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How One Man is Helping Veterans and Inner City Youth Heal with Fly Fishing

Daniel Sanabria
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We are all shaped by our experiences in life. What we choose to do with those experiences defines who we are. Chad’s experiences in life have not been all peachy. He has had some dark times, and has suffered a great deal. What he chose to do with these experiences is what makes him the strong, admirable and respectable individual he is. Regardless of our experiences, we get to pick who we want to be.

Founder and president of Soul River Inc., Chad is a decorated US Navy veteran. After his service, during the Desert Storm Gulf War and operations in Somalia he was awarded multiple honors. Today, Chad fights a mental battle with PTSD. This mental fight has affected Chad in every aspect of his life. After his return from war he was homeless, suicidal, and his fight with PTSD seemed eternal.

About 9 years ago, during one of Chad’s darkest times, his friend introduced him to fly fishing. After hitting the local fly shop, he got set up with his first rod, a St. Croix, and headed out to the water. During this time, he was attending group therapy, he was on heavy medication and he visited doctors on a regular basis. To this day Chad remembers being out in the water for the first time and feeling the river wash away his worries and his illness. To his surprise, he hooked up onto a Jack Salmon; he was immediately drenched in happiness, he was stoked, excited and he could feel his medication ooze out of his pores, driven out by the happiness and joy that catching that fish had filled him with.

Following this life-changing experience, Chad headed back to the doctor who told him what we all hoped to hear a doctor say, “keep fishing, don’t stop”. Over the next weeks and months, fishing took over Chad’s life. If he wasn’t out on the water fishing, he was building rods, and leaders, tying flies or thinking about it. The way fishing was impacting Chad’s life slowly allowed him to ease off the medication. As any other rookie, most of the time Chad didn’t even know what he was doing, but he knew one thing was for sure, he had found the healing power of nature through fly fishing and he did not intend to stop. He didn’t care if he was doing it right or wrong, he was learning as he was going and it made him feel alive again, he had a purpose in life.

Many may think of fishing as a lonely, quiet activity. But soon Chad realized that was not the case. He started making friends out on the water. Unconditional friends that became his mentors in and out of the water. Before making these friendships, Chad was simply chasing fish, after making these friendships he was connecting to the fish. Not just by hooking on to more fish but by understanding their needs, their environment, and the risks they faced. “In all honesty”, he said, “80% of the time I  was out there with my friends it was about learning, chatting, conversing.” He, carefully, would absorb everything his friends had to say. He learned about the history of the wild salmon and about the importance of conservation and preservation of nature. His mentor would teach him how to spey cast, about community, about conservation and giving back to nature. But most importantly, how to use nature as a platform for healing. He, unconditionally, absorbed everything his friend had to teach him. Unknowingly, at the time, Chad’s mentor was teaching him how to heal himself, how to employ the healing attributes of nature. Later he realized that this healing attribute can be shared with others. By sharing and by creating a sense of community he strengthens the healing power of nature. He had found a magical potion and Chad was determined to share it with those who needed it the most.

Chad’s inseparable buddy, closest confidant, and biggest anchor in his life is Axe. Axe is a service dog that never leaves Chad’s side, almost as if taking a piece of nature with him everywhere he goes. Whether he is delivering a speech in D.C. to at-risk kids and veterans, or educating a group of young leaders in the Arctic Circle, Axe is by his side. Axe first came to Chad’s life through a dog training program based out of Vancouver, WA. After a two-year wait, Chad received a call; they had a dog for him to meet and possibly train with. After filing endless paperwork and making numerous calls, Chad finally made it up to the trainer’s office in Vancouver, where she asked him to wait while she brought the dog. As Chad waited for their return he could hear Axe’s little paws approaching. He felt like he was on a first date and they were about to meet for the first time.

The moment Chad had been waiting for, for over two years was behind the door and, when the trainer came in, Axe and Chad immediately bonded and hugged. Chad started crying, Axe licked his face, the trainer started crying – overall, for everyone, it was a very ecstatic moment. It was the start of a long, unconditional friendship. The trainer had many rules, but one was very simple, “if you can’t make the time to come up and train with Axe, you don’t need Axe.”

Even though Axe had already been trained for over 350 hours, Chad had to train with him for different situations. He had to train on how to give Axe commands; how to work with him in public areas; in restaurants, and on public transport; how to be with him in vehicles, trains, planes, etc. The “adoption/training” process was very thorough, Chad had accepted Axe; but now it was time for Axe to accept Chad. However, overall, it was smooth sailing for the inseparable duo.

Axe, being a professional service dog, can pick up on Chad’s emotional triggers; those that sound the alarm that Chad is not handling his inner battle well. Sometimes, at the end of the day, Chad has a hard time shutting off and Axe picks up on this, rising to the occasion and soothes Chad, allowing him to let go and shut off for the day. As if by magic, Axe can bring Chad back down to reality. One of Chad’s PTSD conditions is terrible nightmares. Axe knows when these are happening and knows to wake him up and calm him down. “One look at Axe and I know I am safe. Phenomenal dog. Best decision, easily, I’ve ever made in my life.”

So, what is magically therapeutic about fly fishing?
“There is something magical about fly fishing, Usually, especially in the pacific northwest, fly fishing takes you to remote, mystical areas, surrounded by the majestic size of nature’s beauty. One must surrender to nature and the healing nature of the wilderness. We are used to organized and structured environments in society and cities. By surrendering to nature, we expose ourselves. This humbles us and makes us uncomfortable. This leads to opening and letting go, which in return translates to healing of the soul. This bring you back full circle to the ground, surrendering to space.”

Mission: Soul River Inc.

https://vimeo.com/239581108

A lot of people tend to forget about at-risk inner-city youth and veterans. Through Soul River Inc. Chad bridges both worlds and creates a platform through which they can both help themselves by helping each other. The organization needs both demographics to function; there exists a perfect balance.

Inner city at-risk youth, just like veterans, fight a battle. When veterans come back home they hang their uniforms, but the fight continues, their battle is very relatable to the fight inner-city youth face. The organization allows both children and veterans to punch through their inner struggles and make lasting bonds.

The concept behind Soul River Inc. is to reach out to these demographics that have handicaps and doubts and give them the opportunity to get out in the water- an opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise get – and absorb nature, allowing it to get the pain, the illness, the medication, the anxiety, the stress, and all the negativity out of their pores and then work on building themselves into outdoor leaders for tomorrow!

Soul River Inc. is a platform where veterans and youth are held at the same level. When Chad is recruiting veterans to join his organization he doesn’t have to preach to them, beg them to come help themselves. He goes up to them and says I need you to help mentor these young minds. The healing, the therapy, it all comes automatically when they accept to work with the kids. It’s a give and take, and the veterans soon realize that what comes out is equal to what they put in; it is fulfilling and healing to help the youth.

After many deployments to remote areas with unique groups of veterans and kids, Chad witnesses the formation of bonds and friendships he never thought possible. Eyes brimming with tears, he witnesses the hardest goodbyes he could ever hear anyone say. These are natural bonds. They’re not forced or jammed; they just happen, enabled all along by nature.

Chad wants to grow Soul River Inc. It’s not done yet, he wants to extend to as many communities as possible. The more people benefit from the organization the better. Inner city youth very rarely get the chance to go to nature. Inner city parents with broken homes can’t afford expensive camping trips for their kids. Some of these kids have never held a fishing rod, walked across a river or seen deer, bear, or any wildlife for that matter. Chad wants to make the Soul River Inc. program available to as many kids as possible, for zero cost.

Be sure to check out this video documenting the project and its amazing impact on youth and veterans!

https://vimeo.com/195584460

If you would like to learn more about what Chad and Soul River Inc. are doing you can do so here:

Soul River Inc.:  www.soulriverinc.org

Soul River Runs Deep: www.soulriverrunsdeep.com

Chad’s Instagram: @_chadbrown_

Soul River Instagram: @soulriver_runsdeep

All pictures used in the article were taken and are copyrighted by Chad Brown

Daniel Sanabria is a Flylords contributor and intern. Check him out on Instagram @mightypeanaught!

The Kokanee Cowboys

James Snyder
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I grabbed a clutch of Taylor rods and a handful of Spawn streamers and hopped in the lifted Subie to begin my trek out to South Park.  This was just another ordinary morning living at 9,000ft elevation in the Colorado Rockies.  Late September and we had some cooler temps dipping into the high 20’s at night, I thought for sure this would get the Fall run moving and we could pick a few early fish staging up the river.  The foul comedic banter on the 60-minute drive made for a quick flight, hundreds of slanderous noteworthy obscenities echoed over hints of lettuce funk energizing the sound waves and pumping our adrenalin.

We were the first car in the lot, which was surprising knowing that any minute it could turn into a shit show reminiscent of a free fishing day on a stocked urban pond.  I quickly strapped on 40lbs of cameras, grabbed a rod and headed down to kiss the banks with some tasty meat.  Myself and 3 of my homies spread out to cover more water as the sun started to peek through the mountains to the east.  The flows were pretty good running at 111 CFS, but there was very little activity on the streamer bite.  A few small baetis were coming off but no fish rising to meet their demise.

A few hours went by without a single pick on a streamer, I questioned whether we may have made a bad choice coming out here. WTF, over?  I made my way upstream to the spillway and noticed some fish busting the surface on some really tiny baitfish but couldn’t quite tell what they were.  I quickly re-tied a small Alevin fly on, and my next cast picked a strong fish that immediately shot to the surface and started tail walking…”Oh shit, I said” …That’s a big koke.

Now, some may say…that’s a small Sockeye but I don’t think there are too many sea run rivers flowing into Colorado.  Of course, mistaken identities come easy on this species…the same genetics here but the Kokanee are a landlocked variant of the Sockeye Salmon family…Kind of the like the little brother who had to stay home in the playpen.  The Kokanee can grow up to about 10+pounds and into 27+ inches but their growth is also limited by the size of their environment.  Colorado hosts a few good spots but I never really had any desire to target these fish.  I’ve heard the Gunnison gets a good run, as well as Gross and Green Mtn. reservoirs. We were all actually surprised to see such an early run of Kokanee that thick, knowing good and well it would only be a matter of time before they morphed into zombies and their 4-year quest would be complete.

The crew regrouped after I landed that first fish and I proceeded to highlight their lack of fishing skills and talk shit about the poor degenerate anglers that I choose to hang out with.  “Score 1 for me, big fat “O” for you dirty pirate hookers, I exclaimed with a sense of entitlement.”  We camped out in that deep run after re-rigging some typical fall patterns and commenced into a true F’in Catalina Wine mixer event.  I mean, we were just slaying the kokes…despite recent information I had been told that kokanee don’t eat during pre-spawn…Bullshit, this was pure fire. We took most of our fish on Red San Juan’s, red/orange eggs, and a multitude of Psychos’, and Large size14-16 Blood Midges and red Chironomids.

So, our intention was to get into some pre-spawn browns but it just wasn’t our time, not for lack of trying that’s for damn sure.  I was glad to have cameras in-hand to be able to capture some of Kokanee beauty and dispel the myth that these fish don’t feed pre-spawn.  Spending a 100-fish day with a bunch of whiskey drinking smartass fishing buddies and hours of tight lines on western waters was a day well spent.  What a bunch of grateful shit talkers…. The Kokanee Cowboys.

P.S. In the end, we did manage to land one decent brown.

James Snyder is a CO fly fisherman running Hoodlum Photography. Check him out on Instagram @hoodlum_photography!

Alaskan Kings Are Worth the Trip

Natalie Bennion
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With my alarm set for 3:00 a.m., a forecast of 45-degrees, 60% chance of rain, and a two-hour drive ahead of me, I knew it was going to be a grand couple of days. Did I mention I packed in my 3-year-old as well? The forecast felt more like: adventure waiting with a 60% chance of crazy. The sunrise and scenery along the drive to my destination alone were worth the sleepless nights before. Alaska’s beauty has forever stolen my heart, mind, and perspective.

Over the course of two mornings on the river, I fought three Chinook, but, was only able to land two of them. We hear the term “fight” often in the fly fishing community. I didn’t comprehend or appreciate the true definition of this phrase until battling a King Salmon on an 8wt fly rod. It was easy to miss setting the hook.  When a King hit my fly, it would bunker down and stall, often making me feel like I snagged on the bottom of the river. It wasn’t until I gave that quick tug to set the hook, that the “snag” on the bottom turned into an immediate freight train hauling the end of my line. I was baptized by fire from my immediate mistake of not setting my reel drag tight enough. The motor on that salmon accelerated so fast and so rapacious my hands were left bleeding, bruised, and resulted in one broken finger; true story.  It was the first time in my fly-fishing experience that a fish took me all the way to my backing. It was intense, literally falling to my knees twice during a battle. At one point I felt my arms giving out, and I wasn’t sure I was going to land a king at all. I felt panicked that I may not be strong enough to bring one in. I finally felt the freight train on the end of my line give up. The combination of such an adrenaline high and then feeling physically exhausted brought me to tears when I saw such beauty in my net. The one I lost, still haunts me to this day. I couldn’t tell you the exact amount of time it took me to reel it in close enough to see it, but it felt like an eternity. I was completely exhausted by the time I got it close to the net.  As the net approached, it spooked and sped away for one last haul to the depths of the river.  I was so tired, I wasn’t willing to fight it again and didn’t give it any slack.  Because of this fatal error, the King snapped my actual green fishing line!

I am forever grateful for the amazing locals and Alaskan hospitality. It was so fun to watch others land Kings, and everyone respects the angler with one on the line. Someone would yell “fish on!” And everyone else would back out of the water and let the angler battle it out. There is something about fly fishing that brings people together and creates an unexplainable bond.

After holding, touching and seeing this amazing species of fish, after being up close and personal with them, I appreciate them. I admire them. They are beautiful. There is something to be learned from King Salmon. They fight through difficult stages of life, and they don’t ever give up because their intuition tells them they have a purpose.

Natalie Bennion is an Alaskan photographer and fly fisherwoman. Check out her other work on Instagram @a_ladys_angle
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4 Reasons Why Bike Packing and Fly Fishing Go Hand-in-Hand

Ben Kraushaar
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The goal of this trip was to bike pack through the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado and fish as many alpine lakes and creeks as possible. Sam Simmons, Justin Reiter, Dylan Stucki and I started in Telluride and made a big loop through the San Juans that lasted 10 days. We suffered through relentless rain and pushed over rugged passes but eventually got into some fish.

Mountain bikes are one of the most underutilized tools for anglers looking to find wild wish in remote locations. Here are 4 reasons why bike packing and fly fishing go hand in hand:

Mountain bikes are fun as hell.

The thrill of railing a berm or shredding sinuous single track is very similar to the adrenaline rush you get when you hook into a fat trout. Combining the two sports is euphoric.

Bike packing allows you to get deep.

In my experience, the best fisheries are hard to get to but when you take to utilize the mechanical advantage of the bicycle, you can get remote faster. This results in more time on the water and more fish in the net. Double win.

Fewer people.

When you bike pack, you leave the crowds behind. I would much rather ride for an hour and catch hungry Cutties as opposed to battling for position to catch hatchery pigs at some overcrowded tailwater.

Exercise.

Let’s get real. Fly fishing isn’t particularly strenuous. Your shoulder might get sore but it is rare that you get a nice aerobic workout when you go fishing. If you have to work a bit to get to your fishing zone, the overall experience is more fulfilling.

 Ben Kraushaar is a passionate mountain biker and fly fisherman out of Colorado. Check him out on Instagram @benjamin_kraushaar!

Big shout out to Yeti Cycles for producing this awesome film and trip. Check out their website and Instagram @yeticycles!
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Photo Essay: The Long Haul

Rich Malloy
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The Long Haul Project is a Fly Fishing photography project by Rich Malloy and Rob Colameta. They want to show you the often forgotten parts of our beautiful sport.

I couldn’t leave. While the fishing had slowed, it seemed the sky would change every time I looked back up. I stood and watched waves of blue, purple and orange become painted across the sky, it didn’t look real. Every so often a fresh batch of schoolies would come through to push baitfish into the banks of the estuary, that would temporarily shift my focus back to the water. It wasn’t long until I was starring back up at the sky. It had changed again, this time more orange.

Most who fish the waters of Cape Ann in Massachusetts recognize this iconic location. It fishes just as well as any spot from shore on the fly: rats all day with the occasional 25”+ fish sprinkled in. For me, it’s not always about the fish. Those who spend enough time on the water understand this. They understand that a good day of fishing doesn’t always have to end with the catch of a lifetime. That sky will always bring us back.

They were just out of reach, the water was boiling with stripers rolling over sand eels. We’ve all been here before. Saltwater fly fishing from shore is rewarding but painfully difficult. The fish we saw feeding may have only been 15 inches or so, but I couldn’t stop trying. I was pushing my limits. The closer I waded to them, the less confident I became in my ability. No one likes wading (or casting) with waves relentlessly crashing into your chest. I knew I wouldn’t reach them, although I thought there was a chance one would slide in closer to shore. I was wrong, the school stayed put. This seemed to be a recurring theme for me for a few weeks this summer. I’d go out, run the shoreline, spot feeding fish and cast until my arm just couldn’t. I was content with it though. It’s saltwater fly fishing, from shore.

Still. A word that kept coming up about this photo when speaking to photographer Rob Colameta. The ocean was still. The sky was still. The breeze…was still. It was eerie. The fishing wasn’t great this day, but again, that didn’t matter to me. I was fishing. I didn’t have much time to fish this spot, the tide was coming in fast and we were quickly losing our jetty. I kept telling myself, after failing to hook up, just one more cast. We all know that never works.

In order to become good at something, you need to become obsessed with it. This is very true for fly fishing, a sport that presents you endless opportunities to learn something new every time you hit the water. You become a better angler with every cast and every missed hook set.

It’s important to know why you chose this sport. Ask yourself that question. Why did I choose to do this? Community. Conservation. Challenge. I’ve accepted the fact this is difficult and that’s why I continue to learn and become better.

Immerse yourself in your surroundings, become obsessed and attack the water.

It really is a Long Haul.

Rich Malloy is a passionate angler out of New England. Check out the rest of the Long Haul Project on Instagram @richmalloy3

Photos Courtesy of Rob Colameta. See the rest of his work on Instagram @bobby__snaps

Photographer Spotlight: Jay Talbot

Jared Zissu
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1. Who is Jay Talbot? 

I am just a 26-year-old bearded dude trying to fund my fishing and hunting addiction with art and designs.

2. Who inspired you to start drawing? 

My grandfather was a huge inspiration before he passed a few years ago. I thought it was funny that he spent half of every year trying to paint some masterpiece for the local fair. It was inspiring that he was so into it, and I sorta see why now. He didn’t do it full time, but he sure did love painting.

3. Do you remember the first time you picked up a marker? How about a fly rod?

I remember the first time I did a series of art for fun when I was about 10 years old, and a real estate agent bought one of the pieces from me and framed it. It was an abstract piece with a sideways smiley face hidden in it- haha.

I first picked up a fly rod in 2013 fishing for bream and bass. Can’t describe the feeling of that first large mouth that ate the popper I threw out about twenty feet. A moment of “I did it” lol.

4. Do you see any parallels between fly fishing and creating art?

For sure, especially with my style. I try not see boundaries in order to achieve an unforeseeable outcome. Meaning, I have a vague idea of a piece that I want to draw or a fish that I want to catch in my head, but the act of drawing and the adventure has no rules of conventional thought. I don’t have every line planned for a drawing- it just happens. It may look different than what I was picturing but it’s cool. Similarly to fly fishing, I’m going to make something up and go where people don’t normally go to try to catch a fish. Awesome fish live in incredible places that you’d never think. One of the those “more about the journey than the destination” kind of things that I see as the parallel between fly fishing and creating art.

5. What is your favorite thing to draw?

Definitely flies. Somehow when I draw flies I don’t have to work that hard getting the proportions right. And they look cool.

6. What about favorite fish to catch?

Redfish! They may seem boring to some, but they do so many different things. If you sit and watch redfish, they will surprise you. I’ve seen them tail, seen them with their eyes out of the water, seen solo reds, seen 1,000 tailing reds at the same time, seen bull reds in shallow water, seen them at reefs, jetties, etc… I mean they are incredible because of how diverse they are.

7. If you were stranded on an island and could only have one fly, what would it be?

Probably a small black and purple seaducer… that fly is incredible.

8. We recently collaborated on a Grateful Dead inspired art series, tell me a little bit about this artwork? What makes you combine your love for fly fishing and grateful dead? 

Well, when I first got into fly fishing and going to Charleston, SC to catch redfish in the marsh, my buddy would always be playing grateful dead. I just started associating the grateful dead with the some of the most amazing times I’ve had chasing redfish in such a beautiful place. So when I would leave Charleston and go back to Columbia, I would listen to the grateful dead and draw fly fishing stuff. They just go hand and hand- both were introduced to me about the same time.

9. Do you consider yourself a “Dead Head”? What is a “Dead Head”?

That’s an onion of a question, essentially deadheads are people who would leave everything to follow the grateful dead around to every show. The stereotype of deadheads has probably evolved along with different era’s- between the 70′, 80’s, 90’s and now. I would probably call myself a closet deadhead. You might not be able to tell I’m a deadhead or a hippy, I am clean and don’t do drugs, but I do like the philosophy of breaking free of the mold and not having to become another number in society. I’m not a big fan of social constructs and I respect people a lot more when they follow their passions.

10. If you were going to pick one song to inspire a non “dead head” to listen to the band what would it be?

I would say “Eyes of The World” would be a good one to get a taste of the grateful dead. It’s one of the most played songs by them, and the lyrics let you see the world a little differently. It’s the lyrics that make the songs I think, most of it is outside of the box stuff. They do have very catchy songs as well, but I would say it’s better to listen to the complete sets to get a bigger picture.

11. I know you also do some great dog portraits. Do you have a favorite portrait you want to share with us?

Here’s an example of my favorite dog portrait that I’ve done so far.

12. Do you have any role models in the fly fishing or art world?

My bud Shafter Johnston of Bluewing Guide Service has been a role model for a couple of years now. He’s been getting me into hunting and teaching me more about fly fishing. I’ve learned a lot from him and he’s an inspiring guy.

13. What’s next for Jay?

More hunting and more fly fishing for sure. Hopefully, those trips will inspire more art and designs.

You can find Jay Talbot on Instagram @JayboArt

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Arctic Obsessions

Derek Olthuis
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Perhaps the best part about fly fishing is the variety found within the sport. As an angler, you can chase small trout in a high mountain stream casting dry flies to rising fish or throw massive poppers to angry GT’s in the salt. For me, the aspect that drives me is using fly fishing as a vehicle to search out remote areas of the world, and that’s what inspired a two-part trip spending 20 days exploring the Arctic.

There is really nowhere else like it or anywhere more remote and wild. It is one of the most least densely populated places on the planet, home to bears and wolves and has the largest temperature change in the world. For years I dreamed of going to the Arctic to catch arctic char but could never make it happen. It seemed always just out of reach, and with each failed trip my arctic obsession grew.

After that first initial visit to the Arctic, it became somewhere that needed to be visited as much as possible. Time holds no real value there, no schedules or places to be just wilderness in every direction. Places that haven’t been visited in years and might not be seen again for decades.

Fishing in a place like this is incredible. Not because you catch hundreds upon hundreds of fish, although in some bodies of water that might be the case… Fishing where few others have fished has some sort of romantic feel to it. Angling in part is just an excuse to seek solitude, and there is no better place to find it.

The challenge for us was locating our target species. On my various trips to the Arctic, we have chased sea-run Dolly Varden and Arctic Char, each exponentially larger than their non-anadromous counterparts. Along the way we found plenty of willing grayling and lake trout, however, that’s not why we came to the Arctic.

Filming a movie for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) is a lot more difficult when you aren’t catching the fish you came to pursue. There are only so many shots of casting, hiking, camping and by-catch fish that you can have before you lose the audience. In the end, it also seemed to pan out for us. The harder the fish we to find the more ground we covered daily to ensure ultimate success. Nothing is more gratifying than digging deep when you seem to be fighting for a lost cause only to achieve the goal at hand.

This seems to be our story, one of challenge, effort, and reward. I have always considered myself an average angler by most standards, there is, however, something to be said about hiking that one extra mile or heading out in rain that’s blowing sideways. Those are the days that always produce the results we are after.

In the end it would appear that all fly fishermen are the same, we signed up for this sport to take on a new challenge, learn more about fish behavior and likely to find some time to decompress from the stresses of life. As previously stated, what makes this sport so unique is the varied approaches to what we call fly fishing. The methods seem almost endless, be that euro nymphing, throwing a streamer, swinging a fly, sight fishing on the flats or presenting a drag-less drift to a surface feeding trout. That challenge for me, the addiction, comes from finding and sight fishing to those rare species of char or hard to catch trout in remote locations. Nothing in fishing excites me more than watching a colored up char, be that dolly or arctic turn and eat in crystal clear water. To each his own, find that method, fish or location that makes you tick and then let fly fishing envelope your thoughts as you try to master something that can never really be mastered.

Be sure to read our previous post about Western Waters Media and their quest for Giant Dolly Varden, here.

Derek Olthuis is a creator and fly fisherman with Western Waters Media. Make sure to check him out on Instagram @derekolthuis

Start Them Young: Teaching My Son to Love Fly Fishing

Gary Gillett
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Being a parent has led me down paths which I would never have imagined. Owning dogs up until the birth of my son, Easton, I assumed raising a child will have its parallels with dog ownership. Cryptic? Maybe. But, I have found many truths in this comparison. Every father dreams of the day they get to watch their kin toss a tight loop to a creek or tailing redfish. Easton is still a long way from this reality, and I have realized now I am completely content with this.

It’s a Slow Process

Just weeks before Easton was born, I was looking for practice fly casting rods and Patagonia garb to outfit him in. Naively I assumed he would pop out of the womb with a Steve Rajeff double haul and a burning passion for fly fishing. All of the months spent just trying to get him to eat normal people food definitely shed some light on this grim reality. Now that Easton is gradually developing better motor skills every day, my impatient desires are starting to come to fruition. Circling back to the ‘dog to child’ analogy, you must first develop their interest in something long before you would expect them to physically try it.

My goals from early on were to educate Easton on the fish. We watch Will Benson’s fly fishing films before bedtime, with “High in the Lowlands” being his favorite. Before he was 2, Easton could identify redfish, snook, tarpon, and permit. He sits on his Uncle Avery’s and my laps as we tie flies. Every time we travel, we stop at the local fly shop and he knows he’s allowed to pick one fly from the rack and add it to his (larger than mine) fly box. Now 3, Easton can tell the difference between a Hell’s Bay and any other skiff. As a matter of fact, he’s probably taken more skiff rides than the average weekend angler.

At 3 years old, Easton has a great knowledge of the important aspects of being a fly angler. He knows to handle fish with care and the importance of catch and release (though he thinks it’s because they’re going back to their “Mommies”). He watches closely as all of the people he looks up to do these things. Easton may not be casting a fly rod successfully yet, but I have never met a better angler

How Easton has Changed Me

My fly fishing roots come from being Easton’s age and throwing a spinning rod tipped with a shrimp down in the Keys to catch pinfish. I have always looked for the next best hobby, but once I found fly fishing it has been the most constant thing in my life. All of the

challenges it provides on a daily basis keep my attention like nothing else. Even working in the industry, I have never lost interest. All of this aside, I have found the greatest aspect of fly fishing is sharing the sport with others, specifically Easton.

Days on the water with Easton are nothing glamorous. They generally consist of making sure he doesn’t touch the spent flies under the casting platform, making sure he doesn’t hit any of the switches, stopping him from jumping up and down on the deck scaring every fish within a mile or tending to him when he has to take a poop in the middle of a flat. But damn, it is all worth it to watch the unfiltered pure joy on Easton’s face when a fish is caught.

Be sure to not to miss our other articles on getting kids involved in fly fishing:

“5 Tips: Getting Kids Hooked on Fly Fishing”

“Parenting Done Right – Go Fly Fishing!”

“How This Kick-Ass Mom is Teaching Her Son About Fishing…”

Gary Gillett is a Mosquito Lagoon fly fishing guide (book a trip here!) and podcast host from the Tailer Park, FL.

Check out his Instagram @garygillett_media and definitely give his podcast Fly Fishing After Dark a listen!

GTs: The Airborne Hunters of the Seychelles

Collin Terchanik
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The Giant Trevally has gone by many awe-inspiring names…now, “The Airborne Hunters of the Seychelles” will be one of them.

At this point in time, it is safe to say no aquatic life nor bird is safe from the Giant Trevally (GT)! One may believe fish only eat other fish to survive, this is a false statement.  BBC’s film crew myth busted this idea while filming on the coast of Seychelles for a new natural history series Blue Planet II. Airing October 29, 2017, watch exclusive footage as the 127-lb. beast explodes from the water in slow-motion targeting a seabird for a meal.

Having the ability to jump up to 6 feet and reach speeds up to 37 mph, this apex predator has no problem in succeeding its hunting efforts. The GT was able to swallow the bird in a single gulp as the crew watched in awe. Series producer James Honeyborne stated “It’s one thing seeing a fish flying through the air, that’s unexpected enough. But then seeing a fish flying through the air and catching a bird in its mouth, wow… yep – a bird-eating fish.”

From the looks of it, fly tiers now have a new challenge… Tie a fly to imitate a bird cruising on the surface of the water. Maybe come up with a new kite-flying technique to get a GT’s attention? As we learn more about species habits, we fishermen keep coming up with new innovating fishing techniques to increase success. I am very excited to see what comes out next.

“The Blue Planet II” is coming out this weekend on the 29th on the BBC and BBC Earth, and we can’t be more excited, especially, now that they released shots of Giant Trevallies plucking terns (a seabird) straight out of the sky…in a single gulp.  The BBC filmed these birds eating GTs in the Seychelles, close to one of our favorite angling destinations, Alphonse Atoll.

If these badass fish are on your bucket list, go read “5 Tips: Catching GT’s On The Fly” 

We also thought you may enjoy this video, of @FishTheSwing, catching a GT on a flip flop…

Please send us an email theflylords@gmail.com if you are interested in booking a trip to chase these beastly hunters!

Photos from the BBC and Flylords Founder Jared Zissu

Collin Terchanik is a Fly Lords contributor out of Central Pennsylvania. Check him out on Instagram @c_terch

Continue

Arapaima on the Fly: New Film From Costa Sunglasses

Collin Terchanik
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Fly fishing’s entire culture revolves around the idea of traveling the world and catching that next species of fish. It is in a fly fisherman’s DNA to go to inconceivable lengths to explore the unheard regions of the earth.

Who knew that next species could potentially save a country’s way of life? A Costa & Indifly production Jungle Fish, is a community and conservation film that takes you to the jungles of a tiny South American village in the country of Guyana. Here a group of pro anglers attempts to do something no one has ever done before, catch the arapaima in the wild using a fly. This vehement beast is the largest freshwater fish in the world and breathes the air us fishermen breathe, making this one extraordinary creature.

If the group achieves this goal, the opportunity to host fishermen will preserve the people of Guyana’s way of life and promote the protection of their rainforests.  Through Costa Sunglasses’ study of establishing a sport-fishing industry in indigenous countries, Indifly projects have popped up around the globe, providing reliable income to previously impoverished peoples.

Photos Courtesy of Jim Klug. See his other work on Instagram @jtklugphotography

Collin Terchanik is a Fly Lords contributor out of Central Pennsylvania. Check him out on Instagram @c_terch

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