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Wallpaper Wednesday #6: David Danforth

Jared Zissu
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Are you tired of looking at the same wallpaper on your phone or computer? So are we, so we’re launching “Wallpaper Wednesdays” featuring our pick of the week to be the picture you look at when you check the time on your phone, or when you sit down to check some emails!

This week’s picks are from artist David Danforth @reellocal on Instagram! Be sure to read our quick interview with him below.

Flylords: So, tells us a bit about yourself?
Dave: I am a Florida native. I grew up in Tampa Bay, and currently live in downtown Tampa… I was introduced to fishing at 2, with the classic cane pole and or a zebco reel. While most kids played sports, I was camping on islands building hammocks and learning about the environment from the Florida Keys to 10k islands. I grew up with cheese grits, sweet tea and fish fries. Surfing and fishing the beaches of Florida and always traveling the state pursuing another adventure. As I got older, my family moved to Tennessee where I fished the lakes and streams. After I turned 18, I saved $700 and moved back to Florida by myself. Worked as a sales trainer in the corporate world for 10 years, and turned sketches on napkins into a full time job so that I can spend more time with my kids. I have a three year old son that thinks he is a spartan, and two beautiful girls that fish with me every chance they get. Now I do custom commisions, sell my art, work for myself and with some awesome brands to give them a unique and fresh look to their gear.

Flylords: What did you gain interest in first fishing or art?
Dave: When I was in elementary school I would bring markers and give kids tattoos in exchange for their lunch money. I think I was the only 6-year-old making $40 a week. I always had an eye for creating images that popped into my head and putting them on paper. I have always done art, however, combining art and fish only started about 7 years ago when I decided to start a brand for SPF fishing shirts. That journey started when I was sunburned after fishing for redfish near Weedon Island. I went the next day to buy a shirt and was unimpressed with the shirts being $60 just because someone’s logo was on it. I decided to just make my own, and not jack the price up on it. Which later snowballed into doing art full time for myself and other companies.

Flylords: Who are some of your biggest role models in either the fishing or the painting scene?
Dave: Fishing Scene…anyone that has figured out how to travel and fish for a living. I have a few great friends that have figured out that if you do your passion daily, you will never work a day in your life. Aussie Fly Fisher is a great guy and so is Matthew of Taylor Reels. I love the innovators. There is a collective of entrepeneurs floating around… I am friends with several people who put their art and passion into whatever it is they are creating. Art is art it does not have to be painted to be a creation. A few examples of my good friends in the industry are Drew Chicone – His books and flies, Yusniel Santo’s artwork, J Martinez’s artwork, 239 Flies. We exchange ideas and push each other to go big or go home. If we all work together everyone succeeds, and we will bring a new culture to the fly fishing scene. A new wave of creators. As far as role models, I like Hemingway’s attitude a lot, Basquiat’s art is an influence, and Guy Harvey’s business savvy is incredible.

Want to use these photos as your phone background?

Head over to our Instagram – Click our current STORY and screenshot the photo

Be sure to add a little variety to your phone or computer screen and stay tuned every Wednesday for our next picks.

Photos Courtesy of David Danforth. Be sure to check out the rest of his awesome content on Instagram @reellocal!

Have a favorite shot from a previous week’s Wallpaper Wednesday? Find them here:

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/02/07/wallpaper-wednesday-5-agne-sjoberg/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/01/10/wallpaper-wednesday-4-ivan-orsic/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/27/wallpaper-wednesday-3-sean-landsman/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/20/wallpaper-wednesday-2-focusontheflymedia/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/13/wallpaper-wednesday-1-aaron-hitchens/

BREAKING NEWS: Washington State Senate Moves to Phase Out Atlantic Salmon Pen Farming

Will Poston
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“OLYMPIA — Slamming the risks of Atlantic salmon farming in Washington waters, Gov. Jay Inslee endorsed a bill phasing out the industry that later passed the state Senate Thursday by a wide margin.

The legislation, approved on a vote of 35-12, would end Atlantic salmon net-pen farming in Washington as existing leases terminate by 2025. The bill now heads to the House.

The governor called such farming “a risk that is intolerable.” Inslee faulted Cooke Aquaculture, the owner and operator of Atlantic salmon net-pen farms around Puget Sound, for “pronounced lack of responsibility” that led to the collapse of its Cypress Island farm last summer. The collapse was the fault of Cooke’s negligence, state agencies found, following a months-long investigation. Cooke also misled the public and state about the cause and scope of the escape, regulators found, with far more fish released to Washington waters than Cooke stated, and more than 200,000 still unaccounted for.

‘This risk is simply too great,’ Inslee said. ‘It is no longer acceptable to the people of the state of Washington to expose our waters to the threat of Atlantic salmon net pens.'”

Be sure to read the rest of the article from Lynda V. Mapes and the Seattle Times at the link below:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/washington-state-senate-oks-phasing-out-atlantic-salmon-net-pen-farming/

Image from the Seattle Times

Photo Essay: Fly Fishing Sitka, AK

Jared Zissu
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Photo Essay: Fly Fishing Sitka, AK

Fly fishing in Sitka, Alaska is unlike anywhere else in the world. Every fish might not be a giant, but I think that’s what makes it all the more special. You’ve got to work hard for that one fish, and it might take days or weeks before you land something worth making your buddy drop his rod, and grab a picture for Instagram. However, the greatest part about fishing here is the fact you can go anywhere and walk as far as you please and stand somewhere no one has stepped foot on, and catch fish that have never seen a fly. Not to mention being surrounded by five species of salmon as well as Dolly Varden, Cutthroat, Rainbow Trout and maybe if you’re lucky, a bear or two, and to me, this crazy place is paradise!

Colored up Chum Salmon on the swing
Casting in emerald evergreens and gin clear water
Small water doesn’t mean small fish in the 49th

Rafe Hanson can be found fly fishing and exploring the beautiful state of Alaska!
Be sure to check out the rest of his epic content on Instagram @rafe_hanson!

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7 Things You Never Knew About “A River Runs Through It”

Jared Zissu
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7 Things You Never Knew About “A River Runs Through It”

A River Runs Through It premiered on October 9, 1992 – 27 years ago. Based on the novella by Norman Maclean, “A River Runs Through It launched the career of Brad Pitt and boosted interest in fly fishing. Even as it celebrates its 25-year anniversary, the movie continues to captivate viewers who resonate with its story of tragedy, family, the American West, and fishing.

1. The movie wasn’t really shot in Missoula, Montana… And the legendary “Blackfoot River”, was actually the “Gallatin River”.

The movie is set in Missoula, Montana, though most fans know that it was filmed 200-plus miles east of Missoula in Livingston, Montana. Livingston served as Missoula, and the Gallatin River served as the Big Blackfoot River.

 

2. The fly fishing industry doubled in size after A River Runs Through It was released.

The fly-fishing industry saw a whopping 60 percent increase in 1992, the year the movie came out, and grew by another 60 percent in 1993.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Brad Pitt wasn’t actually the one casting…

Most of the fly fishing scenes were filmed on the Gallatin River in the Gallatin Canyon south of Bozeman. In these scenes, Gary Borger’s son, Jason, did almost all the fly casting for the actors in the movie. This includes the memorable shadow-casting that Paul Maclean performed while standing on a big rock in the middle of the river. When Jason did that particular cast, an elderly, long-time friend of the Maclean brothers was on the set. After the scene was filmed, he approached Jason and said, You are Paul. The friend was stunned that Jason had captured the essence of Paul’s artistry with a fly rod.

While Jason did most of the fly casting in the movie, the actors picked it up rather quickly. Tom Skerritt (the elder Maclean) had done some fly fishing previously. Both Craig Sheffer (Norman) and Brad Pitt (Paul) were quite athletic. Jason made sure that Skerritt and Sheffer used the traditional forearm style, while Pitt used the more open free arm style that Paul Maclean would have used. Rumors also said Pitt trained to fly-fish for four weeks before filming. Since most of the time he was not near any river in Los Angeles, he trained it on top of a building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. The trout the Maclean brothers hooked into and fought were mostly non-fish.

In several scenes, the fish on the end of their line was actually a half-gallon milk jug with rocks in it. In the scene where Paul fights a fish hidden from view behind a large boulder, the fish is actually John Bailey of Dan Bailey’s Fly Shop in Livingston, Montana. John was behind the rock, pulling on the line!

In the final scene of A River Runs Through It, when Paul is fighting a monster trout, the producers filmed the water flying off of his fly reel in a city park rather than in the river. The city park was Lindley Park in Livingston, Montana, and the producers created this effect by dipping the fly reel in a bucket of water. Then, after an actor lifted it out of the bucket, someone on the end of the line immediately started pulling it to get the spool spinning and flinging off beads of water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Brad Pitt supposedly had a horrible first audition…

Brad Pitt auditioned twice for the role of Paul Maclean. The first time he thought that his performance was really terrible, so he insisted on sending a tape performing another scene and that scene convinced the director that Pitt was a perfect choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. The trout used in the movie were pond raised “Stockies”

Trout used in the movie were pond-raised in Montana and were kept in a specially aerated and cooled tank truck until their big moment in front of the cameras. No hooks were used, and no blood was drawn. A line was tied to each fish’s lower jaw under the careful observance of the Montana Humane Society.

 

7. Not everyone thought “A River Runs Through It” was going to be a hit!

Norman Maclean often recounted the story of how his semi-autobiographical story collection was rejected by every large commercial publisher he sent it to, including one that rejected it on the basis that it contained “too many trees”. It was eventually published instead by the University of Chicago Press (in 1976) and went on to sell extraordinarily well for them…

Stream the film on Amazon!

Information from: IMDB.com

Apologies if any of these facts ruin the film for you. This movie will always be one of our favorites, and if you haven’t read the Stream the film on Amazon!, it’s even better than the film.

Buy the book, here!

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Bulls on Parade

Jared Zissu
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We set the trip for July. After just two months of learning how to fly fish, I was nervous. Tyler (IG: @thetugisthedrug) had talked about how aggressive and strong these bull trout were and I felt like I was unprepared. We kept going out trying to get my skills up to par, but it is hard to prepare for bull trout strength with any other fish here in Utah.

The day finally came and we made the long journey to the special Bull trout spot. When we got there we had to check out the river. It was different than I expected and the river was smaller than I thought with the size of fish that were in there.

The first day we checked out a few spots and found a hole that had a few bulls just sitting and decided to stay a while. We split up the hole and tried to find what they were eating.

After about an hour of fishing, Tyler hooked into one and I went running down the river to net the fish. It was a small river and I was not used to netting that size of fish, but I managed to get him in there and had a few seconds to take in the sight before Tyler walked over to me. We were both stoked and I was hopeful once again to get one of my own.

Another hour went by, and finally, my indicator shot back upstream. I set the hook and felt the power of the bull on the other end. Tyler got him in the net pretty quick. He was smaller than the first but just as cool! We took a quick snap and let him go.

The day followed with a few more fish for us both including my biggest catch at about 28 inches! We had an awesome day and I couldn’t wait for day two.

My excitement that had built up for the next day slowly dwindled as hours had gone by and I was left empty-handed. Tyler stopped at three fish and let me take over in hopes I would catch the next one. I hooked five different fish and each one managed to come unbuttoned, despite my best efforts. Nothing was working and I was getting frustrated.

The decision was made to try out a new spot at about 6 pm and see if we could find some more cooperative bulls. We drove down and found a promising looking run with a nice deep hole in the tail out.

We moved up into a good position to drift the run and went right at it. Within 10 casts my indicator dropped and I set the hook with all I had. As an intense battle unfurled, Tyler was downstream, ready with the net. I managed to get him away from a massive log jam on the near bank and he was headed downstream towards Tyler. Just as his head was swinging into the net, I felt the line go slack and my flies jerk back towards me. After all that effort all I felt was heartbreak as I watched him jet back upstream. I was ready to give up.

Determined not to be skunked, I hiked back up to the massive fallen tree that I had been drifting from and cast into the setting sun. Just as I had given up all hope, I watched my indicator plummet. I set hard and prayed it would hold. Little did I know I was in for the most epic battle of my life. The fish shot upstream and back down again effortlessly. I worked to keep him out of all the structure on the banks and maneuvered my way down from the giant tree I was standing on. My heart pounded and I held my breath as I saw a massive bully inch closer and closer to the net after each run. After what felt like an eternity, Tyler darted forward and scooped his head into the net with a triumphant yell.

Relief and euphoria surged through me as I ran over to see the beautiful bull. It may not have been as big as the one from the day before but he was by far my favorite one from the trip. I was humbled and grateful for such an amazing experience. Journeys and stories like this are what make me fall in love with fly fishing more and more with every experience. After snapping a few quick photos and giving him a proper revival, I watched as he rode off into the sunset, waving with each stroke of his tail and painting a permanent picture into my mind of a summer night that I will never forget.

Brooke Hunter is a flyfisher out of the great state of Utah! Be sure to check her out on Instagram @brooke_likethetrout for more awesome content!

Be sure to check out our other posts about the insane power of the Bull Trout!

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/09/22/5-tips-for-targeting-bull-trout/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/01/06/photo-essay-aggressive-cutty-munching-bull-trout/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2016/10/13/photo-of-the-day-bull-trout-in-pristine-waters/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2016/08/16/5-reasons-bull-trout-should-be-on-the-top-of-your-bucket-list/

Video: Landing a Monster Trout on a 3 WT…

Jared Zissu
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Video: Landing a Monster Trout on a 3 WT…

Today, the plan was to fish small creeks and a section of the main river which holds good numbers of small trout and to try get some filming done. It gets quite busy over the summer months down here in New Zealand (especially the South Island), so for once we decided to escape the crowds, feel no pressure or need to beat someone to the spot! We thought it would be quite cool to do something different and just enjoy ourselves.

As we were working the water, picking up fish after fish on dries, something caught my attention in the head of the run, right in the corner on the other side. Sure enough, there he was just sitting, with no idea we were there. When I look back at the footage we picked up quite a few browns just bellow this fish, but he sat there undisturbed… Equipped with light gear (Airflo fiberglass 3wt, 5x tippet and no backing on my reel) I knew it will be quite hard if not impossible. But what the hell could possibly be the worst thing that could happen?!… spooked or lost fish, broken rod? Well, it’s part of the beautiful game called fly fishing… So let’s do it!

Photos: Jason Kelly. Check him out on Instagram @jasonckelly!
Text and edit: Jakub Kanok. Check him out on Instagram @jakub_kanuk_dtd!
Drone footage: Andrew Little

F3T 2018 Behind the Lens: Atlanticus

Jared Zissu
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F3T 2018 Behind the Lens: Atlanticus

We are excited to release our next feature in the “Behind the Lens” blog series presented by The Fly Fishing Film Tour. We will be conducting behind the scenes interviews with all of the filmmakers in this years film tour. Make sure to check out the F3T website, to see when they will be in your town! Get your tickets before they sell out!

“Atlanticus” is dedicated to Megalops atlanticus or the Atlantic Tarpon, a game fish known to most as the often air-borne, Silver King. The film follows a team of anglers as they fish for these incredible beasts in the waters of the US, Central America and Africa. We sat down with the mind behind the film, Dr. Grant Wiswell, to take you behind the scenes:

Flylords: Tell me about yourself Dr. Wiswell
Dr. Wiswell: My name is Grant Wiswell and I’m 43 years old, born and raised in southern California area. I started fishing when I was 4 years old with my dad but didn’t really start picking it up until high school. During a football game, I happened to break my hand and got sidelined. I ended up meeting with a world class fly tier and I kind of passed time with my football injury learning to tie flies. The following years lead to a lot of fly fishing. I soon lived in Ecuador for 2 years as a missionary. After that I did my undergrad at the University of Southern California, received my masters at Brigham Young University, went to medical school at UNC, following with dental school and residency at Michigan University. I moved out to Montana which is a place I have always wanted to live and opened my own practice. I now have five kids and my family absolutely loves living in Montana.

Flylords: How did Castaway films come about?
Dr. Wiswell: When I graduated from college my dad took me on a saltwater fly fishing trip as a present. He told me I could go and do whatever I wanted. I picked Los Roques, it seemed like a cool place to have some diversity in species. I caught a 100 lb. tarpon in the harbor with it only being my first day out and I have been hooked ever since. As I entered this long period of schooling, I didn’t have the finances to go back to the salt as much as I wanted. Castaway was then born as a “vehicle” so to speak, for me to experience these amazing destinations. We would collaborate with lodges and they would bring us out to do promotions. I felt like I got the experience vicariously because of Castaway Films.

Flylords: What were the major influences in starting this project?
Dr. Wiswell: The project started early in 2014. I caught wind of this tarpon fishery in Gabon, Africa. Inland, there was a captain that ran his boat near two little cities. One in Central Gabon and the other in the northern Congo. He found these fish in this region that were less spoken about. After hearing the fish stories of the 300-350 lb. tarpon, I was addicted, I really wanted to do it. I initially wanted to make Atlanticus only about African tarpon but I was dissuaded from shooting only in Africa because of the many difficulties of fly fishing for these fish. The project kind of came to a standstill and I ended up shooting in Karawala, Nicaragua. It was a nightmare! Between the two boats we could only hook into two fish. Imagine blind casting for two days… We got absolutely smoked on that trip. Finally, in 2016 we were finally able to go out to West Africa and begin the filming project. We quickly realized it wouldn’t be possible to only fish for African tarpon due to timing. So, the guys at Fly Water Travel introduced me to two awesome individuals; Mark Martin who owns a fishery near the border of Panama on the Atlantic side and Tom Enderlan who owns another fishery a hundred miles inland from the ocean in central Costa Rica. We were able to do a lot of filming with these fisheries making the film possible. People like, Jeff Currier, Jako Lucas, Neville Orsmond, Drew Miller, Dr. Andy Danylchuk, Aaron Ford, and much more helped get this project off the ground and have been on board for the past two years.

Flylords: Why Tarpon?
Dr. Wiswell: Name a fish that is an apex predator, can breathe air, has the ability to swim 100 miles up a river, and can thrive in a fresh and saltwater ecosystem. This fish we know so little about… there is so much more to the west African tarpon than we ever knew about. We have so many questions as to whether these tarpon are all the same species or if they all partake in these great migrations. When you hook this thing, as a filmmaker it is just spectacular. They jump, fly, and take flies so aggressively. Then sometimes they break your heart, for being tough to catch and for their moodiness.

Flylords: What gear was used for the film?
Dr. Wiswell: For baby tarpon, 8wt rods were used but, a variety of 12wt rods were mostly chosen. Jako Lucas was absolutely destroying it on a 12wt cane rod, such an experience watching him. Rio Products also provided us with specialty Tarpon fly line and fluorocarbon leaders. At the end of leaders hung purple and black 2/0-6/0 peanut-butter flies. As for film gear, we shot everything in 4k with Sony cameras with a little underwater film gear and two drones for aerial shots.

Flylords: Were there any dangerous encounters on this trip?
Dr. Wiswell: Well, we had a couple fun ones… A lot of crazy stuff happened in Gabon, we visited this place a few times. We were first detained because they didn’t know who we were or what we had, so that was a little intense. After that, it felt like we were in the “tarpon boot camp.” Ed Trudder, the guide, was a super hardcore tarpon guy and thought us Americans were wimps. He takes us to the beach and there are crocodiles in the water, elephants, and hippos on the beaches, sharks swimming up river mouths, its pouring rain, lightning striking everywhere, and Ed tells us to wade out to begin fishing! Thankfully Ed finally agrees to come back in until weather clears… Then we find our boat captain has only one eye! How is he supposed to drive through this storm?! It was an insane few days, I promise you that. The next dangerous encounter there was when we buzzed poachers with our drones. They flipped our drone off and later as we retrieved the drone, it happened to almost cut my own pinky off with its propeller.

In our last shoot, we were in the Sixaola River that borders Panama and Costa Rica. Now, this was a drug-heavy area, so a lot of Columbians and Panamanians run drugs up through to Mexico. As we headed to this river, we saw a lot of buzzards hovering the beach which was unusual. We checked it out and found this dude that was face down in the water wearing board shorts and a tank top with literally no skin left on his body. We had no idea what happened so that was frightening.

Flylords: What moment stands out and is most special on the trip?
Dr. Wiswell: With no guarantees in this game, you don’t know if you will get what you came for. One of the last nights in western Africa, we barely had any action. We then see a military person in a large boat and found he was from Scotland. We approach him and explained how we have had zero luck on the beach. We ask him if there was anything he could do to help. He goes “oh yeah!” “there are tarpons right outside the breakers, let me take you there.” It was amazing how everything changed… Juvenile tarpons were everywhere, almost like we were striper fishing. The whole African shoot was saved because we didn’t have any footage of fish. Literally, the last day made the difference and was the most special.

Flylords: What destination was your favorite?
Dr. Wiswell: I can’t do it, man! It is like picking your favorite child. You just can’t do it… In Gabon, you fish for tarpon that have never seen a fly before. You know every fish you catch there has ever caught. In San Felipe Mexico, you are holding the future of tarpon. You stand there holding a fish 10 lbs. and realize this is the same fish your grandkids could catch in Pensacola or Key West. Being in the Sixaolo fishery in Panama, every fish was nearly 100-200lbs. The one place with the whole overall experience was in the Jungle Tarpon Reserve. It was an area that seemed like it was forgotten by time. You are a hundred river miles from the ocean, fish surrounding you in the 100-200lb range, howler monkeys screaming at you, canopies engulfing you, and the echoes of wildlife were just incredible. To hook one of these massive fish in a trout stream is something almost impossible to describe. You have to go yourself and live it.

Dr. Grant Wiswell is the producer of the film “Atlanticus” featured in the 2018 Fly Fishing Film Tour, playing now across the country!

https://vimeo.com/253095810

Be sure to grab your tickets for The Fly Fishing Film Tour

Check out our other “Behind the Lens” interviews:

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/01/18/f3t-behind-the-lens-beyond-the-horizon/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/01/25/f3t-behind-the-lens-100-miles/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/01/31/f3t-behind-the-lens-chandalar/

 

Wallpaper Wednesday #5: Agne Sjöberg

Jared Zissu
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Are you tired of looking at the same wallpaper on your phone or computer? So are we, so we’re launching “Wallpaper Wednesdays” featuring our pick of the week to be the picture you look at when you check the time on your phone, or when you sit down to check some emails!

This week’s picks are from photographer Agne Sjöberg @agne on Instagram!

Want to use this photo as your phone background?

Head over to our Instagram – Click our current STORY and screenshot the photo

Be sure to add a little variety to your phone or computer screen and stay tuned every Wednesday for our next picks.

Photos Courtesy of Agne Sjöberg. Be sure to check out the rest of his awesome content on Instagram @agne!

Have a favorite shot from a previous week’s Wallpaper Wednesday? Find them here:

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2018/01/10/wallpaper-wednesday-4-ivan-orsic/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/27/wallpaper-wednesday-3-sean-landsman/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/20/wallpaper-wednesday-2-focusontheflymedia/

https://theflylords.com/single-post/2017/12/13/wallpaper-wednesday-1-aaron-hitchens/

 

Breaking the Muskie Code

Jared Zissu
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We sat down with Thomas and Thomas rod designer and all around muskie obsessed angler Joe Goodspeed to talk muskie advice to improve your odds when targetting these apex predators!

Flylords: What is your background? Can you give us a quick summary of who you are and what started your craze for targeting muskie? What region are you from? How long have you been fishing for?

Joe: Originally from upstate New York, near Saratoga Springs.  My work background includes the unique opportunity to have worked in product design and production of USA made fly lines and fly rods (previously at Cortland Line Company, and fly rods now at Thomas & Thomas).  Muskies have been a fascination for about a decade now, starting with ice fishing for stocked tiger muskies and graduating to taking big wild purebreds on fly gear.

Flylords: What Rod/line weight is best, wire or fluorocarbon leader, is a net needed, what flies do you tie?

Joe: My favorite combination for muskies is an 11wt rod with a fast sinking 350 or 400gn fly line, and a huge net.  Most of my patterns are 7″-9″ and imitate specific natural baitfish.  Leader question is tricky – due to sourcing difficulties for items I prefer to use, I suggest the use of titanium wire.  Keep in mind that material hardness, not tensile strength, is what protects you from bite-offs.  It doesn’t matter if gamma soft fluoro has a tensile strength of 130 pounds because teeth go through it twice as easily as #40 Mason Hard Mono.

Flylords: What are some streamer tactics you use?

Joe: Lots of tactics.  On lakes or big river water, I like to use a long mono leader, usually 50lb mono, between my fly line and my bite guard.  This allows the fly line to sink the length of the leader very quickly before the resistance of the fly begins to inhibit the sink.  With a floating or semi-buoyant fly, this causes the leader to achieve a near vertical angle prior to the first strip.  The first few strips will pull the fly nearly straight down with a bubble trail, which can cause an active suspended muskie to intercept the fly.

Flylords: What type of landscapes and hydrology do you typically look for, what depth is best, is it possible to wade or is a drift boat better, what season is most productive?

Joe: In rivers, muskies will often hold in the slack water adjacent to the powerful current or in the deep current at the head of a big pool.  Keep in mind that they use their lateral line to detect vibration in the water, and this sense is most keen in open water.  Although most fish benefit from some cover for protection, muskies are more likely to want to eat the fish using the cover than to hold tight against cover themselves.  Try fishing one cast distance away from distinct structure rather than casting at it, and you will encounter more adult muskies that way.  Wade fishing can be productive, but the largest fish prefer to stay in deeper water and don’t often follow flies into the shallows.  Muskies can be targeted throughout the year (although you want to let them be during the early spring spawning period).  Summer and late fall can both be good times to catch them as well, but the holding locations and presentations can change dramatically on the same body of water.

Flylords: If fishing is slow, what do you do to increase activity? Do you switch location? Switch species? What do you do?

Joe: Muskies aren’t going to catch themselves, so if you want to catch one you are going to need to be committed to it. Many of the fish I have caught have been at times where there was zero positive feedback for the day until the bite.  Muskies are a low light predator, so staying out until dark really increases your chances of encountering or catching a fish.  Taking a break, eating some food, getting caffeinated – do whatever it takes to stay out on the water even when things are slow.  I would tell any beginner muskie angler to stay out on the water as long as possible if they want to catch a muskie on a fly, it can make the difference between an eat and the fish spooking after seeing the angler.

Photos courtesy of Joe Goodspeed: a passionate muskie angler and rod designer with Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods.  Be sure to check out his awesome muskie adventures on Instagram @teeth_and_trout!

Questions by Collin Terchanik, a Flylords contributor out of Central Pennsylvania. Check him out on Instagram @c_terch!

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Lift-Off: How to Shoot Mid-Air Fish Photos

Kiyoshi Nakagawa
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Lift-Off: How to Shoot Mid-Air Fish Photos

We sat down with photographer Kiyoshi Nakagawa to talk about how he manages to seemingly capture perfect images of fish launching themselves skyward. Here are his top 5 tips for capturing those moments:

1. Set your shutter speed at least 1/1000 to 1/5000

2. Make sure your ISO is set as low as possible. 400-2000 maximum

3. Wait for the fish to Jump and start shooting. The fish will be moving fast making them almost impossible to track and focus on at the same time. Wait for the jump, quickly dial in your focus and shoot 1 or 2 shots.

4. A 70-200mm zoom lens will work much better than a prime lens for these types of shots

5. Be patient and pay attention to where the fly line and tippet go. This is where you want to be focused on, to nail your jump shot.

My preferred setup is a Canon 1DX Mark 2 with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens. I also use my 300mm f2.8, 24-70mm, and 100mm Prime depending on how small the stream is that I am shooting on.

Nakagawa Kiyoshi is a fly fishing guide and photographer fishing primarily in New Zealand! Be sure to check out more of his stellar photography @nzyoshi on Instagram!

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