I took this shot today right outside of Saratoga, WY on the North Platte River. I work as a guide and as media production for @brushcreekranch and @frenchcreekbcr. The angler is Adam Crowson (@crashcrowson). He and I headed out on the Platte early this morning in our continued search for rising pods of fish during the August Trico hatch on the Platte.
We fished all morning, took a few breaks from about 10:20-11:30 to check out the eclipse. We knew the peak of the eclipse was due around 11:45. So, we started fishing again. The heavens literally aligned today for this shot, about 3min before totality (well, our 96% totality here) Adam sight-casted to this nice brown feeding on the surface, ate a #20 trico spinner. We landed him, I laid about neck deep in water to get the necessary angle, Adam hoisted the trout, I snapped a handful or different exposures with an ND filter, set the fish free, a little photo blending later, this image!
 For more content from Trey, you can find him on Instagram @trey_mullen
It was day two of the trip, technically at this point in Australia, it was already my birthday. That morning we had split into two groups of 3, Alex, Havard and I worked the northern beat (learned this slang while there, referring to good fishing section) which was historically the more producing of the two while Robert, Kjetil, and Elias worked the southern beat. We were fishing the northwestern section of Lake Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir) in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, the country’s largest natural lake. The lake had just opened for the season a few weeks prior so the hope is that the fish had forgotten what flies looked like haha.
I think the first time I saw a pic of the browns that come out of this lake my jaw literally dropped. For two years this lake had been on my mind and I have been determined to see one of these giants in the flesh. I originally thought that these fish were sea-run but after a hydroelectric dam was put in place these giant beings remained trapped. However due to the strength of their ancestral sea-run DNA and the immense body of water in which they have to roam the lake continues to produce 20-30 lb brown trout. I have fished quite a few places but none compared to the windiness of this place.
You could backcast as hard as your heart could take and the fly would simply land a few inches in front of your feet. I was also quite taken back by the beauty of the landscape. Cliffs burst from beneath the surface of the lake only to be iced with lush and brilliant layers of moss so soft that when the bite was off and the sun broke through the clouds, naps were undisputable.
One day it rained so hard that it felt as though you were under an inescapable waterfall. And coming from the PNW where torrential downpour is regular during the winter months, I thought I was prepared…but I thought wrong. One day I had to completely abandon ship! Every inch of my underlayer somehow managed to become drenched. Anyhow, back to the good stuff. The fish! MY OH MY. He was my birthday fish and probably the most beautiful birthday fish that I will have for a very long time. It was in the afternoon, Alex, Havard and I switched beats with the other 3.
First cast Alex lands one hell of a brown. We are all in awe of its size and coloring and of course how hard it fought. WOW. A few snaps of his fish and it was off with the splash of a tail. The beat was along a rocky lavascape with 2 max 3 good holes. But one hole a little deeper than the others, the one that Alex’s fish came from. They encouraged me to take a shot so 1, 2, 3 false casts and my orange/yellow/red sculpzilla streamer disappeared into the horizon. I stripped slow with a quick jerk at the end, once, twice, and a bite?! Stripset! Nothing. I questioned myself as to whether that was a real bit or not. Who was I kidding I know a bite when I feel one, that was a bite. I exclaimed to the guys, I had a bite but I missed it! I tell myself, quick cast again! 2nd cast. Strip…strip bite! Strip set and nothing! I looked around and they agreed it was definitely a bite.
Without a thought I cast again much farther than the presentations before, I was determined to hook this fish. 4, 5 jerky strips later BOOM! The hardest hit! I set and nothing! I could not believe it. With rod tip still oscillating from the aggressive bite I knew something was wrong. I checked my fly… what in the flying fish!! The hook had wrapped around the eyed, oh haaaail no! This time when I cast Alex reassured me, Its ok just focus stay calm, you’ll get him. As I cast I thought there is no way in heaven this fish would bite a 4th time. But first strip. He had been waiting for me and I had been waiting for him. Line instantaneously tight next thing I hear is one of my favorite sounds in the world. The sound of a run. Ziiiiiipppppppp!!!
In a moment he was headed for the middle of the lake. I try to slow my reel with my hand but after the duration of his 1st run I just blanked and imagined me holding him and how beautiful he could be. He stopped for a second I looked down at my reel. Holy bejesus this is not happening… Noooooooo. I had forgotten to reset my drag after I changed lines the day before and a rats nest the size of China just had formed on my reel not allowing me to let line out or reel. I shrieked!! Somebody help me my line is f**ked! With a quick skip and a hop, Alex came to the rescue carefully and calmly he worked the knots that made a home just a few feet from my backing. In the background, Havard filmed glimpses of a fight that I will never forget as long as I live.
Time… I have no idea how much went by but right when he started to run again Alex had freed the knots. OH, MY LANTA I may just land this!! I focused hard, tip high, fish on the reel. And now began the fight. I have never in my life had a fish take me to my backing 3 times with the power that this brown did. I’ve caught wild Olympic Peninsula steelhead, Chinooks that fought like a rock and still little can describe just how magical this moment was. I stayed intent on meeting this beauty. Before I knew it Alex was stepping out into the deep banks determined to net him.
I never really get excited until a fish is in the basket. The moment I saw his tail flip into the net barely fitting, I knew he was mine, all mine, I did this! We did this! I stopped unable to realize what just happened, the odds against me, the immeasurable concentration, his colossal size. I simply could not believe what just happened. Running to high five the guys still in a daze I knelt down beside the net and in complete and utter awe I said, Happy birthday to me! Hahaha jokes I didn’t say that I actually don’t remember what I was thinking my adrenalin was at an all-time high and I was in a state of complete and utter bliss.
This trip we fished hard in the burliest conditions, wind, rain, storm, and sunshine for 7 days straight, 10-12 hour days and this fish was the only one I caught the whole trip. I wouldn’t change that for anything. During this trip, I met some of the most humble, hilarious and gifted fisher people I have ever met. I experienced a landscape that looked like it came right out of the land before time. And I caught a fish I had been dreaming about for a very long time. I will never forget this place or these wonderful people.
Here are a few of our favorite eclipse photos from today. Shot by some of the most talented photographers out there. Comment and let us know which one you like the best!
I have traveled all my life beyond the beaten path in search of great fisheries, and in the early 2000s, I traveled a lot to Central America in search of giant tarpon.
In 2001, my buddy Freddy and I stumbled across some promising spots in Nicaragua, we found a place that you couldn’t point to on a map, a place that had no cell phone reception and a place even the locals didn’t know well… We knew we had come to the right place.
The tarpon fishery proved difficult with shy giant tarpon in small creeks, bays, and rivers. In 2007 I decided to bring my float tube and fish totally DIYÂ and approach the fish as silently as possible.
The approach was very successful and to this day I’ve caught fish up to 200 lbs from the tube, the rest is history.
In 2010 @jbkristensen and I shot the now-classic, multi-award-winning flyfishing film “Tapâm” there, in 2012 I facilitated and coordinated the shoot of one the most successful river monsters episodes, namely “Killer Torpedo” for season 6.
Jeremy Wade catches a giant tarpon from a small raft on a fly rod in an epic achievement. In 2014 a small fishing lodge was built by Danes.
For more content from Dan, check him out on Instagram @danielunderwater
Backpack fly fishing in the Colorado high country provides endless opportunities for solitude, pristine landscapes, a cocktail of endorphins and arguably the most modelesque native cutthroat you’ve ever laid eyes on.
The excitement of the unpredictable grows inside me as I spot the trailhead from washboarded and dusty dirt road Dave is driving us down. The thought of carrying my 40 pounds back far into the backcountry seemed nothing short of daunting at 6am this morning. Its now been replaced by feelings of joy and exhilaration. I can hardly wait to hit the trail, so eager in fact that I nearly forget the half pint bottle of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey. A staple for backcountry adventures.
It’s mid-day when we begin climbing out of the cool and damp forest but even so in the not too far off distance are storm clouds, lurking in every direction. We scout for what will be our home for the remainder of the evening and set up tents just in time. If there is one thing I’ve learned from growing up in Colorado, its that there’s always a chance of thunderstorms anytime you find yourself above 9,000 ft.
The thunder begins, then lightning than rain and of course, then hail. This storm is going to put us through all of its paces before finally letting up. If you have a friend with you who is afraid of lightning, things can get a bit tense that the end result can be worth the storm. Blue skies and water like glass.
Cast, step, repeat. We spend the remainder of the evening casting to snobby cutthroat with views of Rocky Mountain national to the west and the Nokhu crags to the east. Cast, step, change fly, repeat. It goes on like that for a little bit as we watch treasured cutthroat turn up their noses at each new fly that hits the water. Then finally I see a quick flash of deep red surface and slurp down my fly. He wasn’t quite the miracle slab of cutthroat that haunts my dreams but most days I’m not just after the big ones. My satisfaction comes from each one’s individual uniqueness.
Backpack fly fishing is my opportunity to hit the reset button. It forces me from the daily routine of scrolling through endless amounts of fish porn to see who had the best brown trout photo from that day and from obsessively checking emails. When I’m out there, I have no choice but to be forced from these daily habits. In the backcountry, there is no service but you are guaranteed a good connection.
For more from Jean Marie follow her on Instagram @thejeanbug
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where were you born what do you do for work? I was born and raised in Ontario’s Ottawa Valley, and I went to school for Conservation Biology and Business. After graduation and a brief spell as a waterfowl guide, I made the (maybe not so) obvious transition to doing business development and directing for Rockhouse Motion, a production house that I’m a proud partner of. Rockhouse is based in the creative hotbed of central Kansas and we do all kinds of film and photography work, but we specialize in advertising in the outdoor space. I currently live in Canmore, Alberta, where I spend my time hunting, fishing, and otherwise frolicking in the Rockies.
2. Do you remember the first time you picked up a flyrod? What was the first fish you caught?
I first picked up a flyrod while visiting my neighbor Tom Adamchick, who was the flyfishing editor for Outdoor Canada. I got super lucky, Tom is a true badass and an excellent teacher who has traveled the world fly-fishing, and he was keen to try and convert me from the spin-fishing days of my youth. He loves brook trout so much that he actually dug and stocked a pond in his yard, so it was there that I managed to connect with my first fish on the fly.
3. I know you do a ton of hunting as well, how do you think these two sports relate to each other?Â
It depends. I think the way that I hunt informs the way that I love to fish. I love sight fishing and solving the puzzle to target specific fish. Don’t get me wrong, no matter how I get to spend time with a flyrod, I’m happy, but a targeted approach is always my favorite. With that said, I think it has a lot to do with hunting. Analyzing habitat, putting yourself in position for a single opportunity, and then the rush that comes with connecting on a standout fish are very similar to the way I feel hunting.
4. If you were stranded on an island in the middle of the Ocean, and you could pick one fly rod and one gun to have with you, what would you choose?
Orvis H3D would be my go-to rod, its got all the sauce of the H2 with a real improvement in accuracy, and durability as well (which is key cause I tend to break things). On the firearm side, I would go with a Beretta A400. I’ve always loved their shotguns, and the A400 is a monster. Durable, comfortable, and fits me well.
5. When did you start shooting photography/videography? Was there someone in particular who pulled you into this field?Â
I started when I was young. I asked for an underwater camera for my 10th birthday and shot a lot of blurry photos of smallmouth with it. I assume that my parents planted that seed somehow, so I owe them a thank you for that. As I went to school and traveled, I fell further in love with it, especially backpacking Australia and New Zealand. I found myself centering my days around sunrise and sunset, getting a similar thrill from a standout image as I would from shooting/catching something. Things happened pretty fast from there, but as far as doing it full time as a professional, I owe my thanks to Matt White and Dustin Lutt, my business partners, for inspiring and encouraging me to take it on within my role at Rockhouse. Aside from Matt and Dustin, my late friend Andrew Brose was the guy who gave me the confidence to tackle this as a career. He was always the man in our community when it came to filming work, and when he said I had what it took to succeed, I took it to heart.
6. Do you think you have the best job in the world? If you weren’t doing this for work, where would you be?
I do indeed have the best job in the world. I get to tell stories on behalf of some of my favorite brands on the planet and travel the world to work with passionate and motivated people. I love the project orientation of our line of work, and the challenge of adapting our creative voice to suit the brands we work with along the way. If I weren’t doing this, I think I would be a serial entrepreneur, trying to start/grow/sell businesses in various niches. It’s impossible to say, this career path has been so influential in my life that its hard to consider the hypotheticals.
7. Favorite Drink?
Cold Beer. If I had to be specific I would say that amber ales are my favorite, with Kilkenny in cold weather, and Yukon Red in warm weather is the best bet. That said, as long as it isn’t too heavy on the wheat and fruit, odds are I’ll love it. I’ve never been much of a spirits guy, but I’ve been converted by Wild Life Distilleries here in town, and their gin and vodka are out of this world. Smooth and tasty, and much more packable for backcountry adventures. I guess I also enjoy Lemonade, but that’s not particularly exciting.
8. Do you have any role models in the fly fishing industry? What about a photographer who inspires you?
I’m extremely lucky to have friends that I fish with and look up to at the same time. Naoto Aoki (@naoto.aoki.photography) lives here in Alberta and has influenced my approach to fly-fishing more than anyone else, and has a beautiful honest style of photography. Simon Perkins (@sharptailmedia) at Orvis inspires me because he manages to successfully balance a corporate career with time on the water, which I am bad at. I like how Derek Olthius (@derekolthius) curates good instructional content and mixes it in with a great overall feed, and shares my appreciation for hunting big fish. All of those guys apply on the photography side as well, as well as Josh Hutchins @aussieflyfisher who kicks ass at underwater/split level imagery and tells a good story as a traveling guide. Matt Jones @matt.jones.photography does a great job too. I struggle to have role models on the fishing side without actually fishing with people, but I appreciate anyone who builds momentum for the sport and encourages people to get outside and spend time with the people they love.
9. Favorite person, you follow on Instagram?
As far as content goes, I love checking on our team @rockhousemotion, as silly as it seems. Together, on set, we are a wildly cohesive group, so it’s really interesting to me to see what images everyone chooses to share on their own time, and how they express themselves on social. They’re all pros, and together they have a variety of awesome work. Check out @matt_white_rockhouse, @dustin_rockhouse, @colinphoto_rockhouse. Aside from our team, I really find brands to be interesting, and I follow a lot of them quite closely. I guess the question says “favorite person” so I’m obliged to mention my love @loganraeross and my Mom @madawaskamo (don’t follow her though, or she’ll ask me a bunch of questions about what is wrong with her phone).
10. One book or movie everyone should read or see at least once.Â
Old Man and the Sea, my all time favorite book and its a quick and easy read. It’s such a simple story, but Hemingway crafts a truly timeless narrative with the simplest prose. I still cry at the end, sharks are the worst.
11. What’s been your favorite project to work on thus far in your career.Â
My favorite project was our film Beyond the Roar, which was a tribute to Andrew Brose who I mentioned earlier. I’m in the film, and I got to hunt, so I suppose it has an unfair advantage, but it was such an incredible experience to make, and it is such a genuine story, that it has really resonated with people more than the other projects I’ve been close to. I’m incredibly lucky to have been able to share the story of what was essentially my adventure of a lifetime.
From a commercial perspective, we are just wrapping up a Cabela’s anthem that I’m super proud of (although I can’t share it yet). For:30 second spots, these two for Sufix 832 are among my favorites:
For brand films, the ones we did for Orvis and Rapala really stand out to me.
We also just finished up a major fly-fishing project that I’m very proud of, The Forgotten Atoll. I think it really resonates with a full range of people, from folks who have never fished, to core anglers. It was extremely difficult fishing, but I think the emotion comes through on screen, and I really like the honesty with which Naoto talks about trying and failing, to catch a GT. It’s real, which isn’t always what you see in films. We were extremely lucky to have a great connection with the locals thanks to Brady’s connections there.
12. Tell me about your camera set up for run and gun shooting. For people who want to get into photography do you have any advice for them?
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My go-to setup is a Canon 1DX Mark II, for both stills and motion. For fishing, I tend to also bring the SPL Water Housing when I can fit it in.
As far as advice goes, keep it simple. Don’t fret about gear, and if you do, buy lenses. Focus on taking a few exceptional shots instead of a bunch of good ones. Learn to be critical of your own work, and if that fails, find a group of people who will be critical of you. Learn to retouch, and get the most out of your images. As Colin, our editor says “tell them where to look, and tell them how to feel”. If you see something you like, figure out how they shot it, and then shoot it for yourself. Most importantly, don’t let the camera wreck the moment. That was a tough one for me, learning to enjoy the moment and photograph it at the same time. It is different for everyone, but once you figure it out the ability to enhance and immortalize the moment, there is nothing like it.
13. What’s next for Aaron Hitchins?Â
Like I said, I have the best job in the world, so I’m off to work on my ‘desert island’ brands. First to Vermont, for the launch film for the Orvis H3, and then to the East Coast with Beretta to shoot their spring/fall line. Then, hunting season in Alberta/Quebec/Kansas and whatever that brings with it.
Before all of that, though, hopefully, some Cutthroat and Bull Trout. I need to fish.
Nothing beats making new friends who enjoy fishing, especially when they are willing to show you a few of there secret fishing spots. Although fishing is one of my favorite hobbies, to me nothing beats an adventure, and anytime you get to do both is a win-win.
I met up with Michael after he got off work around five, with my dragonfly marsh hen in tow we headed to the launch. My first question was, have you ever been on a dragonfly? Luckily he had a Gheeno as a kid so I didn’t really have to explain stability while fishing.
AT 200 lbs these boats are built to get skinny so they can get a little tipsy at sometimes. We took off and headed to a spot he thought might produce some fish on a flood tide. After quite a bit of rain over the past few weeks, the water visibility was pretty shit but that didn’t stop us from hooking into a few fish. After making it to the “secret spot” I cast towards a bend in the marsh. First cast. Boom. Hooked up, had to show him how it’s done.  My lessons didn’t stop there, I also showed him how to hook a few stick fish that day although we released those. We hooked into a couple more redfish and lost a Speckled Trout.
For more content from Jake follow him on Instagram @jlpose
Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions head guide Charlie Parr just exited a 5-day backcountry in Rocky Mountain National Park. His group of 10 teenage anglers hiked dozens of miles mostly off the trail to reach some of the most secluded areas of the park. As Charlie describes it the reward was some of the most epic fishing he has seen.
From the Lillard Fly Fishing Blog: The last 5 days have been nothing short of amazing.  After exiting the north inlet backcountry we completed a day of service working with the trails crew in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Our service project consisted of repairing a section of trail near a scenic Lake.  We were tearing up old trail to significantly improve drainage through the trail section in order to prevent unwanted erosion.  I am proud to report that the guys put in a solid day of hard work without complaints.  Upon finishing the service project, we drove back to the west side of RMNP to prep for our second backcountry heading out the next day.
Wednesday morning greeted us with a perfect sunny Colorado day to start our hike into the woods.  The hike saw us meander through a lush river valley before beginning a steep climb up into a glacier-carved valley harboring five fishable lakes which were our prime objective.  We reached our campsite on an island in the middle of the creek by the early afternoon and quickly set about fishing after setting up camp. Most of the crew took the short walk to the nearest lake while a few others fished the creek around camp.  The fishing was pretty good, and by pretty good I mean we were catching fish from our hammocks at camp!  We wrapped up the evening with a hearty meal and an early bedtime because the wake-up time for the morning was 5:30 AM.
5:30Â always comes too early, but the knowledge of what the day held in store is an excellent motivator. Â After a quick breakfast, we hit the trail to head up to the top of the valley to fish the fifth lake in the system of lakes strung out through the long valley. Â It took 1.5-2 hours to reach our destination in a spectacular cirque surrounded by permanent snowfields and soaring cliff faces. Â We quickly spotted nervous trout darting out from the icebergs dotting the lake, no doubt hiding from ospreys looking for an easy meal. Â The fishing in this top lake was tough, with only one beautiful native Colorado River cutthroat landed. Â But the amazing scenery more than made up for the fishing. Â We ate lunch on the shores of this spectacular lake, then hiked downhill to start fishing the other lakes on our way back to camp. Â From here on out the fishing was simply ridiculous. Â As we worked our way through each successive lake the fishing just got better and better. Â Our fish numbers quickly surpassed 100, and just kept climbing. Â The fish were eating everything, the bite was on, and it was glorious. Â This is why we venture to where we do to go fishing. Â We headed back to camp to eat a much-deserved dinner and hit the hay.
The next morning we slept in a bit before our adventure for the day. Â Our journey for the day would see us venture completely off trail and climb over a 12,000-foot ridge line to explore one of the most remote corners of RMNP rarely visited by people. Â The hike was arduous, to say the least, with thick virgin forest giving way to the steep alpine terrain. Â But upon reaching the top we were greeted with an absolutely stunning view. Â After taking it all in, we dropped down to the small lakes which were our destination for the day. Â The fishing started out slow, but we managed to snag a few small, but fat, cutthroats. Â Then the real fun began. Â We found a small creek that was absolutely jam-packed with large, colorful trout. Â The trout were so confined that we ditched our fly rods and began trying to poach the trout, catch them by hand for the layperson. Â After I demonstrated the proper way to do this, the guys set about it quite successfully. Â Most of the crew managed to land one, if not more, of these amazing fish using nothing but their bare hands! Â The stoke was high, and it was very hard to pry ourselves away from this paradise of a fishery, but the daunting descent ahead of us meant we had to leave in order to make it back to camp before darkness fell. Â Upon reaching camp, we capped off this amazing day with a celebratory backcountry thanksgiving meal and slept out under the brilliant stars unspoiled by any nearby city lights.
We hiked out of the backcountry with high spirits and hit the showers and did our laundry still buzzing with excitement.  We are now in the home stretch of the trip and will be moving to lower elevations and bigger water.  We will be camping on the banks of the mighty Colorado River getting a feel for the much bigger water in preparation for our capstone full day of float fishing.  Look for the next update at the end of our trip, and until then…
For more content from the author check him out on Instagram @chuckparr
Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions is an adventure education company, specializing in wilderness fly fishing trips for adolescents. We are dedicated to leading memorable, exciting, educational, and most importantly, fun wilderness fly fishing adventures for middle and high school students. Our flagship programs are our 10-20 day adventure academies for teenagers. We also offer custom wilderness adventures for families, schools, or small groups.
It’s hot as dog shit out here, and whether we are guiding or working in the shop, it sucks. The only time the heat isn’t too bad is when the tricos are popping on the Mo during the morning. Clients are happy, fish are eating, and life is good. Then noon comes around and it’s so hot you are convinced your ass is going to melt into the rowers seat. Don’t get me wrong, the trout fishing is excellent right now on the Missouri, but when the boys get a day off sometimes it’s worth switching up the scenery.
Carp. A four letter word that means one thing to people like us (morons with fly rods), and something completely different to normal people with real jobs. In Montana there is absolutely absurd carp fishing. I’m talking ten to twenty pound carp on dry flies. The type of fishing that makes you stop and realize how fucking insane the whole thing is.
Imagine feeding an oversized goldfish a hopper, and then going into your backing instantly. This shit happens all day where we go to throw flies for the infamous trash fish. Jim Beam, light beer, and dumbass carp annihilating flies for ten hours. It’s like Disney land, but with more alcohol and mosquitos. I’m writing this blog right now, but I’m starting to think we can turn this into some shitty fishing show that gets aired twice a week around midnight. Mucking Carp and the boys, MotherMuckers, The Mouth Muckers… all good show titles, if you target the right audience. I digress, TV show or not, the carp fisheries out here are the real deal.
People can say what they want about carp, but they are incredible on a fly rod. Sight fishing for them is very similar to some of the saltwater fishing I have done. The visible takes can be subtle, or violent at times, and the serious runs that can go deep into the backing are reminiscent of bonefish or reds. Last year we made a video about carp fishing, and we got feedback from some saltwater guys who were saying shit like, “go chase a real fish like permitâ€. Ok bud, thanks for the obvious. Yeah of course permit are more badass than carp, who the hell would argue with that, but don’t hate on the fish just because it isn’t elite enough for your snobbery.
Anyone who has ever carp fished in their life knows it is no easy task to trick one. They are intelligent, spooky, and very picky sometimes. If a carp isn’t eating, it is sure as hell not going to eat your fly. Finding feeding carp is the name of the game. Most carp dig their faces in the mud and eat anything on the surface, a lot like a redfish actually.
In shallow water, you will see their golden tails whipping around. In general, this type of activity is what most people try to find when looking for carp, but in Montana, it’s a little different. Carp will sit suspended in foamy back eddies and slurp out of the foam all day. One dude holds a pair of binoculars while the other casts into the foam. It is usually impossible to see the fly, so the spotter lets the angler know when to set. On our most recent trip, I climbed up a cliff and spotted from directly above the pod while Tege fished.
Tege’s fly got guzzled up after a few minutes of watching the fly spin around in the eddy while carp crushed all around it. The spotter yelled set, and Tege was in his backing on a huge mirror carp real quick. We landed the beast, and then we drank. On every swig of whatever pathetic beer we were drinking, I was reminded of how wild it all is, that carp actually eat flies, and how most people are missing out on the madness. Hopefully, this decent blog post has shed some light on how gangster carp are, until next time. Tight lines.
Make sure to check out @yellowtreeflyfishing on Instagram for more badass content!
“Dada it’s going to pull me in!†my daughter screamed after I handed her my fly rod with an energetic 20-inch Utah rainbow on the other end. My four-year-old tried a few turns on the reel and then promptly handed rod back requesting that I be the one to bring it in.
My two-year-old son wasn’t exactly winning any fishing bravery awards either this trip. I had rigged up a small black leech underneath a bobber and found a school of pumpkinseed. I would cast his tiny spinning rod and let him slowly reel it back. Every time he felt a tug he too handed the rod back saying “too scary!†He promptly wanted me to cast again and again though and was happy reeling in until he felt a fish pull or saw the bobber start to wiggle.
Since I was a little boy fishing with my own parents, I’d rank fishing as my all-time favorite hobby. Many of my fondest memories include bushwhacking to lakes surrounded by vegetation that would make the Amazon jungle proud, summer evenings catching bass on the surface, and even waking up early on Saturdays to fill a stringer with hatchery trout from suburban lakes near our home
As I now have two little children of my own I’ve sought ways to pass on this tradition that has brought me so much joy. I seek ways to integrate fishing into the family routines in every way I can. These five simple rules have helped give both my kids and me more time on the water.
1) L.A.G.s – Low Achievable Goals
A close friend of mine works for a major multi-national company. His firm uses an acronym to guide their work: Low Achievable Goals, or simply LAGs. This is also sage advice for parenting young fishers. By low goals, I’m not talking aiming for at least one fish over 16†on a dry fly that day. I’m talking making it to the river and back without breaking out the first aid kit. Parenting requires flexibility and patience while at home on the couch, let alone when out in the wild with sharp hooks, inclement weather, and potty training in progress. I’ve found setting low expectations for the actual fishing that takes place and being flexible to the game plan are super important to having fun with both the kids as well as the parents.
2) Snacks
This is one of the golden rules of all types of fishing, and frankly, if this sounds like news,  you likely have much to learn about fishing. I typically bring some special treats the kids don’t normally get to help prime their anticipation as well as maintain their happiness on the trip. For every kid I’ve ever known, any day is a good day when there are treats, even if there were no signs of fish and it rained most the time.
3) Age-Appropriate Gear
A few years ago, I thought it was the time my daughter learned how to fly fish. She had been watching me cast and knew that she had to swing the rod back and forth. I did a short cast and handed her the rod and started bending down to help show her the old ten and two. Before I could make it to my knees she jerked the rod back and the size 14 bead head pheasant tail was hurtling towards our heads and just missed us both. Barbless hooks? Check!
We also use short spin-casting and spinning rods that are simple to reel and cast. These smaller rods are much easier to handle and it was fun watching the progression from not even figuring out how to reel in, to almost casting on her own now. We’re working on stripping in fly-line too now. This past weekend a 9†rainbow pulled the line out of her hand and promptly ran out all 20 feet of slack. We have ways to go, but it’s fun watching them learn. Someday, when she can cast better than me I’ll still be able to tease her that a 9†fish schooled her.
4) Kids Feed Off Your Enthusiasm
It’s no secret that kids feed off the excitement of their parents. If you’re excited about it, they will be too. Every time my wife or kids ask what we should do that evening/day/weekend my knee-jerk response is always “go fishing.†I’m being serious, but it’s become a running joke in our family. “Dada you always want to go fishing!†my kids say. I even get excited when a new fly tying catalog arrives in the mailbox, or I stumble on a YouTube fishing series I haven’t already watched three times yet. The kids notice, and they always want to sit on the couch and watch with me. The occasional fishing trips I take by myself or with friends usually end up with at least one kid screaming at the door that they can’t come unless I can sneak out at 5 AM without waking anyone up. I think the enthusiasm transfer is working!
5) Keep the Big Picture in Mind
Thoreau probably said it best when he remarked that many “go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.†For me, fishing has always been a means for exploring new places, shared experiences with people dear to me, and snacks.
Sometimes the best fishing memories happen well away from the water too.
We had a miserable rainy winter here in Portland, OR this year and a weekly Saturday morning ritual became reading fly fishing catalogs from cover to cover with my kids over a casual breakfast of pancakes and orange juice. My daughter, in particular, liked the pages with flies on them the best. One day I asked her which one was her favorite. She confidently pointed to the bright pink squirmy wormy. My heart sank—I tried to explain to her that many fly anglers don’t consider that a fly at all and she might as well become a bait fisherman if that’s what she wants to use. I don’t think she understood at the time. She frequently brings up squirmy wormies in every-day conversation now and I love that I have an inside joke with my 4-year old daughter about silly bright pink “flyâ€.  And somehow I have a few pink squirmy wormies in my fly box now…I tell myself it’s just so I can show them to her in real life.
Overall I hope I’m planting a seed that grows in each of my kids so when they’re older, they too will long to carry their float tube through the brush with me to our secret trout lake.
In closing, just to ensure I wasn’t missing something important here I asked my kids what the most important rules about fishing with kids are. Here’s what they said:
4-Year Old:
“Keep your rod tip up when walking with a fishing rod.â€
“Don’t throw rocks where you want to fishâ€
“Hold fish tight so they don’t flop awayâ€
2-Year Old:
“Don’t throw my toys in the water†(note: we’re still working on this one)
“Bring treats†(great advice, see above)
“Don’t throw my shoes in the water†(also working on this one still)
Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for! Tight lines.
Danny Warren, is a Portland-based photographer, outdoor enthusiast, and most importantly dad. You can find more awesome content from him on Instagram. @DannyWarrenPhotography
