2024 F3T Behind the Lens: Triple Trouble

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Next up in our 2024 F3T Behind the Lens series, we connected with angler and guide Danielle Davidson, wildlife artist and angler Mary-Beth Meeks and filmmaker Ben Meadows to chat about their latest film, Triple Trouble, which focuses on friendship, joy and fly fishing for the infamously tricky tripletail. Flylords was lucky enough to catch up with these three to learn more about what went into the making of this film. Check out the full interview below. 

Flylords: Danielle, how did you get connected with Ben and George and how filming for Triple Trouble transpire? 

Danielle: Back in May, a group of friends attended the FFI’s Gulf Coast Classic at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores AL. It was one of the best fly fishing events I’ve ever attended. The event wrapped with a 2023 F3T Film Tour viewing party. George and Ben had a film called “The Holy Well” that really caught my attention because they were feeding tarpon on top waters. Ben and George seemed down to earth and approachable. So, when I got home, I sent them a message on Instagram telling them about our event and asking if they might be interested in possibly doing a film on the Tripletail Classic.  

I felt like what we had created with The Tripletail Classic was something unique and I wanted to document it so that we could share our community, cause, and fishery with with the rest of the fly-fishing community.

I knew I didn’t have the story telling or camera skills needed to create what I had envisioned. I knew I was going to need help and needed to find the right people who would recognize how special it all was! Ben and George did just that and teamed up with my friend Sam Sumlin, a local photographer and fly-fishing guru, and the rest is history.

Flylords: Can you tell us a little about the Tripletail Classic?  

Danielle: The concept for the TTC started back in 2020 as a small event for our local fly fishing club, the Eastern Shore Fly Fishers. My husband, Noble and I were both on the board for ESFF and were looking for ways to connect local fly anglers and support conservation efforts. We thought, what better way to do that than a tournament! The format and cause have really resonated with people and has turned into something we’re extremely proud of! Although Noble and I started the tournament, it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the tournament committee.

There are so many components of the tournament that I love! We have fun categories which include first fish, largest fish, and most total inches. We also started a marine debris category with help from our sponsors 4 Ocean, Costa and Ethan Estess to help bring awareness to the marine debris issues that come along with FAD fishing for tripletail.  

Our tournament committee has taken the conservation efforts to the next level by growing our Conservation Corner into the Conservation Causeway. Where we showcase up to ten environmental organizations.

Flylords: In that similar regard, can you tell us about the unique element of the classic, the catch, tag and release aspect? What does the USM Gulf Coast Research Lab do with the data provided from the tournament?  

Danielle: The catch, tag, photo, release format was decided to support GCRL’s tagging program. They’ve also been collecting tripletail data for decades. I’ve participated in their tagging program since I was a kid, and it was important to us to incorporate it into the tournament format. This format also made for an awesome team dynamic. One person is the captain, one person is the angler and one is the tagger/photographer. This allowed for non-fly anglers to participate in the tournament and get introduced to fly fishing for the first time.  

The studies have focused on tripletail reproduction, feeding ecology, seasonal movements and threats. Their team of scientist are called the Tripletail Technical Task Force (TTF). Anglers submit data to the TTF through email and anglers are in return provided with a recapture reports. This also provides the anglers with a wealth of information like how much the fish grew, how far it traveled, where it was recaptured and if it was rereleased.

Flylords: How long have you been a guide? What’s your favorite part about it? 

Danielle: I made the jump to start guiding back in December of 2022. Leading up to this, I worked with Bre Drake to create a beautiful logo and she also helped me come up with the name “Lady Guide Fly Fishing” which I absolutely fell in love with! I discovered my website building skills and just like that I had started my own business. My favorite part of guiding is getting to share my home waters with others. I feel like with each trip I am given a unique opportunity to show someone why these waters are such a treasure, what threats its facing and what they can do to minimize their impact while still enjoying the resource. 

I quickly learned there is more to guiding than just fly fishing and local knowledge. The day of my first trip as a guide, the trim went out on the skiff while we were fishing oyster flats. On the morning of my second trip as a guide, the tire valve stem blew out. I quickly came home, and my husband did a record-breaking F1-style pitstop tire swap.  It felt like everything that could go wrong was and I got very discouraged. I spent the next year, focused on learning everything I could about gear and boat maintenance and repair…. So that when things go wrong, I would be ready! 

Flylords: If you could give one piece of advice to any female anglers wanting to get into the guiding industry, what piece of advice would you give?

Danielle: The advice I would give to a female angler wanting to get into guiding is first off, make the jump! We NEED more lady guides! Secondly, get to know your equipment! Do your own service maintenance, change the tires, know your wiring! Be ready for when things break, because they will break!  

Flylords: What’s unique about fishing for Triple Tail? Do you have any fish on your bucket list you’re looking forward to trying to go for? 

Danielle: Tripletail fishing is unique, because historically it has not been a targeted species on fly.  It is very visual and does not require long technical cast. I feel like it is the perfect species to introduce someone to the sport of saltwater fly fishing. They are also a ton of fun when you get an eat, even sometimes jumping out of the water. I would like to target Corbina on the pacific coast. They remind me of redfish and I really enjoy beach fishing!

Flylords: Ben, what made you want to make this film? 

Ben: This year, George and I attempted to focus on stories that centered around joy (especially those that brought us joy). Whether it was an F3T production or a personal cut dropped on Youtube, we wanted joy to be the key resonance. As folks will see in the film, MB and Danielle bring passion, talent, and bring boat fulls of joy.

Flylords: What was the most challenging part of this project? 

Ben: Understanding the fishery on a moment’s notice. Everyone knows that fishing a new area/species is exceedingly difficult. Documenting that is a whole different game – it’s like multiplying two low-probability things together. This (and most saltwater projects) is wildly different than filming trout. Trout are spatially constrained by a river bank, and river depth, which means you can set up, prepare, and predict their behavior. If you miss a rise or an eat, patience will pay off! They’re likely to repeat the same behavior.

Saltwater… isn’t like that at all. If you blow a shot (typically the holy grail– filming an eat shot) there’s no second chances. There’s no do overs. The moment is gone. The fish is swimming miles away. So for this project– documenting MB’s first saltwater fish– created an intense level of pressure. If you fail on the moment it all comes together? There’s no reshooting that. 

Flylords: How many people were on your team filming? What was your camera set up?

Ben: We were extremely excited to link up with Sam Sumlin on this project since he’s not only a rockstar behind the lens, but also one of the fishiest dudes on the Gulf Coast. That’s a rare combination and it shows in film. At most points, we had three cameras and a drone rolling to make sure every moment was captured. 

As for cameras, we aim to shoot on rigs that pack the best bang for their weight (and buck). It’s tempting to emphasize gear over context or story, but we’ve had a ton of gaffs… especially in saltwater. You’ll spend more time missing shots than being ready when “the” moment arrives. Of course sensor size, dynamic range, etc all matter when creating a visual experience… but if that prevents you from documenting the very thing you’re attempting to capture– that’s a problem. 

For instance– latency to external monitors screens in Colombia left parts of our team intensely seasick on one project. On another, we missed crucial topwater eats on tarpon because we were trying to push up the codec we shot it.  And that’s the thing– there’s tradeoffs to all of this! There’s a continuum from image quality to action-friendlessness. Everyone’s gotta chose the balance they can live with. 

Flylords: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone trying to get into the fly fishing filmmaking space? 

Ben: Be clear on what your goals are. Be diligent and methodical on the checkpoints to reach them. And for goodness sake, be kind to those above you, and be kinder to those who are following you. 

Flylords: MB, what does your artistic process look like? Is there a species of fish you’d love to make a block print of that you haven’t yet? 

MB: I start by sketching the image onto the block. Then I use carving tools to create the image in the block. Over the carving is complete I paint the block using block printing ink and then press it onto paper. I just recently started working on life size commissions of Permit and Tarpon. There are lots of species I would love to create in the same manner. I think my favorite I’ve made so far is a 68 inch Tarpon. It’s been the hardest and most challenging but has also been so rewarding as an artist!

Flylords: Was this was your first time saltwater fly fishing? If so, how frustrating and rewarding was the experience? 

MB: I had done some surf fishing before with little to no luck but nothing like this. I wet wade all the time, so being on a skiff was a bit different. I told Danielle it almost felt like hunting because you’re constantly looking for signs on/in the water. It was so rewarding having everything come together.

Flylords: Now that you’re hooked, what other salt-water fish are on your bucket list? 

I haven’t had the opportunity to go again yet, but… a Black Drum is on my bucket list. I know it may not be at the top of a lot of people’s list, but I love their colors and how giant they get. They almost seem cartoonish in character. 

Flylords: What advice would you give you aspiring artists and anglers? 

MB: Start! No matter where you’re at in your life or what you’re doing just start. The worst thing you can do when it comes to things that interest you is to never try. Just get out there and go for it!

Flylords: Favorite/funniest memories while filming? 

Danielle: MB catching her tripletail (first saltwater fish) and asking, “what do I do?” when the fish took drag. Also, celebrating when MB got the eat!   might have celebrated a little early.

Ben: When Danielle said “MB, this is going to be it” we all listened– and man. That paid in spades! Funniest memory is when we thoroughly enjoyed Danielle’s magic trick for making folks cast farther… 

MB: My favorite thing was being able to catch a tripletail with Danielle. I think people from 5 miles away heard our excitement. I also was able to tag the one I caught which was such a neat process. It was amazing to share a boat with such a bad ass woman. Danielle is knowledgeable, passionate and eager to teach. Getting first hand knowledge from her and seeing her in her element was my favorite… that and landing a fish also! 

The funniest part had to be the “last cast.” We were just about to throw in the towel because it was midday and the heat was becoming unbearable. Danielle switched up a fly for me, I threw a Hail Mary as the last cast of the day and the most beautiful tripletail appeared.

Flylords: Least favorite? 

Danielle: Saltwater fly fishing is hard and not catching fish sucks! We were down to the last hour of the trip; we had seen fish but no eats. I had to go in at noon and help Noble and the committee get ready for the award’s ceremony. I could just feel everyone’s energy drop. Luckily, things turned around for us literally at the last moment!

MB: I think my least favorite part was the heat.

Ben: Trying to keep the camera steady while laughing at these two. It’s hard work! We just wanted to put the cameras down and enjoy the fun MB and Danielle were having. 

Flylords: What message(s) do you hope viewers will take away from the film? What were your biggest takeaways from the project? 

Danielle: I hope it inspires more lady guides! Lady guides are few and far between. I would love to see more female fly anglers take that next step! I also hope it encourages more anglers (fly and spin) to partake in catch and release practices, especially when it comes to saltwater species.

Ben: We hope folks remember how much fun fly fishing can be! Hopefully some reminiscing on why we got into the sport in the first place. 

MB: My biggest takeaway at the end of this is just how thankful I am to have these opportunities. I have three little girls and I love showing and being able to tell my girls about adventures. It’s important they know they can be a mom, business owner, creative and an adventurer. It was also amazing being around another woman who isn’t afraid to get out there and chase the things she loves. 

Special thanks to Ben Meadows, Danielle Davidson and Mary-Beth Meeks for taking the time for an interview. Stay tuned for more iterations of the Fly Fishing Film Tour, F3T Behind the Lens series by clicking here.

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