The 2023 F3T is underway – click here to find a local showing and purchase tickets.

Up Next in this year’s F3T Behind the Lens line-up, is Flylords very own film “After You’ve Gone”. Our very own Jared Zissu and Max Erickson are here to shed further light on this incredible story of life, fishing, & passion. From her home mountains of the Adirondacks to the deep fjords of Patagonia Rachel Finn pursues her shared love of exploration and fly fishing for her late husband Jeff Kirschman. With the help of Spring Creek Lodge, Itati Lodge, and the Set Fly Fishing Crew Rachel embarks on an adventure through Argentina unlike any other.      

First Things First, How did you meet Rachel Finn? What a fantastic individual. How did you guys come up with the idea of chasing trout and dorado in Argentina? 

Flylords: When we were brainstorming the concept for the film we wanted to accomplish two things. Develop her backstory, and showcase her exuberance. We needed to show Rachel in her space, then let her loose somewhere where her personality could shine. She’s been to Argentina with the Set Fly Fishing crew and it was a natural fit to bring her back.

From the looks of it, the fishing and scenery looked incredible. Was it hard to consolidate footage? With that being said is there a particular shot or scene in the film that is your absolute favorite? 

Flylords: We shot over 20tb during the roughly 3 weeks of principal photography. That mapped out to upwards of 40hrs of footage. Post was a heavy lift on this film (shoutout to our editor Jeb Burroughs) and we spent two months straight cutting and recutting the film.

My favorite scene in the film is the buildup to Rachel’s big dorado. From dawn to dusk showing tired hands and hours of casting, built with the song “deep river” behind it. Catching a large dorado was a spiritual and meaningful experience. We didn’t want to make this sequence feel ‘cool’ or ‘epic’ because that’s not what you feel when you’re hunting for these fish. It’s meditative and quiet, a moment where you’re tuned to the present.

If you have a message you are trying to convey through this short movie. What would that message be?

Flylords: Losing someone is hard, Rachel’s personality and outlook on life is an admirable approach to moving forward with life after loss. When things get hard it’s important to keep going and make sure you’re doing the things that make you whole.

What was the filming timeline like? Did you guys have an idea of what you wanted or a vision? Or did the film naturally unfold? 

Flylords: We started with 3 shoot days in Rachel’s hometown in the Adirondacks then two full weeks in Argentina with Set Fly Fishing. The idea was clear from the beginning, however, as with any documentary, the story took shape as we shot and the post was a marriage between the initial conception, points we wanted to hit, and unexpected moments and story points we found along the way.

As a crew, you’ve all got quite a bit of experience with trout, how did the trout fishing in Argentina differ from our home waters in the US? 

Flylords: The trout in Argentina are mean. These things are trigger-happy and ready to kill anything that comes into range. Deerhair bass bugs ended up being really successful flies. A big profile and a lot of noise was the key to queuing these trout to your offering in the high spring water. It’s all the insanity that happens after the lights go out in the lower 48, under the high sun.

Rachel described fishing for Golden Dorado as a “full-time job”, can you elaborate on this? The hours fished, the heavy tackle, and the heat I assume were all a price to pay.  

Flylords: First off – all those elements are part of the experience and part of the excitement of this fishery. That being said when you’re looking for Dorado in big water like the upper Parana you never know when the ‘moment’ is going to happen. These fish share characteristics with musky, striped bass, and large predatory trout. They’re shy, yet they live at the top of the food chain. It pays to be ‘on’ for every cast, mentally and physically prepared for the next strip to connect you with a 30lb pissed-off slab of gold.

I think I’m asking for the people here, what was Rachel’s cigar of choice? And was there an Argentinian version? 

Flylords: Backwoods. She’ll smoke another if the opportunity arises, but Backwoods are her top pick. She ran out on a previous trip and this time was sure to bring PLENTY of extras. 

The accommodations at Spring Creek Lodge and Itati Lodge looked incredible and so did the food. Does the crew have a favorite meal on the trip?  

Flylords: They were all incredible whether it was on the water or not. They consistently go above and beyond in all aspects, but the food, wine, and presentation were stellar. I think it really depends on who you ask, they made so many incredible dishes that could appeal to anyone differently. 

Lastly, For the folks that want to experience Argentina, its culture, and its incredible fishing what are some pointers that you can give to be prepared for their trip? 

Flylords: Be ready for anything. There are so many different water types, and fish behaviors, you never know what you’re going to run into. If you’ve ever had a stupid idea you wanted to try in the States, this is the place to experiment. Feed ‘em bass bugs, try to skate up a trout on a hitched bomber, whatever crazy idea you have, there’s probably some fish there who will respond to it and you might be surprised with your results.

Cheers to my good friends Jared Zissu and Max Erickson for taking the time to shed some light on this incredible film. Photos from Zento Slinger of Team Flylords. You can catch “After You’ve Gone” at the Fly Fishing Film Tour’s stop nearest you.  

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