The Art of Photography and Flyfishing

[dave lackey]

Pastel colored vests? 😱 Not Orvis...must be another supplier. My latest Orvis catalog shows only khaki and olive colors.

Wonder if someone is making them for the ladies....hmmm.

 

[dave lackey]

Yep, just as I suspected...L.L. Bean! Another good reason to use black and white film!

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/5474...&cat4=9963&shop_method=pp&feat=9963-sub2&np=Y

Now, that begs the question...do fish see in black and white or do they actually see color?

 

[CaptainMike]

Indeed.

Ive been meaning to take the RFs out on the river more these days.

 

[CaptainMike]

Of course, its tough to pull myself aways from the fishing--even when the fish arent biting--to take time to snap any photos, and when I do something always seems to go wrong.

Just a few weeks ago, I was salmon fishing in Nova Scotia. I brought 5 rolls of Tri-X and a Zorki 2 along with me to shoot some film, but I only managed to shoot a single roll. When I returned home and got ready to process the film I discovered I had loaded the camera improperly. It hadnt been exposed. I cant even remember the last time Ive done that, and I should have known as I was winding it to advance the film that something wasnt right. So heartbreaking, but I guess I was just too busy fishing.

 

[jan normandale]

hmmm, lotsa opinions here. It's beginning to read like RFF.

I'll fish with Joe Friday and Chris Crawford if I ever get the chance and if he's shown up here Brad Bireley. Have a good one on the water everyone.

 

[Ken Smith]

hmmm, lotsa opinions here. It's beginning to read like RFF.

Jan - I think just about every endeavor in life is polarized now-a-days. Flyfishing not excluded. From high tech graphite rods w/disc drag reels and flies tied synthetics to bamboo fly rods w/vintage reels, silk fly lines, and flies tied with nothing but natural materials. Dries only. Nymphs only, Streamers only. And just about everything in between. Some fly fishing forums can get down right hostile - especially come late winter when the shack nasties set in.

Life's too short. I do it how it pleases me. If I catch a few trout here in Montana then I'm having fun. If I don't catch anything - I'm still having fun, enjoying the mountain scenery, and watching nature play out a gazillion year old ritual. And wondering how a 21st century white pelican gliding just above the river looks so much like a Cretaceous period pterodactyl. Takes me back about 70 million years. Just then someone's cell phone from a passing driftboat plays a funky ringtone - but that's another rant for another board.

 

[MikeL]

Gone too is the art of wading and and the art of high-stick nymphing - everyone uses a bright colored "bobber" now-a-days. I think those neon floatie thingies come color matched to the clothes 😀 I wanna blend into the background - not stick out.

Hah! I didn't think much about the fast and furious areas until I worked on a snorkel survey during my undergrad, and saw how many nice sized fish hang out there. Been high-stick nymphing ever since.

Speaking of which, my recommendation to anyone starting out: snorkel a reach with multiple pool-riffle complexes for a day. It may be cold and tiring, but it will provide great context for all the techniques and thing-a-mabobs that one reads/hears about, and will help you decide whether they are necessary. And if there are folks walking on the side while you are snorkeling, it will be clear, from the fish responses, why wading out in the open with bright pastels may not be the best way to go about things. 😉

Here's a link to some stuff I used to write for Global Flyfisher.

http://globalflyfisher.com/staff/normandale/

I missed this earlier, nice work Jan!

 

[jan normandale]

Ken and Mike, I agree with all the things you've written. I'm just saying that there are lots of opinions in RFF on the right rangefinder or the right pair of cameras to go on holiday for a family album.

This thread has similar 'feel' to it. I don't think there are 'wrong' answers probably all work. I was surprised long ago at RFF by the number of us who actually fished. Somewhere in the dusty archives of RFF there is a very old thread on 'fly fishing' or just fishing shots. Just like here and now.

Maybe I'll fish with some of you who knows. I've threatened Joe Friday and Brad for years. Chris is always an interesting guy and I'd like to fish Indiana too.

best, Jan

 

[Freakscene]

Now, that begs the question...do fish see in black and white or do they actually see color?

As usual, the answer is "it depends". Goldfish can see infrared. Billfish mostly see blue. Other species, "it depends".

Marty

 

[michaelshane]

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Ken and Mike, I agree with all the things you've written. I'm just saying that there are lots of opinions in RFF on the right rangefinder or the right pair of cameras to go on holiday for a family album.

This thread has similar 'feel' to it. I don't think there are 'wrong' answers probably all work. I was surprised long ago at RFF by the number of us who actually fished. Somewhere in the dusty archives of RFF there is a very old thread on 'fly fishing' or just fishing shots. Just like here and now.

Maybe I'll fish with some of you who knows. I've threatened Joe Friday and Brad for years. Chris is always an interesting guy and I'd like to fish Indiana too.

best, Jan

Thanks Jan. No trout here though, how do you feel about Bluegills? We mostly fish for those, along with largemouth bass and crappie. I fished for trout in Arizona several yrs ago with my uncle who lives there. Bluegill are more fun to catch though, they fight harder!

 

[Chris101]

There's fish in Arizona?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

There's fish in Arizona?

An artificial lake. New Mexico was the same way, no natural lakes, just artificial ones. NM did have a couple of rivers that had water in them year round though. Only a couple. I remember seeing people in Albuquerque fishing in the middle of the Rio Grande, which is about 2 feet deep. People would just walk in the water. I'm used to fishing in lakes, natural ones, in the midwest where the water may be 20 feet deep at the end of your pier and 50-100 feet deep in the middle.

 

[JimDE]

I have fly fished since 1962. My first rod was a fly rod and for the past 30 years I have been primarily a saltwater fly rodder. Yeah I own the grass rods too and occasionally use them even in the salt but my #1 choice today are the two handed fly rods for the beach.

For as far as I can remember I have been cyclic in my interests between, fly fishing, photography, shotgunning, and traditional archery. Photography can play a role in with the other interest as well. Enjoy the ride! This path leads to great satisfaction with times of tremendous GAS! 😉

 

[dave lackey]

Thanks Jan. No trout here though, how do you feel about Bluegills? We mostly fish for those, along with largemouth bass and crappie. I fished for trout in Arizona several yrs ago with my uncle who lives there. Bluegill are more fun to catch though, they fight harder!

Heading out on the lake tomorrow evening and Wednesday morning specifically for bluegills!😀

 

[dave lackey]

RFF question:

Somewhere I heard that a yellow filter will really make the fly line show up on black and white photos.

Since I am working primarily with a 1953 Summarit 50mm lens with a 41mm filter size (I think that is correct), where in the heck can I find a filter that will work on that lens?😱

 

[Brad Bireley]

Flyfishing & photography...yes! I had a small fly shop & guiding service for 5 years here in NC PA. Oh, I also built custom fly rods & tied flies commercially. A few years back I built a 4pc rod for Brett(JoeFriday) in exchange for a Kiev outfit. I have 100's of slides from trout fishing. Although not scanned yet. But here are a few photos from the last couple of years.

 

[Brad Bireley]

One of my goals this fall is to photograph a native brook trout in spawing colors with my 4x5(crown graphic) !

 

[dave lackey]

Nice photos, Brad!

 

[victoriapio]

Just got back from taking my college-bound son fly fishing on the San Juan River in New Mexico. Lots of big trout there, I mean lots. Since we live only 30 minutes from the Texas coast, we fly fish in saltwater (for reds and specs) more than freshwater.

An artificial lake. New Mexico was the same way, no natural lakes, just artificial ones. NM did have a couple of rivers that had water in them year round though. Only a couple. I remember seeing people in Albuquerque fishing in the middle of the Rio Grande, which is about 2 feet deep. People would just walk in the water. I'm used to fishing in lakes, natural ones, in the midwest where the water may be 20 feet deep at the end of your pier and 50-100 feet deep in the middle.