Fly-fishing and Photography

Chris,
Mitchell reels of the 70s were the most elegant, and some of the smallest, reels around for still water fishing. I covet my brother's one, which he still has.
Thanks for the photo of your grandfather. it brings back my own memories.
 
pyeh said:
Chris,
Mitchell reels of the 70s were the most elegant, and some of the smallest, reels around for still water fishing. I covet my brother's one, which he still has.
Thanks for the photo of your grandfather. it brings back my own memories.
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I think grandpa's were even older. I think they were from the 60s, and he had one very old one that was from the 50s. I have them, along with two that I bought in the early 1990s right before they quit making them in France and moved production to Korea.

I saw one at Walmart recently, made in China. They had reels from all the classic manufacturers; Mitchell, Shakespeare, Pflueger, Fenwick, and Abu Garcia; and all of the packages said the brands were owned by one big company now, called Pure Fishing, and all of them junk now. Damned shame.

In addition to my French made Mitchells, I have a Swedish Abu Garcia casting reel.
 
Still have my 300 and 301 that I bought new at that time Chris. They are dust collectors surprisingly; and have to be cleaned and lubed each yr. Bought several spare spools also so I can run different weight line on. Hard to find today in quality condition.
 
Chris,
That is a wonderful photo of your grandfather. I wish I had one like that. I love your story behind that picture. Thanks for posting!:cool:

I really recommend anyone to get back to fishing. My physical and mental recovery from the nightmare of the last 7 years is just now working only because I picked up my camera and my fly-rod at the same time less than six months ago. A dual approach to therapy! I am so thankful to be a photographer and one who enjoys such a pasttime.

Now my grandkids are out of school for the summer and as soon as they tire of the pool, they will be with me at the lake. I find fishing good for the soul!!! Mine anyways.:rolleyes:
 
Chris and Oltimer, you're very lucky to have those old beautiful reels. From memory, my brother's Mitchell had to be cleaned out every few fishing trips. I guess they weren't well sealed. And with the easily rubbed off black paint, you kind of have to view them like Leicas, some would say.
To bring it slightly back to Dave Lackey's OT, I was recently bequeathed an old Abu and an old Mitchell, as well as Shakepeare and Hardy fly reels and assorted rods and flies that were my late father-In-law's. Beautiful things.
I've only been fly fishing once and I was pretty dismal at it, but I intend to take lessons and make proper use of this great gear, to honour his legacy.
 
+1...^ you guys are indeed lucky!

Peter, please go fly-fishing. Take pictures of the experience. As an architectural engineer in a former life, I can tell you, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office!! Besides, after all those projects I designed and built over the years, life has a way of minimizing their importance, leaving my clients rich and in the Bahamas while I am broke and... IMO, I am the happier as a flyrod and a few cameras are my only material possessions. Not that I recommend that kind of lifestyle, but my few possessions bring me great joy with the simple life. And as a bonus, my bride of 44 years is super at encouraging me to get out there and shoot or fish, even going with a chair and a book to read in spite of her feeling bad. I like that better than deep sea fishing with the guys!
 
I have my dad's French made Mitchell 309A which is the right hand wind. He gave it to me in the early 1980's when I officially moved out of the house after college. I used to sneak his rod out of the closet when I was younger, which was taboo. I didn't think he noticed but of course he did... Good memories.
 
It is an age since I've been fly-fishing. In fact, it is about 20 years. The last time I can recall was in western Nebraska while driving back from South Dakota around Easter 1995. I had a multi-part fly rod packed (I always used to do that) and a reel with some light floating line and 3lb tippet. I caught and released a number of sub-pound trout and rather enjoyed it. Up until then I'd spent a lot of (very enjoyable) time fly-fishing in Australia and New Zealand. I was a fully paid-up member of the Manaro Acclimitisation Society and suchlike. But then I spent years in Hong Kong (not a lot of prospects there!) and came home to a big drought here in Oz - which pretty much crueled the whole stream-fishing thing. And being busy with other things, I guess I let my enthusiasm lapse.

After a great many years we got over the drought (well, the big drought: there's always drought in Oz) but I haven't been back to the streams. I'd probably need new waders and almost certainly need new fly-line (the rest of my gear should be in good shape), but I really should go fly-fishing again. I sure used to enjoy it...

...Mike
 
dave lackey said:
What correlations do you see between the two?
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I guess you could say they are both about getting yourself into the right position at the right time. It seems an obvious analogy... The fly fisherman on the river and the street photographer on the avenue.


Both fishing and photographing certainly can get me into that state of concentration where the rest of life seems to disappear.

I love both but don't mix them up. Almost never try to take photographs while on the stream. I usually have a camera in my pack, but just never take it out. Again, just too concentrated on one thing to think of another. Plus, the places I fish (High Sierra freestone streams) don't produce the trophy sized trout you would want to document, although they can have some amazing colors.
 
A beautiful and inspiring thread. A long time on, forty years ago I bought a fly tying kit while nursing a leg injury. I thoroughly enjoyed it and often think about it though I did not carry on with it. I frequent Orvis for other things. Are they, or another source, good for a 101 type of information? I think I would like to try again.
 
mfunnell-Mike, I'm sure we can do an RFF/fly fishing meet in the Snowies! You can be the guide and instructor. But before that, we should do coffee/beer in town again.
 
pyeh said:
mfunnell-Mike, I'm sure we can do an RFF/fly fishing meet in the Snowies! You can be the guide and instructor. But before that, we should do coffee/beer in town again.
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As to the snowies, after 20 years, if I were your guide you'd technically be described as "lost". Beer or coffee in town is another matter: those I can find with ease! We should, indeed, do that again.

...Mike
 
burancap said:
A beautiful and inspiring thread. A long time on, forty years ago I bought a fly tying kit while nursing a leg injury. I thoroughly enjoyed it and often think about it though I did not carry on with it. I frequent Orvis for other things. Are they, or another source, good for a 101 type of information? I think I would like to try again.
Click to expand...

Jeff, absolutely! Orvis is connected to a lot of the fly-fishing community in their market area. I buy their flies because they simply work better than those I pick up from locals. But tying my own is just a bit away as the kit and setup is not cheap and the time to learn is an issue at the moment. The guys at your closest Orvis shop can get you hooked up with locals who have teaching seminars throughout the year, usually in late Spring, Summer or Fall.

Here is a great resource and amazing location in Th Great Smoky Mountains:
http://littleriveroutfitters.com
 
On the Patersonia Rivulet, Tasmania.
brown+trout.jpg


Marty
 
Sigh... another beautiful photo of a beautiful fish... and I am stuck at home. I hear an old song by The Animals, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"!:p
 
Here is another one from the Timber Coulee in Wisconsin. Hard to believe I packed my Shen Hao 4x5, tripod and fishing gear. The pull off for parking was pretty close by though. Efke IR820 film in Rodinol (R09) 1-100. The Shen Hao is gone now.



timber coulee by Tom Hart, on Flickr
 
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