This video is made in the loving memory of Jeremy Brooks, an incredible angler, guide, and friend. His life was cut short in a tragic accident three years ago on his way to guide abroad.
A few weeks prior, Jeremy and I embarked on what we did not know was our last fishing trip. Camping for a month, we set out to find some of the Olympic Peninsula’s elusive steelhead and prepare Jeremy for the season ahead of guiding with a two-hander. The trip was meant to be an immersive way to teach him spey casting and the art of swinging a fly while doing what we did best- fish bumming and getting out of our comfort zone in search of an extraordinary experience. We filmed it as what would serve as a jumping-off point for a pair of eager international fly fishing guides at the start of their careers.
Although it is not the flyfishing stoke reel we envisioned, the footage stands as something else entirely, capturing our thoughts and highlights from the trip and preserving his memory beyond those that were fortunate enough to be close with him. For those of you who knew Jeremy, through his guiding, fishing, or otherwise, I hope you can get the solace I do from this footage. And for those that did not, it is a chance to hear a unique outlook on a fishery that’s quite relevant at the moment and meet the man who was an inspiration to so many including myself.
Article and video by Max Kantor (@max_kantor) a fly fishing guide at the @ponoiriverco and @kautapenlodge.
