day's kit based on portability and convenience - choose instead to decide what you hope to accomplish. When simplicity of composition is the goal - complicate your packing arrangements and lug the long lens.

Telephoto Fishing Part Deux

2011-04-11T20:26:00.002-06:00

OK, so you've mastered how to isolate your subject with the telephoto lens and create a nice, creamy background which focuses attention right where you want it.

Now we can move on to the second installment in our multi-part series entitled:

Part II - COMPRESSION

Photographers have the ability to distort perspective within the frame. Making focal length choices is not arbitrary, but has a very important impact on how the end result is presented to the viewer.

The perceived distances between the foreground, subject, and background are elements that can and should be consciously controlled.

Compression is the term for making distances appear shorter than they are in real life. Women have been doing this for eons even before photography was invented, but for our purposes we will discuss only the relative distances within an image. Long focal lengths are the visual equivalent of a trash compactor - effectively squeezing foreground, subject, and background elements together.

The sage brush behind well-known whitefish guide Casey Birkholz (below) was about 35 feet to the rear. Using a pontoon boat I created some distance and shot at 200mm, compressing the photo and making the background appear much closer.

Even though almost half the frame in this shot is background, I did not want the viewer's eye to be drawn deeper into the image and beyond the subject. Use of compression made the distances appear artificially short, resulting in a more controlled portrait.

Perspective is a vital arrow in the quiver. Zoom lenses allow for a certain amount of laziness, because the photographer can stay in one place while zooming in or out to fill the frame. Doing so is a beginner's mistake! Distances and focal lengths CHANGE the resulting image dramatically. Make your focal length and compositional choices first, then move your body to accommodate the vision.

Ask not what your zoom can do for you, but what you can do with your zoom.

Telephoto Fishing - Part I

2011-04-07T20:00:00.001-06:00

Rod, reel, line, vest, chest/hip/backpack, leaders, tippets, fly boxes, flies, floatant, forceps, clippers, hook sharpener, leader straightener, net, waders, wading boots, wading belt, wading jacket, strike indicators, hip flask...

These are just a few of the things the average fly angler will festoon themselves with while out enjoying a day on the water. In order to avoid rolling around a humongous gear ball with our legs, like a dung beetle only on a much larger scale, fishermen often tend to economize in the camera department. Telephoto lenses taking up the same amount of space as a foot-long hoagie sandwich tend to get left at home.

I usually subscribe to this less-is-more approach myself. The telephoto lens (generally defined as a focal length greater than 100mm) does have a number of distinct advantages for fishing imagery.

Why sacrifice your 12" Meatball Marinara in favor of a tele? Backing away from the subject and shooting at longer focal lengths has some advantages. The key is to understand and visualize the types of images you hope to capture in advance, making it easier to pick the right tool for the job.

Part I - Bokeh, or Out of Focus Backgrounds

Isolation draws attention to the main subject of a photograph, which can be accomplished by rendering backgrounds that are smooth, soft, and not distracting to the viewer. One easy method to accomplish this is to simply back off, and shoot at 200mm or 300mm. Leave some distance between the subject and the background, and the result is great bokeh.

This example was taken at f/5.6 and 200mm, allowing the trout and the water droplets to be the obvious center of attention.

Just because you can get close, doesn't always mean you should. Go long for this type of result.

Eye of the Beer-Holder

2011-03-24T16:40:00.008-06:00

As a public service I am hereby raising awareness about in-wader beverage storage among the fly fishing community. The technique that is being demonstrated here by Worldcast guide Casey Birkholz presents the angler with a number of advantageous benefits.

Happiness: Note the gleeful and upbeat attitude permeating the countenance, and the complete absence of worldly concern. Casey is the epitome of wellness, which is being made possible by the ease of access to what he terms a "barley pop." The hen rainbow trout avoids direct eye contact in the hope that our angler will not become overly enthusiastic, and also place her in his waders by mistake.

Safety: Crude systems such as the Beer Guzzler Hat violate considerable airspace above and to the sides of the fly angler. Obvious casting hazards are the unavoidable result as well as the heartbreak of backlash during a presentation. The added cranial load of a hat-based system will also increase stress on the neck and spine, resulting in a lack of fishing comfort. The risk of a hook-punctured can and the associated LOB, or Loss Of Beverage, is greatly reduced under the Birkholz Method. Notice how weight is evenly distributed by the wader harness in an ergonomic fashion.

Alert reader Frank Reid pointed out a few dangers that even I had not anticipated HERE. The follies of using a Camelbak® for carbonated liquids include:

Soft tissue injury resulting from over-pressurization of the closed contrivance, causing the end cap to become a projectile. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
Getting turned into a "reverse taco" as the shoulder straps become the sportswear equivalent of a reticulated python.
Proptosis. This is the medical term for the abnormal displacement of the eyeballs, causing them to protrude unnaturally from the orbits, or eye sockets.

Hydration: Quick access to the longneck is the hallmark of a front-loading approach. Transport losses associated with the plastic tubing of other delivery systems are avoided, yet the ability to go hands-free is preserved. Astute fishermen will appreciate the elbow already forming a 90° angle when grasping the bottle, permitting immediate quenching of any thirst impulse. The bottom line: Minimal waste of motion and superior hydration - keeping the fisherman on the water longer.

Cooling: Arriving at a sufficient depth brings cooling waters into close contact with your beverage of choice, providing on-site refrigeration. The breathable wader membrane is able to keep the label dry during the chilling cycle, preventing the catastrophic loss of grip that is the downfall of coolers everywhere.

If this information helps just one angler, my post will not have been in vain. Bottoms up!

Open Water

2011-03-18T14:20:00.016-06:00

During my formative years I was a fan of Transformers. Among my all-time favorites were the Constructicons - a group of individual transformer vehicles that had the added benefit of being able to combine themselves into one giant robot: Devastator.

There was great anticipation and excitement whenever a birthday or Christmas would roll around because a new Constructicon was always a distinct possibility.

Today the only thing that rivals the unbridled enthusiasm I experienced as a kid is Spring's banishment of ice-holes. I believe it was Lewis Carroll who wrote:

Beware the Ratfinky my son!
The jigs that bite, the spoons that snatch!
Beware the vexilar flashers, and shun
The waxworm-baited catch!

I am paraphrasing, of course, but it was something to that effect. There is nothing quite like the year's first stillwater outing. Upon arrival, you peel off 80 feet of line into your stripping basket. After a few pleasant false casts, a double-haul builds line speed and you feel the rod load... only to unleash Hell's own line bastard! Your sinking lines haven't been used all winter and now have more memory than a scorned spouse.

I tend to be far too giddy about throwing the first soft water loops of the year to bother with taking photos. It felt great to feel some aggressive takes this week as rainbows targeted crayfish in the shallows. Some of the strikes were remarkably close to shore and highly visual. I did pause briefly to catalog this trip's typical rod bender:

I also enjoyed hucking what has become one of my 2 favorite stillwater rods: The Sage TCX 697-4. Having some extra length at 9-foot 6-inches gives me additional punch for the frequently windy conditions on lakes and impoundments across the West. The TCX has a softer tip than the previous TCR, providing more control, but does not seem to sacrifice anything in the way of distance. The color of the blank is just outstanding too, especially in direct sunlight. The other go-to stick in this category is the Sage Z-Axis 796-4, which adds backbone for bigger fish.

Attached to the TCX on this trip was the Lamson Vanquish 7/8LT - which continues to be a really impressive piece of hardware. Even though the drag system in the lighter version of the Vanquish is not quite as robust as big brother's, I would not hesitate to choose this option for bonefish, snook, or baby tarpon to save wear and tear on the casting arm.

If you haven't seen my review of the 7/8LT, I have product photography and additional thoughts here: LAMSON VANQUISH REVIEW

This weekend will find me chasing more rainbows - although I'm guessing I will be on the stick more often than behind the lens once again. I hope to see a few of you on the water.

Spring?

2011-03-07T15:50:00.008-07:00

Robert Frost, in a poem about Spring, spoke of ice as being the "Crystal teeth of the lurking frost in the earth beneath."

Winter is a torturous time for a stillwater junkie in the Rockies. At long last, however, Mother Nature is now teasing us with elusive signs of a thaw.

Time for some rod bend this weekend. Who's getting out?

Girls Girls Girls

2011-02-14T21:09:00.003-07:00

Girls rock.

Females that is - or in this case hen mallards. In the world of waterfowl, it seems as though the males of the species seem to have been universally endowed with all the gaudy colors and ostentatious iridescence that nature can bestow.

I admit to harboring a penchant for the ladies, however. Smaller overall weight and less muscle mass makes for more fluid shapes, graceful lines, and light movements. Hens are where it's at. Who's with me?

Soar Spot

2011-02-09T21:23:00.003-07:00

In large part I've been spending any and all spare daylight shivering uncontrollably in temperatures ranging from -20° F to a balmy 37°. Each year for a couple of weeks, a wave of migratory bald eagles passes through the wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake.

Inexplicably, even though I have repeatedly "learned my lesson," I continue to forsake my furnace and choose instead to lower my core body temperature to the threshold of hypothermia. Why? Several theories have been offered, but Mrs. FlytoWater's commentary on the subject is wildly inaccurate and notoriously lacking in substance. Like migratory instincts themselves, little is known about the motivations of fly fishermen or bird photographers. Collectively, we remain somewhat of a mystery.

Prior to the intake of copious hot liquids, I will share a few images from the last couple of days. Eagles are fascinating raptors, commonly living into their late 20s (and occasionally as long as 30 years). Young eagles do not achieve their mature plumage until sometime in their 5th year. Juvenile baldies are commonly mistaken for golden eagles due to their mottled, brown plumage. The rare and fleeting close encounter with these majestic animals is always worth the many hours of waiting in the cold.

A juvenile bald eagle sporting the distinctive eye band "mask" they have in this age class:

More mature plumage...

Scouting

2011-01-23T19:46:00.003-07:00

A few wisps of blue sky showed themselves occasionally this weekend, and I spent some time scouting locations for raptors. Aside from getting to watch a great blue heron spearing voles with amazing accuracy one evening after the light had faded, nothing noteworthy really took place.

Utah's Wasatch Front experiences a widespread temperature inversion during the winter. This phenomenon causes an enormous pollution cloud, even larger than the one emitted by Al Gore's personal residence, to hover over the valley.

Spending any time outdoors under these conditions is akin to huffing oxides of nitrogen directly from the exhaust pipe of a 1970 AMC Gremlin.

Occasionally a storm of sufficient strength blows through and sweeps the toxic atmosphere up into the jet stream, where it is often mistaken for Icelandic volcano ash and grounds all flights in France.

We experienced one such storm system late last week and had glorious, clean air for the weekend. It was nice just to be outside. I didn't get any images that I'd consider "keepers" but a few birds were in the air and I dusted off the shutter to get in the groove.

I'm hoping the next month or so brings some additional opportunities.

MIDCURRENT #4

2011-01-22T18:33:00.003-07:00

WWW.MIDCURRENT.COM is one of the best sites around in terms of keeping things fresh. Each week there are various additions to the content - whether it's news, tutorials, gear reviews, conservation information, or useful articles.

They also have one of the most comprehensive collections of fishing art and imagery anywhere on the web. It's an honor to have been selected again as a featured photographer, especially among the kind of talent in Midcurrent's gallery.

Click on the image to view the full-page spotlight, and make sure you've got Midcurrent bookmarked - there's always new content coming down the pike.

Blue River Fly Company

2011-01-22T17:52:00.008-07:00

If you haven't had your ear to the ground lately, you might have missed the launch of a new online source for first rate flies, and boxes by both Wheatley and UPG.

BLUE RIVER FLY COMPANY is now up and running, and in addition to providing some great deals they are looking for suggestions about what additional flies and products to carry. Expect videos by Burl Productions, and products from Loon Outdoors and Scientific Anglers to appear shortly.

Blue River is great to work with, and I appreciate them using some of my photography commercially on the site.

Fly to Water readers can get a 20% discount through the end of February using the code F2W.

There's good mojo to be had buying from Blue River too, since they are part of 1% for the Planet. Drop in and check things out!

First Click - 2011

2011-01-02T19:01:00.005-07:00

By way of follow up to my last blog post, I've received a lot of e-mail asking for specific tips about photographing game birds, such as the chukar partridge.

I wish I could say it was as easy as picking up a 600mm f/4 lens with a nice window mount, whereupon it becomes immediately possible to capture 5-star images from your climate-controlled SUV.

If it's been a while since you've...

Gone out in temperatures cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Done a "1-legger" down a 3-foot-deep rock fissure drifted over by snow, nearly breaking an ankle in the process
Torn your trapezius
Sat motionless until cramps were galloping up your legs like Charlton Heston's chariot in the movie Ben-Hur

...then I recommend taking up wild game bird photography for a real treat. Each of the items on that list happened to me yesterday. Luckily, I did manage to obtain exactly 1 photograph for my troubles - which is above average for a typical day.

The basic recipe for success:

Scouting: The process begins with a scouting trip (or trips) into likely habitat. It's important to locate game birds without disturbing them initially, at least if photography is on the agenda. A decent pair of binoculars and a spotting scope are great tools that help cover a lot of country.

Patterning: Once you have located a population of birds, you want to watch them for a while. It's quite common for these animals to have a routine. You may find a watering hole, food source, spot where the sun hits first thing in the morning, or travel route that game birds use regularly. During this period of observation, you want to take note of lighting conditions and possible hiding spots. Typically you will want to be in a position where your subject is being lit from the front or side, which needs to be taken into account.

Concealment: While non-avian predators and most big game animals see primarily in black and white, birds see in color. Camouflage becomes an important accessory, and it's a good idea to have a few options available to match various types of terrain. My favorite for chukar habitat is the Open Country lineup from Sitka Gear. This pattern has been specifically designed and researched based on how animals see, as opposed to most products that are based on human vision.

I also use a LensCoat to hide the hardware. These are made of neoprene and also provide some protection from dings and scratches in addition to breaking up the outline of the equipment. LensCoat products are available for a wide variety of common camera lenses.

Waiting: Get into position prior to the time you have observed birds using the location in your scouting. In my experience, wind is less of a factor with birds than it is with mammals. Make sure to dress warmly in cold temperatures, because sitting around doesn't create a lot of body heat. Stay alert and be opportunistic - things will usually not unfold exactly as planned. Knee pads are a good accessory in rocky terrain in case you have to move around while keeping a low profile.

That's the basic formula. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

Thanks to JayMorr, who took the portraits of me used in this post. His blog has additional images and comments about getting TO the shot, which is the main ingredient in getting the shot when it comes to critters.

Better Wildlife Photography

2010-12-29T13:06:00.022-07:00

People often accuse me of using excessively large words to express myself. I am mildly offended by these outrageous accusations, because my stated policy is to eschew obfuscation.

By way of rebuttal, I offer up my word of the day: ANTHROPOMORPHISM.

As everyone has known since 1753 (the first recorded use of this term according to Merriam Webster), anthropomorphism is the attribution human characteristics to inanimate objects.

What does this word have to do with better wildlife imagery? Simple - no other art form has such a high level of anthropomorphizing as photography. Our society loves a quick fix, and many feel that an eye-popping result is the natural, native output of expensive technology.

Upon seeing a compelling image, the first question usually posed to the photographer is, "What camera/lens do you use?" This can be a legitimate question for a number of technical reasons, but is more often symptomatic of the belief that "professional" gear was the main reason for the engaging outcome. This phenomenon has camera companies dancing the Light Fantastic, but for everyone else it's a simple delusion.

The first step towards better wildlife photography is to stop attributing the hard work, creativity, patience, practice, and skills that are critical for success to inanimate tools. These are all human traits - merits of photographers, not cameras. Step 1 is to quit anthropomorphizing, and start creating using whatever is in your bag.

The most important elements of a compelling wildlife image are light, composition, opportunity, and exposure (in no particular order). Cameras and lenses have no part in the first 3, and only a supporting role in the 4th.

LIGHT: Learning to "see" light, and recognize the characteristics that translate into various artistic outcomes is a skill that takes years to develop. Volumes have been written on this topic, and doing a Google search for "golden hour" will probably provide all you ever want to know about ideal illumination. To achieve the result you want as a photographer, your boots need to be on the ground (with you in them) when the light is right.

COMPOSITION: The way in which objects are arranged (intentionally and creatively) within the frame. There is nothing about composition that should be left to chance. Inclusion, exclusion, angle of view, position relative to the subject(s), portrait vs. landscape orientation, foreground, background, and many other considerations play an enormous part in how the viewer will interpret a 2-dimensional image. A great starting point on this topic is a book called "Photographic Composition" by Grill and Scanlon ($15 on Amazon). In this shot of a wild chukar partridge, I included both cheat grass in the foreground and sage brush in the background as compositional elements, but used shallow depth of field to isolate the subject. The bird is also positioned according to the Rule of Thirds.

OPPORTUNITY: Think of 3 separate lines converging at different angles. One of these lines represents the right lighting conditions. The second is your wildlife subject, which will be somewhat unpredictable and dynamic. Line #3 represents surroundings that create a pleasing foreground, background, and overall composition. When each of these elements converge and intersect, the result is a window of opportunity . All 3 elements must be present to win. While some opportunities happen by chance, most are created through careful planning, understanding of subject behavior, a high degree of familiarity with your camera controls, awareness of your limitations, and a constant readiness to act.

The single most challenging part of wildlife photography is getting close enough to the wildlife. Many point & shoot cameras offer 8x, 10x, or even 20x optical zooms in tiny little packages. The uninitiated often see huge telephoto lenses and assume they are camera-mounted galactic telescopes with the ability to capture amazing images of sparrows at 300 meters.

The truth is that big lenses are designed to let in more light, allowing for faster shutter speeds while maintaining high optical quality. The Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VR lens costs $9000 and weighs 13 pounds, but only provides the equivalent of 8x optical magnification. As a photographer, you need to be every bit as close to your subject with a super telephoto prime lens as you would with a cheap 8x point and shoot. Most quality wildlife imagery is captured inside of 60 yards, and often much closer (especially with smaller subjects). The coyote pictured below was 35 yards away, and was only in this position looking back at me for about 1 second.

Working hard to pattern wildlife subjects and understand their behaviors will allow you to anticipate their location during ideal lighting conditions. In turn, this will improve your ability to be in the right place at the right time. Wildlife photographers spend most of their day scouting, observing, getting into position, and waiting. There is no magic bullet lens, teleconverter, or 25 megapixel sensor that will buy sweet monkey love over long distances. If the subject is too far away for a solid image to be captured, it's not a shortcoming of the equipment - but of the photographer's ability to close the distance.

EXPOSURE: Today's cameras all offer the pixie dust of Auto Mode - the enemy of creativity. Auto Mode is designed for one thing: Boring-Ass Snap Shots, or B.A.S.S. While the camera's electronics can interpret a scene and correctly expose the photograph for you, they cannot detect your vision of the final image.

Decisions to freeze action, blur motion, isolate a subject with shallow depth of field, or include both foreground and background elements in the composition are all consequences of different exposure choices. These strictly artistic decisions are directly related to how the viewer will connect to your image, and can't be left to a generic, pre-programmed function.

The good news here is that there are only about 5 key camera controls that do most of the legwork. Check out "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson ($15 on Amazon) if terms like aperture, f-stop, shutter speed, white balance, exposure compensation, and ISO are unfamiliar.

In these final 2 shots I used exposure for different effects. The mallard drake was stationary, and I wanted the colors and plumage of the bird to be the primary focus. Using a longer shutter speed I achieved motion blur in the faster moving background water, while maintaining sharpness on the bird itself. In the case of the coyote, I chose to freeze motion with a shutter speed of 1/3200 to capture his predatory intensity.

The moral to the story - use what you've got and don't put off chasing the imagery you desire until you have a better camera body or longer lens. Procrastination should not lilt off the tongue any easier than anthropomorphism - which is only 1 letter longer.

I'm wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year in 2011. Thanks for dropping in.

FlyFisher Magazine

2010-12-02T17:41:00.007-07:00

The Federation of Fly Fishers is one of the premier organizations dedicated to conservation, preservation, and education in the world of fly fishing. Whether you're just getting started in the sport, or have the veteran status marked by a vehicle festooned with decals - anytime is a good time to join.

http://www.fedflyfishers.org/

One of the perks of membership is a subscription to FlyFisher Magazine.

FFF can also be found on Facebook .

I appreciated working with Al Beatty on the cover of the Autumn 2010/Winter 2011 cover of FlyFisher this past month. "Mr. December" is Worldcast guide Casey Birkholz. This image was taken 10/15/2010 using a Nikon D300, Tokina 12-24mm lens, and a Tiffen HT 0.6 ND Grad Filter.

In Memory of Rich Schaaff

2010-11-02T19:36:00.006-06:00

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower,
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost

In many ways getting to know Rich Schaaff was like striking gold. He was as genuinely kind a man as I've come across in any facet of life.

May every run hold a fish, and every swing bring a strike where your journey has taken you my friend. Rest in peace.

www.eastforkfly.com

Uncle Bob's Cabin

2010-10-22T10:20:00.026-06:00

Drinking. Stripping. Debauchery of biblical proportions.

These are not references to Las Vegas, but rather to an annual pilgrimage that I've heard spoken of in hushed tones by certain members of the fly fishing community. Over the years fragments of unsubstantiated rumor have reached my ears regarding this event, and I was aware that it took place in the vicinity of Island Park, Idaho. I had also heard tales of a mysterious cabin in the woods where unspeakable rituals were enacted, led by a man known only as Uncle Bob.

When an opportunity arose to pledge this fraternity of the fly, I jumped at the chance. Admittedly I was caught off guard when the stripping was performed by a man named Layne following a bizarre self-baptism episode in prime trout habitat. Had this information been disclosed at the outset I may have reconsidered, but hindsight is always 20/20.

Having met up with several well-established members of the Brotherhood of the Wading Pants, drift boats were immediately set afloat. I was instructed to board a vessel containing JayMorr, Layne, Brika (the trout-sniffing GSP), and Casey (who claims to be a guide for Worldcast Anglers). The guiding credentials would later be called into question.

Right off the bat it became apparent that Layne had not yet developed what the medical community commonly refers to as The Morrison Reflex. Anyone who regularly fishes with JayMorr instinctively grips their newest rod with Herculean force any time he approaches to within a 15-yard radius. This phenomenon is called a "reflex" because the action is triggered from the brain stem itself without conscious thought. Attempting to process proximity information in the cerebral cortex takes a split second, during which time JayMorr will have already secured the highest quality fly rod in the boat and made no less than 3 casts.

My own Morrison Reflex has been honed to the very limits of mammalian capacity. Adopting a threat posture between Jay and my favorite 6-weight, I was not surprised to see a blur-like motion in the vicinity of Layne's brand new Sage Z-Axis. Before the anchor had even grazed the river bottom at our first wade fishing location, my ears caught the faint swishing of wader legs scissoring through the current as JayMorr vectored across the river with Layne's virgin graphite glinting faintly in his hand.

"Whoops I think Morrison just grabbed my Z-Axis by mistake," stammered Layne. Casey, Brika, and I all enjoyed some hearty laughter from this classic 1-liner.

"Good thing you brought that ultralight dry fly rod as a spare," I remarked, still chuckling at Layne's hilarity. "It's not ideal for articulated streamers with lead eyes, but you'll get used to it."

Jay then proceeded to catch the first fish ever on the new rod - a nice rainbow - while Layne feverishly attempted to throw a size 4 weighted stonefly setup under a voluminous indicator using his delicate dry fly rig.

It was around this time that Casey's guide credentials began to appear suspect in my opinion. I will mention here that he invariably displayed expert skills as an oarsman, read the river with great wisdom, and provided perfect advice about fly selection and fish location.

As it turns out, Casey has Angler's Tourette Syndrome, or ATS. This condition causes him to suddenly yell out the term "26-inch brown trout!" at socially inappropriate times.

For example, at one point he made the comment, "Yesterday I saw a pair of TWENTY-SIX INCH BROWN TROUT! near the head of this run." Fishing the location resulted in catching a pair of mountain whitefish. This scenario repeated itself until it became a pattern, and at the time of this writing I'm not certain that Casey can actually tell the difference between a 26-inch brown trout and a W.O.U.S. (Whitefish Of Unusual Size).

Brown trout may not be the only species impacted with mistaken identity either. Later in the float, Casey positioned himself on a bridge and began directing Layne into a particularly deep and swift run. "If you can work your way out another 20 feet, there's a TWENTY-PLUS INCH RAINBOW TROUT! holding near the seam." Unbeknown to me at this time was Layne's nickname of Captain Nemo, which he has acquired over the years due to his propensity for spontaneous full-body immersion in bodies of water all across the hemisphere.

Without warning, Layne suddenly began performing what I can only describe as a series of Russian Squat Kicks in the middle of the river, culminating in a maneuver that left only his eyeballs exposed above the surface of the water. It seems as though the purpose of full submersion was to obtain maximum purchase on the riverbed, because he then shot out of the water like a Trident Missile and headed for shore at planing speed. The remainder of the story is not suitable for young viewers, but suffice it to say that images from those events remained emblazoned on my retinas well into the blackness of the ensuing night.

After Layne went under, Casey again commenced gesturing wildly and yelled, "Colvin! If you can just make it 20 feet beyond where Captain Nemo filled his waders and nearly got swept downstream that fish is still there!"

Mentally pushing aside everything I had just witnessed, I braced myself against the current and worked my way into a precarious position for a chance at this slab rainbow. Finally, as my rubber-soled boots began losing traction on the mossy cobblestones and the water was lapping at the top of my chest waders, I wedged my foot against a rock and cast into the seam. "Perfect!" Casey announced. Midway through the drift I tied into the fish, and had to reverse my route back towards shore while the fight was underway.

Eventually I negotiated the hazards successfully and landed my quarry - a Whitefish Of Unusual Size.

There is much more to the story than what I have recounted here, but in yet another similarity to Las Vegas...

What happens at Bob's cabin stays at Bob's cabin.

Many thanks to Bob, Jason, Mike, Casey, Layne, Brika, and JayMorr for the great time I had on the trip. I enjoyed time on the water, tremendous hospitality at the cabin, and friendships both old and new. Jay has more images from up North at www.flyfishermanforum.com, so drop in and see things from his point of view.

Greek, Latin, and Mayflies

2010-09-09T13:21:00.020-06:00

In Greek, the word "ephemeros" means "short-lived." No one knows why early Greeks chose this term instead of just saying "short-lived."

What we do know is that Order Ephemeroptera is used by scientists to refer to mayflies (presumably because adults are short-lived), and that Greece is bankrupt due to poor toga sales and obfuscation.

However you refer to them, mayflies fascinate fly fishermen (LintFlickus Hookibilis - From Latin, literally meaning "Hooks himself with lint").

Anglers have limited numbers of brain cells by adulthood. Many can attribute this to the cerebral pickling effect of 18-year LAPHROAIG, while others may not have had substantive numbers at birth. Either way, the considerable mental horsepower given to mayflies is noteworthy. For example, when we see a member of Order Diptera, Family Chironomidae floating down the river, the angler may casually refer to the insect as a "midge."

By contrast, when seeing a speckled mayfly on the water, a field identification of "callibaeits" will invariably be used. True, we sometimes cheat and shorten terms like Hexagenia to "Hex" but everyone knows what is implied: If you can't say something smart, say it in Latin.

The mayfly may actually be the "fly" in fly fishing. After all, one of the earliest references to fly fishing (circa 200 AD by Ælian) describes what many believe to be dun imitations.

Hopefully there's a hatch coming to a water near you.

Midcurrent³

2010-08-11T16:34:00.004-06:00

MidCurrent is a healthy part of a fly fisherman's balanced diet. I have been dropping in regularly for a long time due to the well-written articles, knot tying tutorials, podcasts, industry news, and other information that is always readily available.

I have really enjoyed the addition of dedicated sections for featured fly fishing artists and photographers. If you haven't dropped in for a while, definitely check out:

THE ARTIST GALLERY

THE PHOTOGRAPHER GALLERY

I'm honored to have been featured for the 3rd time this week for some of my recent images dealing with summer fly fishing. Clicking on the image below will take you to the updated feature page.

The Hopper

2010-08-09T14:25:00.016-06:00

Walt Whitman didn't write much about hopper patterns, but if he had it probably would have gone something like this:

O Hopper my Hopper! Our fishing trip is done,
The line has weathered every cast, the prize we sought is won,
The stream is near, the gurgle I hear, the terrestrials are raging,
With watery eyes the trout apprise, the hopper grim and daring;
But O hop! Hop! Hop!
O the deer hair bullet head,
Where on the current my hopper lies,
Drifting foam and thread.

Why did Whitman avoid the topic of hoppers? It's hard to say. Historians all agree that he was part of the Transcendentalist movement. As everyone knows, this was the idea that fishermen could transcend (rise above) bait and use artificial flies instead.

This in turn gave way to Realism, which was a period where fly tiers spent copious amounts of time making their flies look as real as possible. Beginning in 1865, Realism essentially ended in 1910, although no one informed Graham F. Owen. Residing in Burbank, California, Graham guffaws at historians and continues to tie flies so realistic that several reasonably intelligent movie producers have mistaken them for actual insects. Many of his life-like creations have taken since 1892 to complete, making them contemporaries of Whitman himself.

Realism eventually gave way to Naturalism. This was a time characterized by the more unpleasant and even shocking aspects of fly fishing. Patterns took on an impressionistic look and the hopper, while not embraced, became increasingly common. Naturalism was more of a movement than a formalized period, but was also closely linked to Determinism - wherein man's life came to be dominated by hatches beyond his control and the biological instinct to prefer dry flies over nymphs.

Regardless of the reasons that hoppers were once taboo, society has progressed to a certain extent. Sure, there are still anglers who will only publicly admit to throwing flies the size of dinoflaggelate algae. During the summer months however, even the most haughty of purists will conjure a gluttonous stash of gigantic hopper patterns at the first sound of a splash.

Happy Hoppertime!

Trout's Eye View

2010-07-23T18:10:00.002-06:00

If you ever find yourself in dire need of kicks, giggles, and a rousing good time - get out and take some underwater photos of a dry fly that is drifting with the river's current from a rising trout's perspective.

Oh, sure, there are some technical challenges but who doesn't love a good case of galloping trapezius spasms?

SAGE BASS +++

2010-07-16T17:46:00.010-06:00

For those with Attention Deficit Disorder, I am offering this review summary:

Go out and get yourself a Sage Bass rod.

You may reply (with the appropriate expression of trout snobbery):

"My good man, I do not like to fish for bass.

I do not have flies in my box...

The size and shape of a fox.

I do not chase bass here nor there,

I do not baitcast anywhere!

I will not throw a muskrat mouse,

There are no poppers in my house!

I do not chance to fish for bass,

Green big-mouths can kiss my @$$."

Well, GET ONE ANYWAY. You will take it on a train. You will carry it on a plane. You will pack it here and there. You'll end up casting it everywhere.

It has been a long time since a fly rod has put the type of smile on my face normally reserved for children under the age of 8 on Christmas morning.

Adjectives like fast, smooth, precise, powerful, accurate, or light weight tend to surface during most initial casting sessions, but rarely the type of spontaneous FUN that I experienced fishing the Sage Bass lineup.

There is something about a short (7'11") fly rod that was unexpected when coupled with a lot of backbone (the Smallmouth is probably best described as an 8/9wt, and the Largemouth is even more stout). I've fished plenty of short rods, but they tend to be delicate little 3-weight jobs designed to land spore-sized flies with nary a ripple on the pristine surface of a mountain stream.

The BASS series stands apart. These rods are at home flinging flies the size of a pygmy marmoset through the atmosphere and splashing them down with pinpoint accuracy on the exact lily pad that is covering a mouth cavernous enough to consume it.

If you are interested in the BASS sticks, you probably already know that much. There are plenty of reviews and videos provided by the retail industry that talk about the strengths of this rod family. They will all tell you that the length and taper produce accurate, short to medium length presentations with a minimum of false casting. It's all true.

Sage provides a nice package too, with an embroidered rod/reel case and a line that has been custom designed for the rod of your choice. When comparing prices, keep in mind you are getting a premium line and very nice combo tube as part of the deal.

The color scheme is eye catching too, and there is no mistaking the BASS lineup on the water.

Oh, and I almost forgot, you can catch bass with them too.

What you may not know is that despite the all-caps BASS insignia, this platform is really flexible and will surprise you with its non-bassy capabilities.

First of all, these rigs have leverage. If you are chasing anything where structure poses a problem, you'll dig these sticks. Among the applications where BASS rods are getting traction: Snook, baby tarpon in the mangroves, pike, muskie, salmon, and more. There is a lot of fighting and head-turning power in this kind of stump puller.

PLUS, they roll cast like CRAZY. There's a place I fish chironomid rigs for trout, with a 1" diameter slip indicator, droppers, and a long leader. The bank is very steep and back casts are Hell's own fun. The Smallmouth turns over the whole setup beautifully while maintaining respectable distance by taking advantage of the short rod's compact roll casting stroke.

The Sage ~~BASS~~ TORQUE Series. Not just for bass anymore!

Support your local fly shop and pick one up at a Sage dealer near you, or check out RIVERBUM if online shopping is more your style.

A Vizsla by any Other Name

2010-06-25T10:54:00.030-06:00

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a familiar character to most, and is famous enough to have his own TV show on PBS Kids. He has a friendly, outgoing, and generally helpful attitude 80% of the time. The remaining 20% consists of an impish propensity for involvement in mischievous indiscretions.

What most people don't know is that Clifford's appearance, attitude, and "Yes, this disaster happened but it's not my fault" approach to life is based on the Vizsla - a pointing dog breed of Hungarian descent that many (even within the dog-owning community) have never heard of.

In 2009, the Vizsla ranked 42nd on the AKC's list of popular breeds, below Red Blooded Coonhounds but well ahead of Bluetick Coonhounds (all of which blew the Chinese Shar-Pei out of the water at a disappointing 47th).

As a public service, I hereby offer up a short Q&A tutorial on the proper way to interact with the Vizsla, and the socially peculiar and idiosyncratic Vizsla Owner.

Q: I lost my copy of Hooked on Hungarian Phonics®, can you tell me how to pronounce the word "Vizsla"?
A: Certainly. The close proximity of the "Z" and the "S" will easily overwhelm the unprepared mind, so pay close attention. Misuse of the term will forever brand you as a blabbering ignoramus, while a crisp delivery is sure to elevate your social status immediately.

Correct: VEESH-Luh
Incorrect: VISH-Luh
Epic Fail: VIZZ-Luh

Q: What happens if I refer to a Vizsla as a "VISH-Luh" when addressing a member of this stately breed?
A: If you commit such a careless faux pas, the Vizsla will look upon you as an aberration of nature, having correctly identified you as an intellectual inferior.

Q: How will the Vizsla Owner react to a similar mispronunciation?
A: Imagine showing up to an exhibitionist dinner gala with a festering case of the crusted Norwegian scabies. No amount of salve after-the-fact will truly erase such a breach of social etiquette. Having slighted the entire Hungarian/Magyar heritage in this process, anyone within ear shot will thereafter snub your wretchedness.

Q: How do I avoid these potentially ruinous consequences?
A: Practice the correct pronunciation in private well in advance of contact with your Vizsla or Vizsla Owner. This will result in what scientists refer to as "tongue memory," which will help ensure a culturally accurate delivery under pressure.

Q: How can I proactively work my polished pronunciation of "Vizsla" into a conversation?:
A: Do not appear overly eager and blurt out the term while greeting the Vizsla Owner. Wait for an opportune moment, then casually allow the syllables to lilt off your tongue:

"I can't help but notice that your VEESH-Luh is making off with my dinner jacket. Adorable!"

Such an approach will invariably identify you as a mature, sophisticated, and highly intelligent canine connoisseur. A successful delivery may eventually open doors you never before thought possible.

Having completed this Q & A session, you are now ready for additional exposure to the Vizsla. Feel free to use the remaining images in this post as partners in your role playing.

The last few weeks I've taken a fishing hiatus to spend some time in the field with Dusty, my 1-year-old Vizsla pup. He is a double handful at this stage, but is extremely biddable, eager to please, and affectionate - which is typical of the breed.

If you're in the Utah area and are interested in a Vizsla down the road, contact Josh McPherson of Hillbillie Vizslas. Pups from his litters are among the best anywhere.

Gun Dog Breeders is also a good source of Vizsla breeders nationwide.

If you would like to learn more about the history, standards, and what to expect when owning a Big Red Dog, Marion Coffman's book Versatile Vizsla is a great place to start.

Going Green

2010-06-03T12:51:00.024-06:00

Imagine for a moment that someone drives a Buick through your living room wall at ludicrous speed while you are nestled in your Snuggie® enjoying the Lady Gaga episode of Glee. As your world comes crashing down, which of the following is most likely to occur:

a) Making loud, rattling sounds with your throat

b) VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing)

c) Uncontrollable onset of the "munchies"

d) An involuntary, horizontal swimming motion

e) All of your body's energy is redirected towards puckering the O-ring as a hedge against an impact-related breach

f) a, b, and c simultaneously

If you answered (d) or (e) then you think essentially like a trout. When a fly the size of a gerbil slams into the water's surface like a kamikaze divebomber, trout spasm harder than a tazed espresso addict.

Bass, on the other hand, habitually choose (f).

I rarely target Mr. Green, because the largemouth enjoys what bass people refer to as "structure". This is an industry term. It means you'll be furrowing up enough organic matter with your hook to meet Indochina's annual compost needs for agriculture.

Still, each year the bug strikes and this season I was itching to try out the Sage Bass series of rods. I'll be doing a write up on my experience with the 290-grain version shortly.

There's something very primal about topwater bass with the explosive, almost instantaneous hits that take place. There are no delicate presentations, picturesque casts, or subtle rise forms. Picture an offensive lineman doing a cannonball into a hot tub, and try to replicate that effect with your fly. Smash something ugly into their living room, and hold on.

I appreciated having JayMorr on the oars of his wooden drift boat putting me on the fish during this trip. Check out his photography at FlyFishermanForum.

Nautilus NV - The Big Red Disc

2010-05-18T13:00:00.012-06:00

It's not that I have a fly fisherman's version of Tourette's Syndrome which causes me to spout socially inappropriate fly reel reviews in close proximity to one another. I've been using the Nautilus NV for about 6 months now, and feel it represents a key challenge to Lamson's Vanquish lineup.

Why? Simply put, it's excellent and costs less. It's the perfect timing for a back-to-back review.

Nautilus NV 5/6 Reel: $540 (Spool $225)
Lamson Vanquish 5.6 Reel: $599 (Spool $269)
Difference: $59 (Reel) $44 (Spool)

This becomes more significant as you move up the scale:

Nautilus NV 8/9 Reel: $595 (Spool $245)
Lamson Vanquish V8 Reel: $799 (Spool $359)
Difference: $204 (Reel) $114 (Spool)

Light weight is an obvious goal with big reels, and both the NV and Vanquish are heavily machined to reduce weight and maximize strength. The result?

Nautilus NV 8/9: 7.1 oz
Vanquish V8: 7.2 oz

The NV offers a fully sealed disc drag made out of carbon and cork (CCF). This approach eliminates the maintenance needs of typical cork disc brakes and the heat build up of carbon materials. The open-face design of most cork drags such as Tibor and Abel is prone to contamination, hydroplaning, and ice up in cold temperatures. The CCF system eliminates those concerns as well.

One down side of this design is that switching from right to left-handed retrieve is best left to the factory or your Nautilus dealer. Most people never change this anyway, but be aware of this gotcha if it's a factor for you.

I love the spool release used by Nautilus. It's a knurled screw knob easily accessible with gloves in any conditions. A few turns and the spool is free, yet it's very secure at high RPM and under stress.

When I first started using the NV, the drag knob raised my dander a bit. I love numbered drags, or at least any system that allows easily repeatable settings. The Nautilus has a checkered knob with no markings, and for me this is less than ideal. The adjustment tension is excellent and it's hard to accidentally change the setting.

It was not until later that I found out the Nautilus Custom Shop offers a numbered drag option, and not surprisingly it happens to be one of the most frequently requested features among guides and pros. This numbering is beautifully done, and will be on any future reels I order. Nautilus also excels at color anodized finishes, and offers engraving and other custom work. Check out the NAUTILUS CUSTOM SHOP for details.

I was curious to see how the CCF drag would work under extremely cold conditions since I have experienced issues in the past with disc designs.

I went out this winter in temperatures down to -6° F and submerged the reel completely, then allowed it to freeze solid in the frigid air. Each time, a little pressure on the reel handle would easily break the ice build up and the NV would function without a hitch.

The NV is simply outstanding within its price range, and I can't think of any reasons NOT to buy one.

Weight: ☆☆☆☆☆ (7.1oz for the 8/9!)
Engineering: ☆☆☆☆☆ (The CCF drag is a brute, numbered drag available by order)
Price: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Very reasonable at this level of performance)
Overall Design: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Among the best visual designs in the industry)

First ever 5-star sweep.

If you'd like to shop for the NV, or other Nautilus models like the Featherweight and CCF, check out STILLWATER FLY SHOP. They include any fly line up to $75 with the purchase.

Vanquished

2010-05-09T18:10:00.008-06:00

The Waterworks/Lamson has always been a self-professed function over form reel manufacturer. Customers have come to expect toughness and reliability without a price premium from this Idaho, USA-based company.

Lamson's proprietary Hard Alox finish (derived from the aerospace industry) has a reputation for standing up to heavy abuse, but lacks the appeal and variety to be had among the competition. Bringing to mind Henry Ford's famous remark - Lamson customers can have any color they like, as long as it's GREY.

Visual design has also been less of a priority, with performance coming first. This is a strategy that seems to make great sense in the value segment of the reel market, but can be a handicap as prices rise. With companies like Hatch, Nautilus, Galvan, and others offering high performance eye candy, some Lamson models seem lackluster by comparison.

At some point the folks up in Ketchum, Idaho decided enough was enough, and the Vanquish was born. The goal was to create a fly reel without compromises that would out perform anything in the marketplace. Most of Lamson's reel models sell in the $100 to $350 price range, with some ULA Force offerings in the mid $500s. The Vanquish release brought price tags of $800-$900.

These prices are not unusual in the big game reel industry, but what about smaller models? The Vanquish has just debuted for 4/5, 5/6, and 7/8 line weights. MSRP: $550 - $699. I was able to get my hands on a 7.8LT from one of the initial production runs, and I have to warn you that what follows is the full monty...

The amount of machining on this reel is pretty staggering. Weight has been minimized at every possible turn, and the heavily ported spool is absolutely feather light.

The drag knob is large, has just the right amount of resistance to avoid accidental adjustment, and the "V" shape creates a very useful reference point for repeatable settings. I have always loved numbered drags for this reason, and this setup is almost as good.

The finish... is Hard Alox - and flawless.

Ultimately I do think that Lamson would do well to introduce color variations (at least matte black) into the lineup. At steep prices, customers tend to want a little personalization. Still, the Vanquish is a limited production model, and brings with it a certain amount of exclusivity.

After spending some time with this hardware, the Vanquish had a familiar yet difficult to describe presence about it. It finally dawned on me that Lamson's Formula 1 entry was nothing short of tactical in appearance and function. While not fluid in visual design, it has a visceral impact similar to assault weaponry. The Vanquish has the go anywhere, do anything attitude of a military M4 carbine.

You half expect this thing to come from the factory with a picatinny rail mount.

If you have fly fishing black ops in mind, the Vanquish will perform in the harshest conditions. The fully sealed, conical drag and uncompromising approach to build quality make this reel exceptional.

FlytoWater Rating:

Weight: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Incredibly light for a machined, all-metal reel)
Engineering: ☆☆☆☆☆ (No compromises)
Price: ☆☆☆☆ (More expensive than some superb alternatives, but not by much)
Overall Design: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Not sexy and fluid, but so badass it deserves 5 stars)

Three Generations

2010-04-24T13:15:00.013-06:00

When I was a young boy there was an act so heinous, so foul, so unthinkable that it would invariably cause my father to prune a hefty switch from one of the back yard fruit trees. As an environmentally conscious parent, a flailing from Dad was always 100% organic. Apple wood was preferred for its smooth acceleration, but cherry came in a close second due to aesthetics. The goal with the latter was to achieve a pleasing color match between the deep red bark and the offender's behind.

What could twist a man never given to strong drink into this unholy Johnny Appleseed gone wrong? Why, the unsupervised fondling or use of Dad's prized possession: A fiberglass Fenwick fly rod (7 ½ feet for a 6-weight) equipped with a classic Pflueger Medalist reel.

These days Dad has lost a fair amount of top-end speed, and if I come out of the starting blocks just right I can usually grab the Fenwick and outdistance him somewhere in the 3rd kilometer.

Having gotten my hands on the 'glass this weekend, it occurred to me that I had 3 generations of fly rods in my tying room. Grandpa's old bamboo rig with some type of reel that appears to have been forged during the Bronze Age, Pop's Fenwick, and my plethora of mostly graphite affairs.

I thought it would be fun to capture this using a vintage look.

Grandpa was born in 1911. By all accounts flappers were his center of attention in the 1920s. I've never heard of that fly myself, but he used to mention that they were considerably effective attractor patterns. In the years since, many a loop has been thrown by this collection of sticks. Here's to many more.

Eye of the Tiger

2010-04-10T20:27:00.004-06:00

"April is the cruelest month;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust."
-T.S. Eliot

Who knew that T.S. Eliot was an ice-off musky fly fisherman? Certainly not I, but how else can this quotation realistically be explained?

Thick plates of ice render stillwater useless to lint flickers, yet we know what lurks beneath in the darkness...

Wicked souls.

With the retreat of hard water, hope springs forth in a cruel form. Lines can now be cast through the crisp Spring air, but in cold water musky often adopt the personality traits of couch potatoes. Languishing in the aquatic equivalent of Barcaloungers, the demon torpedoes mimic the average man during the NFL playoffs: Consuming only that which is placed within effortless reach.

Slim chances aside, those who are consumed by the freshwater Jabberwocky go forth and give chase. Today, teeth gnashed.

MIDCURRENT²

2010-04-07T07:57:00.004-06:00

I am appreciative of being featured for the second time on MidCurrent for my fly fishing work. The Photography section showcases images from all over the globe and is a must-see. Thanks to Tim Romano for his assistance with round 2.

Click on this image to see the page:

Images added:

Sold up the River

2010-03-31T18:53:00.003-06:00

"I don't take away 5,000 miles of public rivers often, but when I do I prefer to give them to private interests that include my brother-in-law. Stay wealthy my friends."

- The Most Mysterious Governor in the World

I penned the above satire today after confirmation that Utah Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed HB 141 into law. This legislation flies in the face of Utah's outdoor heritage, which has roots in over 100 years of history.

Wilford Woodruff, the man who oversaw Utah's statehood, was a fly fisherman circa 1847. He took to nearby rivers frequently, and recognized the importance of water in a desert landscape. The State's constitution was drafted with specific protections, explicitly proclaiming that water resources were owned in their entirety by the public.

An easement allowing recreation to take place on the public's waters - even where rivers and streams cross private land - has been upheld all the way to the Utah Supreme Court (Conatser v. Johnson, 2008).

Wealthy private interests (including Governor Herbert's brother-in-law) stand to profit from the privatization of these valuable resources. By wielding influence, back office politics, and the all-mighty dollar HB 141 is now a reality.

If you live in Utah and do not own waterfront property, your rights have been sold up the river. I urge you to review the voting records and determine how your representative voted. Individuals voting "YEA" sided with the money, and have placed Utah's $700 million recreation industry at risk during the biggest recession of modern times.

FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 141 VOTE

SENATE 141 VOTE

Run Silent, Run Deep

2010-03-29T21:52:00.007-06:00

SOFTWATER....AT LAST.

Hitting stillwater after the long winter is as close to Nirvana as I can imagine. With a new season, I decided to experiment with a few new techniques. This image was captured by wetting the front element of my housing.

A deep breath after seeing the light of day...

Mass = Having weight & taking up space...

Another rainbow is homeward bound:

The leopard submarine:

When Shaggy isn't on the set of Scooby Doo, it is a little-known fact that he puts fly to water with reckless abandon. Cody applied hook to lip so many times on the trip that we had to begin using exponential notation.

JayMorr captured a healthy dose of images from the trip as well, so make sure to pay his blog a visit and continue the story at FlyFishermanForum.com.

iCarry 2 Much

2010-03-23T19:59:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I traversed a river carrying what onlookers initially thought to be an adolescent pachyderm on my back. In actual fact, it was my photo pack carrying 2 camera bodies, 3 lenses, 1 strobe, spare batteries, various filters, and a full size tripod.

While staving off compression fractures of the L1-L5 vertebrae, it occurred to me that I should lighten up. Literally.

As an exercise in enjoyment, once in a while this season I am going to shoot on my iPhone. Using a measure of creativity and a layer of abstraction to overcome the technical limitations of the camera, smart phones can be powerful tools. Even better, many offer applications which can perform basic post processing, also eliminating the need to download and re-work images later.

Float like a butterfly, and sting with 3G.

Defrost

2010-03-20T18:40:00.006-06:00

Winter really steams my olives. The seemingly interminable combination of short days and vast expanses of hard water get me feeling more bound up than a wheel-of-cheese diet. This morning dawned crisply enough to freeze my rod guides solid, but the sun was out and I was itching to flex the new Sage VT2 that I’ve had in hibernation the last 2 months.

Kind of a fun image - this was captured and post processed entirely on the iPhone. I will be posting some product photography and more thoughts on the VT2 down the road.

It was more of an exploratory venture today, checking out a piece of water that was entirely new to me. Fishing was slow but I enjoyed unfurling some casts with the new stick and putting fly to water for the first time this year.

Thanks to JayMorr for showing me some new stomping grounds. Check his blog over the next few days to see more imagery. This shot is courtesy of Jay, which I “cartoonified” in Photoshop.

Graham Owen

2010-02-27T15:32:00.003-07:00

Chances are that you have seen Graham's work without knowing it. Some of his fly patterns, which are so realistic they carry the West Nile Virus, have likely been used in your favorite television shows passing themselves off as the genuine article.

Spend some time on his photography site - you won't be disappointed. Click on the image to view Graham's work. I've also added a link in my Photography Sites section.

National Tarpon-Graphic

2010-02-22T19:15:00.005-07:00

I've again enjoyed the honor of having one of my images selected as a Daily Dozen winner by National Geographic. There is always tremendous variety of both subject matter and technique in these selections. If you don't have YOUR SHOT bookmarked, I recommend it for the mix of humanitarian, nature, and out-of-the-ordinary photography.

East Fork Fly Photography

2010-02-22T19:07:00.004-07:00

If you've been missing out on Rich Schaaff's imagery, go ahead and end the drought by gawking at East Fork Fly Photography. Rich is a class act and has a knack for strong compositions and slick use of tonality in his work. Click on the image to view the site.

American Angler Magazine

2010-02-16T18:43:00.004-07:00

The March/April 2010 issue of American Angler Magazine is now available. Philip Monahan's article about brook trout features a few of my images.

AA is among my favorite magazines for both content and photography, and it was an honor to be a part of this issue.

FlytoWater.NET

2010-02-15T14:03:00.005-07:00

A new Flash-based photo site I've been working on is live today. If anyone has suggestions or comments I would love to hear from you!

The Improv

2010-02-01T19:41:00.005-07:00

Things that fly often give you the bird. It's really that simple. Over the years I've come to the realization that photography is primarily about recognizing opportunities. Many times I leave the house with a certain vision or objective in mind, only to discover that the conditions or subject matter simply do not lend themselves to success.

It is during these times that it's critical to see what IS there, and take what the defense gives you.

This year it has been extremely difficult locating eagles. The birds have been unpredictable, moving significant distances from day to day. With the onset of some excellent evening light, we decided to chase northern harriers. Getting to within 25 yards of a wild harrier (about the maximum distance which will yield a detailed image) usually involves enough waiting to make Rip van Winkle appear slapdash by comparison.

JayMorr captured a spectacular image of an elusive male this week, well worth checking out on his blog. He also sniped a shot of me on the boomstick (Nikon 400mm f/2.8 VRII).

I got a few images of a female, who made a single 3-second flyby within range.

Sleeping in the Dirt Magazine

2010-01-31T18:37:00.004-07:00

If you haven't already seen the premier issue of Aaron Otto's online magazine Sleeping in the Dirt, make sure to pay a visit. No advertisements, just eye candy. Pages 12-14 feature a few images of my tarpon trip to Mexico. Thanks for the spread AO!

Click on the image to view the magazine.

Talon Scout

2010-01-24T18:10:00.009-07:00

Birds are a photographer's night sweat-inducing nemesis. All species delight in flitting about at extreme distances, later appearing in pictures as black specs nearly concealed by the curvature of the Earth. The mere mention of the word "birds" also tends to cause the onset of an inscrutable smile for those retailing or manufacturing camera lenses the size of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Eagles are somewhat of a rarity in the Salt Lake area. Like most places out West the occasional sighting is not entirely uncommon. Ordinarily, however, the chances of actually photographing them are on par with locating a Blue Footed Booby.

All this changes for a short 2-3 week period in the dead of winter, when large numbers of migratory bald eagles use the wetlands of the Wasatch Front as a layover. Apparently there are much more raptor-friendly locations farther to the North, offering something called "heavy beer" as an attractant.

I haven't seen the heaviest buildup yet, but a few birds have started to arrive. Here are a couple images from this weekend's scouting trip:

I also have a fondness for the kestrel, although their tiny size often makes them a photographer's bane. On Saturday this one was cooperative for a short period:

Keep your lap dogs inside the ride at all times folks, baldies love a nice Maltese chaser after a fish dinner.

Midcurrent Featured Photographer

2010-01-19T09:15:00.006-07:00

Many thanks to Marshall Cutchin and Tim Romano for featuring my photography on MidCurrent, which is one of the world's largest providers of fishing news, media, and techniques. It's an honor considering the guys who have been featured previously are some of the best in the biz.

Click on the photo to view the page.

There are plenty of exceptional images in the photography section, drop in and check 'em out.

Cover Shots

2010-01-14T12:35:00.004-07:00

The cover shot of a major publication has long been considered one of the crowning achievements in commercial photography. Recently a group of photographers that participate in the Itinerant Angler Online Forum had the chance to receive feedback from Phil Monahan (long-time editor of American Angler magazine and a past editor at Outdoor Life) about how these types of photographs are selected.

Phil shared a wealth of information about the characteristics of successful cover images, many of which are not readily apparent.

The session with Phil has been made available as a podcast/MP3. The audio portion is accompanied by an online slideshow demonstrating the various unique considerations of cover work. One of my images is contained in the presentation, and I learned a lot from Phil's insight.

Check out the ITINERANT ANGLER PODCAST for links to the audio/visual materials in the Cover Shot Extravaganza section.

Devil's Gold

2010-01-04T11:11:00.004-07:00

If you're in the mood for a sick short on golden dorado (and honestly who isn't?) then check out Issue #9 of Catch Magazine.

When the thumbnails load, scroll forward a few pages to the table of contents, then click on the Devil's Gold entry.

Backcasts

2009-12-30T17:40:00.007-07:00

Most fly fisherman have what could be described as a fair amount of gear. In other words, roughly 1 cubic hectare, most of which is compacted through the miracles of spousal concealment into 1,500 square feet of garage/basement/offsite storage.

Without looking like you’ve got an adolescent pachyderm strapped precariously to your back, not all gear can be taken on all trips. Invariably favorites emerge and receive heavy use, while other equipment (possibly “specialized”) simply provides comfort to the angler’s soul through existence within the stash.

What follows is a list of my regulars from 2009. I’m interested in hearing from everyone about their favorite swag that has proven itself on the water. Drop me a line if you have anything you won’t leave home without.

Sage 2500 Series

The reels I’ve cranked the most in 2009 have been Sage’s outgoing lineup, and I’ve used the 2540, 2550, and 2560 in all manner of conditions. This series offers an o-ring sealed drag, which is numbered for exact repeatability. As the British would say, this feature is “the dog’s bollocks.” Figuratively this means the pinnacle of coolness; you can disregard the literal translation. The knurled drag knob is ideally tensioned so as not to be changed inadvertently. Converting from right to left hand retrieve is as easy as any reel I’ve tried, and the large arbor helps limit line memory and makes uptake a breeze.

As of Christmas, 2500 reels are getting harder to find. Red Truck Flyfishing still has the limited edition green 2550 for 5/6 weight lines at $210. These originally sold for $375 and the spools are fully interchangeable with the new 4500 series which offers both carbon and aluminum options. This means no problems with an orphaned body anytime soon.

Outcast PAC 9000 Pontoon Boat

I have spent a considerable amount of time on stillwater in all manner of buoyant contrivances. To date, my favorite craft is the PAC 9000, bar none. This remains one of the most expensive options for those in the market for a ‘toon, but it really does perform in a class by itself.

The quad 10” diameter pontoons keep a shallow draft, provide a flat surface for gear, dramatically improve stability, track like an arrow, and provide redundancy. There are many quads on the market, but few with such a low profile. In addition there is something ingenious about the strapless frame system of the PAC 9000.

Even Outcast’s own line of less expensive quad models fails to track as cleanly or as directly as the flagship. I believe this has something to do with the tension of strap mounts along with weight distribution, but the result is superb handling. The PAC 9000 is available at River Bum or your nearest Outcast dealer.

Galvan Fly Reels

During 2009 I have landed everything from brook trout to tarpon on Galvan’s Torque and Spoke fly reels. At no time have I been disappointed, and Galvan’s products are designed and manufactured in the USA.

The Torque and Spoke are exceptionally light for aluminum reels, enabling them to be used across 3 or 4 rod weights to maximize your investment. These models use the same drag design, which has nice detents and makes a muted, single-pawl click when advancing line. Changing from right to left hand retrieve is easy, and spool removal is such a snap it can be done one-handed. I slightly prefer the drag knob of the Torque, especially if using gloves. The Spoke is lighter, and the visual design is first rate.

Stillwater Outfitters keeps a good selection of Galvan reels on hand and is great to work with. They offer a free fly line with the purchase of these reels.

A short review of the Spoke, with additional photos, can be read on my previous blog post here:

Galvan Spoke

Airflo “Slow Glass” Fly Line

Airflo’s Sixth Sense Slow Intermediate (AKA Slow Glass) stands alone as uniquely Airflo. Rated at 0.5 inches per second, this line has an ability that I absolutely love – especially during the spring. It seems to achieve neutral buoyancy down around 3 to 5 feet, which allows for some slow, twitchy subsurface retrieves.

This characteristic is very difficult to imitate with a floating or even a Type I sinking line from any other manufacturer. Using this line to imitate lethargic crayfish, dragonfly nymphs, chironomids, or minnows can be decidedly deadly. The line is a light green, although all the product photography I’ve seen depicts the peach-colored floating variant. It is available at Tackle Direct.

Scientific Anglers Waterproof Fly Boxes

Simple, well-designed, double-sided, and transparent! If you are like me and tend to carry 6-10 fly boxes on a given excursion, it’s a huge boon to be able to select the right stash at a glance. The fact that the whole lineup is watertight and floats make these a right proper bit of kit. I also appreciate the internal design, which allows you to secure/remove most flies without damaging the foam for maximum re-use.

Sage TCR

I arrived late to the party on the first generation Technical Casting Rod. When the TCX was released, a few fantastic deals surfaced on the outgoing TCR. Reviews about this series tended to be love/hate, so I was always hesitant to buy one given the price point. Well, I was missing out.

The Sage TCR 890-4 may be my all-time favorite thick stick. I also have the 1090-4 which is excellent, but the 8-weight is a cannon that casts like a laser. The 890-4 is getting hard to find, but Fly Fish USA still shows some in stock. I know that Red Truck still has a small quantity of 10-weights if you’re in the market for a rocket but want to save some cash.

Sage Z-Axis

My go-to stillwater rod this season has been the Z-Axis 796-4, and it is the best rod I’ve ever used in this category. The “Z” has backbone to throw meat at tiger muskie, but the tip has enough feel to make accurate touch casts in skinny water for lake-sized midge fishing. It’s not a delicate dry fly rod by any means, but it’s as versatile as anything I’ve ever fished.

Nothing but Net

PVC net bags are the way to go. They hold their shape, resist tangles (both fly and fish related), become almost transparent in the water, and are gentle on the quarry. This year I have used the Brodin Ghost Frying Pan Float Tube, and the Wachter Magnum when more reach was needed.

River Bum offers a full line of Brodin nets along with top notch service.

Wachter nets are available at http://www.wachternets.com/

National Geographic

2009-12-16T09:00:00.003-07:00

I was honored to have one of my photos selected by National Geographic's Senior Photo Editor Susan Welchman as a daily dozen winner yesterday. Each month winning submissions have a chance to be published in the magazine.

If you are interested in entering, visit the Your Shot web page and create an account. Photographers can submit only 1 image per month, and entries compete against thousands of submissions from all over the world.

The full image:

Peep Show

2009-12-02T21:27:00.004-07:00

The new Nautilus NV is a wicked, sultry vixen. Here's a sneak peek inside my lightbox - I'll be reviewing this minx down the road a bit.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T17:42:00.005-07:00

If you haven't worked the term "gourmandizer" into a sentence lately, Thanksgiving is a great time to break it out. Essentially it means the same thing as "trencherman." I did my best impressions of both over the long weekend. Many thanks to Mom for letting us fill her house with bird dogs and ravenous appetites, and happy birthday Kevin!

The pups always have a ball up there this time of year.

Best wishes and happy holidays!

Wild Wings

2009-11-22T20:08:00.007-07:00

If you've never tried to photograph waterfowl in flight it is likely that bliss, melodious laughter, and decadent high-living are far more common occurrences than facial spasms in daily life.

The objective this weekend was to capture a few airborne acrobatics. Execution is something of a symphony, requiring just-right lighting (not too much, not too little), planning, and a high degree of familiarity with your camera controls.

Even with all of the above, the likely result is still an Epic Fail. Still, once in a while, Ghostrider requests a fly-by.

While keeping watch on the skies, don't forget to look down once in a while either. Marshes can produce outstanding reflections if you get low to the water and seek the right angles.

That's my swan song for the weekend. JayMorr rocked the D700 on the trip, so check his blog sometime soon for his newest uploads.

Goosed

2009-11-21T15:24:00.009-07:00

Wild Canadian geese rank second all-time (behind only the chukar partridge) in their ability to confound the wives of men.

"You're going to wade through a festering marsh in temperatures cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey for the slim chance of seeing a goose?"

The question is not entirely unreasonable. Incidentally eye rolling so extreme that whiplash becomes likely is highly unbecoming of a lady.

This morning a short window of gorgeous light opened up for a moment, and I captured the portrait I was looking for.

JayMorr got some shots of the inbound birds in flight - drop in for a closer look.

Fowl Intentions

2009-11-17T18:59:00.007-07:00

If boredom ever sets in before dawn when temperatures hover around 15 degrees, I recommend finding a metal cylinder and clutching it with blue fingers to stave off the tedium.

Finding wild wood ducks in Utah is a little like looking for Manhattan-style chowder in Boston. This weekend I decided to scout a timber patch up North where I have seen a few previously, and asked JayMorr if he was interested in loss of feeling in his extremities.

It took a lot of patience but a few opportunities presented themselves. We found mallards in great supply, and got lenses on a few drake woodies.

Mallards, while common, are beautiful birds when you get a close look.

Conditions were right for some nice reflections. I thought the tones in this hen mallard's plumage made for great contrast:

Check out Jay's Blog for more images, including some shots of a drake wood duck in flight.

Blue Water Copperworks

2009-11-14T18:14:00.007-07:00

Anyone who has not seen the work of R. Hanes Hoffman, Jr. is missing out. I've had the opportunity recently to chat a little with Hanes and also check out some of his sculptures. He is expanding his business and is continuing to seek audiences out West, especially for his trout-related heavy metal.

Stop by his site BLUE WATER COPPERWORKS and gawk at the goods. If you, or the local fly shop, may be interested in getting your hands on some of his original work just drop a line.

Drifting

2009-11-08T11:29:00.008-07:00

Two photographers in the same drift boat is rarely a good idea. The result is far too much right-brained activity in a confined space, listing the boat and dooming the occupants to row in tiny circles for the duration of the trip.

Wisdom being the better part of lint flicking, I decided to set aside the lens in favor of a thick fly stick on yesterday’s pursuit of rainbows afflicted with gigantism.

Most of the excitement came in the pitch blackness of night on a long, deserted road during the drive home. It was here that Morrison explained his deep and abiding distrust of Howie Long, stemming from a series of Chevrolet commercials that make outrageous fuel economy claims.

Driven by an unrelenting inner fire to burn down Howie’s mythology, Jay set out on a quest to drive a 100-mile stretch of remote highway in a V8 pickup while basking in the cheerful holiday glow of the LOW FUEL indicator light.

It is my firm belief that we coasted into the Last Chance in Hell gas station only as a direct result of the hybrid energy technology which I invented during the drive. The traditional gasoline engine was supplemented with electric power derived from organic profanity, which I was flickering about the crew cab like sheet lightning. High CO2 emissions were the only possible downside of this technique, for which I hope to secure patent protection in the near future.

Check out JAYMORR’s blog for more of his excellent imagery of the trip.

Something Silver this way Comes

2009-09-27T15:01:00.013-06:00

It was 4:00 AM, and my phone’s alarm was screeching that it was time to wake up. Two hours earlier I had arrived at a small town hotel in Mexico after travelling all day. After a brief stint attempting to get comfortable in a bed so short that a spider monkey would have been forced to adopt the fetal position, it was time to fish.

The pre-dawn darkness revealed little about our surroundings as we made our way to the docks. A small marine light illuminated our home for the next several days, a nicely maintained panga-style flats boat with a 60-horsepower outboard.

Our guide put us at ease by asking us to stay alert and watchful as we sped through the blackness, explaining that many fishing boats lacked lights and that three pairs of eyes were better than one. The motor then broke the morning stillness, and we raced towards the mangrove jungles to the North under a tropical sky filled with shooting stars.

Before long we were rapidly approaching the entrance to a tidal river, and the motor suddenly fell silent. Dawn was breaking to the East, and I grabbed my 8-weight and stood on the casting deck while attempting to discern the shoreline as we poled through a series of tiny mangrove islands.

The water was gin-clear and without so much as a breath of wind the surface was like an expanse of glass. Looking down, I noticed the constellation Orion was mirrored on the sea as though it were my own reflection. Then I heard it: The sound of rolling tarpon.

This type of fishing can quickly become an addiction. Casting a fly towards fish you can see, then stripping it near the surface only to see a powerful wave begin pushing water towards it as the tarpon charges. The take is ferocious.

The hook set must be strong and well-executed in order to endure the coming spectacle. The first jump comes quickly, and is often followed by half a dozen others within the first few minutes. It is not uncommon for these fish to clear the water by 6 to 10 feet or more.

Flats fishing was short-lived on this trip as the sun began to rise. It was then that things would get interesting. The tarpon would retreat deep into the mangrove jungles, and we would follow them. Initially the guides would use poles to push the boats into the mouths of tidal rivers, and begin moving us upstream. It would not be long until these waterways would turn into tunnels, leading under dense forest canopies while narrowing rapidly. Spiders with the diameter of a baseball would periodically drop into the boat with a “thunk” and cause no small amount of spontaneous movement. At times fleas which were easily size 14 could leap into the boat from the surrounding vegetation and make a mad dash for the nearest gringo.

Ultimately we would be laying down flat on the casting deck, pulling the boat forward by grabbing mangrove roots a few feet at a time. Invariably, the ever-narrowing rivers would give way to small lagoons, at times more than a mile from the ocean. Here the tarpon would be, and here epic battles would ensue as powerful fish were hooked in confined spaces surrounded by snarls of root systems on each bank. It seemed like a land before time, and when everything occasionally went right – bright fish would come to hand and smiles would glint like scales in the sun.

If anyone is interested in trying this adventure out for themselves, drop me a line. I would be more than happy to put you in contact with the guys that made this happen. Thanks for reading.

Nieces

2009-09-05T00:22:00.002-06:00

Certain tempestuous malcontents have offered the unsolicited opinion that I own defective camera equipment, capable only of fish photography. I find the best response to these confrontations is to smile inscrutably, which is no easy skill to master, especially if you don't know what "inscrutable" means.

It was fun spending a little time with my nieces tonight, and taking a couple of snapshots.

Taylor...

Ashley...

Sarah...

Outside the Light Box

2009-08-09T12:13:00.004-06:00

Product photography is usually straight forward, and can be repetitive too. Last week I decided to think outside the light box and come up with something a little more edgy.

These shots both required staging, a tripod, a circular polarizing filter, timed exposures, and waiting for the right lighting conditions.

The results are a little unconventional, but that's the point.

2009 Galvan Spoke Fly Reel

2009-08-02T15:27:00.005-06:00

Choice in the world of fly reels is somewhat of an understatement. Looking at the reel case of my local dealer, sometimes I am reminded of Brian Regan’s comedy piece on refrigerators.

“Look at this model; it keeps your food cold for $300 dollars.”

“Follow me over here; this one keeps your food cold for $1200 dollars.”

While few dispute the need for quality in saltwater and big game drag systems, the debate tends to rage around what makes a great trout reel. When entering the game, requirements are simple: Something to hold a fly line. As casting skills improve and we spend more time on the water, balancing a rod well allows for decreased fatigue at day’s end.

Trout are not known for testing a drag, yet this season a big hen rainbow sizzled 125 yards of backing (out of an available 150) off my reel. Without a quality piece of equipment I never would have landed that fish, so performance does make a difference when it counts.

I tend to rate reels based on weight, engineering, price point, and design.

Weight: The reel should be light enough not to overbalance my rod after backing and line are installed. Ideally, I also like to use a single reel body on at least 3 rod weights by using different spools and adding/subtracting backing as needed.
Engineering: Changing from left to right hand retrieve should be simple, as should the removal of the spool. The reel needs to be low maintenance. Good drag systems are smooth, offer sustainable resistance, have solid detents to avoid accidental adjustment, and are consistent at various settings.
Price: How does the reel compete in all categories against other models in the same range?
Design: Let’s face it, a sexy design is appealing. If you are going to spend money, ugly is not first on the agenda.

My ideal trout reel is a large arbor design that will span rods from a 9’ 4-weight to a 9.5’ 7-weight. There are precious few offerings that can pull this type of duty without overbalancing the 4, or leaving the 7 tip heavy.

The newest model to meet all these requirements, and do so with one of the most eye-catching designs on the market, is the 2009 Galvan Spoke.

Galvan is known for very light reels, but the Spoke is their lightest offering. The S5 weighs in at 4.45 oz, compared to 4.8 for the popular Torque T5. The T6 is light enough to balance out my 4-weight Sage SLT perfectly, but is not too light on my 7-weight with a full load of backing.

Switching the reel from right to left-hand retrieve is easy, and completed by inverting the pawl which is held in place by a retention ring. Spool removal is a snap -- the center is a button that both frees the spool and offers an audible click when re-seated.

The drag system is derived from the Torque, and is solid. Operating the reel results in a subdued, single-pawl click that is nicely muted and unobtrusive. Knob detents are noticeable, and unlikely to be adjusted accidentally.

Personally, I love numbered drag systems that have easily repeatable settings, and this is the one area that I think Galvan’s adjustment design could stand some improvement. The knob makes 2 complete revolutions moving from minimum to maximum drag, but since the knob has “Galvan Fly Reels” printed on it as a placeholder, settings are quite repeatable.

At this point I have landed over 400 fish using the Spoke, which is a decent break-in period. It is one of my all-time favorite reels. Be prepared for some questions if you get one, because just about everyone who has seen the Spoke on my rod has asked me who makes it. Galvan knows sexy.

The Spoke must be in demand too, because it can be hard to find even at the big retailers. I have found it in stock at two of my favorite fly shops:

Quick Rating

Weight: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Extremely light for an all-aluminum body/spool)

Engineering: ☆☆☆☆ (Wish list: A numbered drag)

Price: ☆☆☆☆☆ (On par with anything in the $300 range)

Design: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Hatch is probably the only competition in visual design)

Returning to the Scene

2009-07-30T19:08:00.003-06:00

I once threw two size 13 hunting boots at a skunk in the pitch darkness of night while inside a new $1000 wall tent. This may seem slightly brash to some, but my potato chips had come under assault earlier in the evening by a chipmunk of ill-repute who I thought had returned for seconds.

After my Vibram-soled mortars failed to drive off the intruder, I extricated myself from a warm sleeping bag, walked over to the card table, and turned on my flashlight. It was at this juncture that a case of mis-stinking identity became apparent. There, directly between my feet, was a voluminous tail in the full, upright, and locked position.

What followed remains a partial mystery due to the frenetic pace at which events transpired. During what amounted to only a few seconds, I conservatively estimate that I circumnavigated the interior of the tent 3 times and attempted at least one MMA rear choke hold. Seeing that my foe was attempting to lock in a firing solution, I began jamming his launch sequence with blistering midnight profanity. At one point during the match I ended up outside the tent without using the door. It was here the skunk forfeited the bout and disappeared, much to the delight of the tent’s owner -- my father.

Last weekend Dad and I returned to the scene of this very incident, and caught brook trout in obscene numbers until our rotator cuffs had worn down to nubbins. It was great to spend time bending graphite together during the day and reminiscing around the campfire at night.

Hopper Time

2009-07-16T21:19:00.003-06:00

Summer = Hoppers. Fly fishermen pay particular attention to them, because it means bombing terrestrial patterns the size of European swallows at gamefish. These tank-like, armored eating machines are really quite remarkable when you look closely, however.

I have experimented a little with new macro techniques lately. HDR is a method that has been increasingly used in landscape photography recently, but I've never seen it applied to insect macros. The use of backlighting and direct flash with HDR creates some fun images.

This is Fly

2009-07-13T09:15:00.003-06:00

It was fun to collaborate on an article for This is Fly Magazine Issue 18 with Jason Morrison on fishing photography. Check it out at http://www.thisisfly.com/ , on page 71 (back issues #18).

Bouldermania

2009-07-07T20:30:00.009-06:00

There are strange things done in the Boulder sun
By the fools who moil for trout;
The mountain trails have their fishing tales
That would drive a man to scout;
The Utah nights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of a lake not large
I caught a hundred brookies.

I have long been a fan of Robert Service and since he was born in Lancashire, England at the head of the Ribble River I don’t think he would mind that I’ve adapted his words to fly fishing.

Boulder Mountain in Southern Utah is home to many species of fish, but the brook trout is perhaps its most sought after denizen. Dark green backs flecked with jewel-like spots are set on fire by brilliant red fins that cut through the water on ivory edges. Few things in life are as magical as a brookie in crystal clear alpine waters.

As callibaetis hatched this weekend in prolific numbers at 10,000 feet and eager trout demolished our imitations, life became a series of simple connections.

Hand to Rod

Rod to Line

Line to Fly

Fly to fish

My Grandfather fished Boulder Mountain in the early 1900s on foot and horseback. Almost a century after his first Boulder Mountain casts, at one of his favorite lakes, it seemed fitting to land a fish for every year that has passed since then. Thanks for blazing the trail, Grandpa.

Thanks to writer and photographer JayMorr for the good company on this trip. I'm sure some of his images from the weekend will be coming to a fly fishing rag near you. Don't miss out on his shots at Fly Fisherman Forum.

Something Wicked

2009-06-29T16:06:00.004-06:00

Hemingway once wrote that he thought of the sea as “feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them.”

I have always viewed Henry’s Lake in much the same way. Fishermen often discuss this stillwater in hushed terms, theorizing that there are actually only 7 gallons of liquid in the entire lake. The rest of the volume consists of piggish trout gormandizing on the vast amounts of forage the shallow weed beds constantly make available.

Like the ocean, Henry’s gives or withholds great favors. Gluttonous cutthroats, hybrids, and brook trout lurk beneath the surface. Few places in this geography offer a better chance at fish over 10 pounds, but the lake is a fickle and wicked mistress.

The term “hatch” cannot really be used to describe what happens from time to time on Henry’s Lake. A plague of biblical proportions comes closer. At times, untold billions of chironomids rise from the surface and blanket every square inch of real estate within miles of the lake. Such are the choking clouds of insects that the only way to avoid inhaling them is to breathe through clenched teeth, pausing every couple of minutes to wipe the protein sludge from your incisors.

Naturals can be so prolific that convincing a trout to accept an imitation is like peddling tofu at a Texas steakhouse. Favors this weekend were withheld, as billowing clouds of black caddis and chironomids broke like waves upon the shores. Masochistically I always return to Henry’s, hoping to find the wild instead of the wicked.

Ririe Reservoir produced good numbers of runty smallmouth bass, and the occasional fine spotted Snake River cutthroat.

The pups got some field time too, which they can’t get enough of. My Mom’s mastiff puppy Harley is now up to 65 pounds, which will likely be about 25% of his adult weight.

Next week, it’s off to the Boulders in pursuit of brook trout.

Wings Up

2009-06-14T18:13:00.002-06:00

Lately the rains have been hitting Utah with sufficient enthusiasm to cause several of my neighbors to begin gathering up two of every animal. The moisture has been causing some hatches in unusual places, so I decided to dust off the macro lens and grab a few shots of mayflies and damsels.

Buggy shots are a good time. If you want to take advantage of a hatch near you, set your camera's aperture to f/22, use fill flash, and go to town.

Fetha Styx

2009-05-21T21:27:00.006-06:00

I noticed this morning that one of my trout snaps won April's photography contest at Fetha Styx, a purveyor of fine, custom fishing rods.

The winning shot:

Thanks to my Fetha-ed friends for selecting the image!

I added a few additional photos to the collection up at Currant Creek last weekend. The cutthroats up there are beauties.

Run for the Border

2009-05-14T21:15:00.008-06:00

In some kind of twisted humor, the non-fisherman Murphy has enjoyed a phenomenal Spring. Here in the Rocky Mountains, April and May weekdays have been full of sunshine and warm temperatures. Weekends, on the other hand, have been below freezing and stormy for 2 solid months. At long last Spring broke through just in time for our Mother's Day trip to Idaho.

I was excited to meet Mom's new English mastiff puppy, Harley. At 14 weeks he tips the scales at 55 pounds and is expected to absorb voluminous quantities of nutrients until he reaches 200 lbs.

The dogs love Idaho. Kaiser and Sadie at first were very intimidating to the soon-to-be pituitary giant, but before long he warmed up and began his bid for alpha male status. The sunsets in Ririe provided some soft light for photographing the pups. Sadie is now 2, and Kaiser is about 22 months.

I tested the waters on Ririe Reservoir, which is a sleeper spot for large splake, fine-spotted Snake River cutthroat, and smallmouth bass. The runoff from Willow Creek had the water extremely off color, and I caught good numbers of kokanee salmon that were inexplicably in very shallow depths. Several fine-spotted cutts also made it to the net, but nothing over 16".

This was a good time to put my new Outcast PAC 9000 through some paces. The low-profile quad pontoon boat covered about 2 miles of shoreline with far less effort than I have been used to in the past. I plan on writing a short review of the boat in the next week or so.

My friend Lynn of BS Flies was nearby in Rexburg, and kindly offered to show me around. Lynn is an experienced guide and as I approached his truck I noticed a considerable gravitational field surrounding the F150 that was pulling nearby objects into shallow orbits. He explained to me that through careful research he has developed a system for never forgetting important fishing gear. The premise of this solution is simple and brilliant: Take everything with you, all the time.

On the drive North we stopped a few times in order to trigger controlled avalanches of equipment in the extended cab to avoid creating a dangerous situation should the brakes ever need to be applied.

We arrived at the fishing destination just in time, as the combined mass of my gear on top of his seemed very close to collapsing upon itself and forming a white dwarf.

The genius of the Large Fishing Collider soon became apparent when we discovered the all-important boat plug was broken and useless. Lynn walked over to his vehicle and proceeded to delve into the cubic hectare of valuables in the back seat. At one point I believed that he had been swallowed up by the leviathan, Jonah-like, but he soon emerged with a brand-new rubber boat plug and we were in business.

The full moon and clear skies over the previous night made for slow fishing but the potential was there!

Lynn runs one of the only guide services that I'm aware of that focuses almost exclusively on stillwater. Contact him (info@bsflies.com) if you want a world class experience on Henry's Lake, Island Park Reservoir, Ririe, or Sheridan Reservoir.

Of course we couldn't pass up opportunities to photograph a few birds. There were bald eagles, osprey, all manner of waterfowl, rough legged hawks, and American avocets surrounding the open water. We got a few photos of the avocets and a rough legged hawk.

Thanks again to Lynn for great company on the water, I'm looking forward to the next round.

Storms, Sails, and Rainbows

2009-05-02T23:06:00.004-06:00

HDR is a technique where multiple photographs are taken in a series using bracketing, where some images are both under and over exposed intentionally. These images are then overlayed to create strong contrast and graphic compositions. Over the past couple of weeks I've been experimenting with this concept out at Utah's Great Salt Lake.

Drenching rains, which kept me from fishing today, had subsided. Unstable air chasing the front was perfect for sailing.

There was some verga to be seen, and a few drops of rain spattered down on the rocks.

Saltair isn't exactly what most would hope to find at the end of rainbow, but this one formed for all of 30 seconds before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Looking East from the marina towards Salt Lake, plenty of storm clouds were still gathered.

I like the effect that HDR has on stone, and this compass at the observation deck is a good example.

Every time it storms I'm tempted to visit the Great Salt Lake. The skies and sunsets are spectacular, and this guy had the right idea with an ice cold one, a lei, and a caribbean style hat.

Wind but no Sails

2009-04-17T21:09:00.002-06:00

These are a few additional shots from the Great Salt Lake expedition. The trip was specifically to experiment with HDR landscapes. Drop me a note and let me know what you think.

Hitting the Brine

2009-04-13T23:28:00.003-06:00

The signs pointed to some excellent sky conditions tonight so I tossed the wide angle in the pack and drove West until things started to smell like billions of years of decomposing brine shrimp.

Great Salt Lake sunsets during impending weather changes rarely disappoint, and tonight was no exception.

I didn't have too much time to sort through the evening's shots, but it was well worth huffing the primordial ooze. Watch for Jay's Full Frame Goodness on his photo blog too.

Once Upon a Time

2009-04-09T21:28:00.004-06:00

In the fairy tale, anything King Midas touches turns to gold. Of course, it’s a fictional account and everyone knows that Dionysus’ gift of the magic touch is nothing more than fantasy.

Likewise do fishermen drift away into the far reaches of the mind imagining that it is possible to find sun and blue sky when nearby temperatures dip to -6° Fahrenheit.

Equally ridiculous is the possibility of finding gold attached to the end of your line. It’s just a story.

Men do not wade in liquid ice near shores with fresh fallen snow, casting crystal clear fly lines to mythical fish. Such a thing would only be the product of an overactive imagination.

Thanks for the snap Jay - for more about the trip that never happened check out Fly Fisherman Forum.