 Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
Posted by jeremy on January 02, 2010
(1385 reads)
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No matter how hard I try to explain my passion for “fly fishing” and all of the reasons why I spend so much time on the rivers and oceans; it seems that non-fishing friends and family never really truly “get it.” I have been a “fish head” and totally consumed with fishing for as long as I can remember. Like many other “fish heads” I have basically been addicted to “all” forms of fishing at one time or another. Bobbers and worms, artificial lures, clamming, spear fishing, crabbing, trolling, fly fishing, dragging giant off shore nets for cod, long lining in the Gulf Stream for swordfish, gillnetting salmon, etc. These days, and for the past 12 years or so, I have been totally immersed and spend all of my fishing time fly fishing. Why? Because, for me, fly fishing offers a “total fishing package” that other forms of fishing do not. First and foremost, the environments that fly fishing brings me are nothing short of awe inspiring. Whether it be a small remote trout stream tumbling down the Blue Ridge Mountains or an ocean reef 20 miles off-shore; these types of fly fishing locations provide me with an escape from the hype and hectic nature of modern day life. Fly fishing is also very simple. No tackle box or bait is required, just a little box of feathers and a fly rod that stays strung up in my car or packs easily into a suitcase. Theoretically speaking, I can fly fish a local stocked stream during lunch or go on a
week long fly fishing adventure to Australia. Either way, I get my fix of beautiful natural imagery and an escape from everything. Fly fishing, for me, is definitely not about catching big fish, lots of fish or keeping fish. I release all the fish I catch and a 12” brook trout, relatively speaking, can be just as big of a fish as a 300 pound bluefin tuna. I can go fly fishing alone and find extreme solitude or with a bunch of close fly fishing friends and find comradery. I can and do fly fish for every species of fish imaginable in tiny streams, giant rivers, saltwater flats and way off-shore in the oceans “blue water.” Fly fishing is about traveling and exploring new towns, cities, states and countries. Fly fishing is about meeting new people and learning the traditions of new and sometimes exotic cultures. The fish and the act of fly fishing are simply the reason for going in the first place, but the memories often have less to do with fishing and more to do with the people and the cultures and the natural wonders that I experience. Fly fishing is also an individual game and sport and much like other individual sports, the only competition is with myself. If it were just about catching fish “any old way” than I would simply hop back on a commercial dragger and catch 10’s of thousands of pounds of fish per trip. These days, I enjoy “the dance” between fish and fly. I love the concept of being surrounded by some of the most beautiful natural wonders that the earth has to offer while trying to trick fish with nothing more than some feathers on a hook. Oh ya, and how could I forget the fish! More often than not, I am drawn to fish that peak my interest in terms of their beauty and/or their unique nature. Brook trout, for example, are some of the most beautiful species of fish I have ever seen. I thoroughly enjoy seeing a picture of a fish that I have never caught or seen and making that my next “target.” With something like 26,000 species of fish in both fresh and saltwater, it’s a game that I can never truly win. I will be long gone before catching or even having a chance to cast flies to all of those fish; but I will try my best to explore as much as humanly possible and experience as many of those fish as I can in my lifetime. Anyway, the point of this story is that I still can’t believe that my so many of my non-fishing friends and family members still ask me, “What do you do out there all day?” I recently realized that fly fishing is much like golf in certain respects. Both sports are ultimately individual sports. Both sports can be enjoyed alone or with friends and I know some guys that are equally as obsessed and addicted to golf as I am with fly fishing. So, what is the difference? How come nobody asks the golf addict, “What do you do out there all day?” I think I recently realized a partial answer to this question. The golf course is in plain view, often right across from the shopping mall. So, even though non-golfers don’t spend time golfing or on the golf course it is still very easy for them to comprehend because the course and their “golf addict” can always be found right down the road at the clubhouse. Fly fishing is more of a niche sport and part of the allure of fly fishing is the fact that it involves going to places that are often far away from “plain view.” Generally speaking, fly fisherman do not seek out places with lots of development and “club houses” and those types of things. Fly fisherman tend to dream about and seek out environments with very few (if any) people, no development and nothing but vast amounts of natural wonders. So, I spent a lot of time putting this article and video together as a means to, once again, try to explain to my non-fishing friends and family “what we do out there all day.” I know that they will never really “get it” but perhaps this little 4 minute video will stop them from bugging me and asking me (as though I had three heads) “why are you going fly fishing again?” I tried to piece together this video in a way that tries to convey all of the amazing imagery we see while fly fishing on the rivers and oceans. I also tried to use only pieces of film with the best light and intertwine pieces of film that capture the essence and the feeling of “what we do out there.” I also tried to make this little video less about the actual people who are fishing in the video and more about using certain video shots as a means to transfer the actual feeling of fly fishing to those that do and don’t fly fish. This little 4 minute video includes some of the best of the best shots that me and my fly fishing buddies captured throughout the course of 2009. The clips are strung together in a way that aim to make the viewer (you) feel like you are the one on the bow or in the river fly fishing. I hope all of you as fly fisherman are able to feel at least a little something when viewing the video because if you can feel it, there’s a good chance that non-fly-fishing folks will feel it too and finally stop asking me, “what do you do out there?”
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by keely on January 02, 2010 http://www.fliesandfins.com | | One of your best songs Jer! And, love the fantastic HD footage - makes me want to even fish! xo |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by joey on January 02, 2010 http://www.fliesandfins.com | Great stuff buddy. I like the song and the Vid was killer. I forget how pretty those Maine Brookies are, I used to take them for granted when they were only 20 mins from the shack. Now they are few and far between for me. Love the shot of the light coming thru the trees onto the river. Need to fish with the team again soon, been too long. Thanks for giving me a glimpse off the bow. Cheers
jmac |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by greg on January 02, 2010 http://www.fliesandfins.com | I could feel the warm Sun, see through the water as if I were standing on the bow or wading in the river. The steady, continuous, smooth changes in surrounding, fish, without any distraction gave me goose bumps! If one knows the passion, then this video gives you a feeling of actually being there!! This I would like to see in I Max.
Your story is excellent and in the end answers the "what do you do all day". This is a question from someone who looks at a Brookie and only sees a fish! The effort to string this all together must have been monumental. Great read and super video, thanks. |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by simpson on January 02, 2010 | | Nice vid Jeremy! Made me feel like I was there. It offered a glimpse into what we as fishermen see when we are "out there". Sweet song too. -Ed |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by waterwhippa on January 02, 2010 | | Oh wow, way to pull it together. I think it's a great visual journey through the fly fisher's eyes. ditto on what joey ssaid about that shot with the light coming through the canopy...stellar! |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by kory_k on January 02, 2010 http://www.fliesandfins.com | | Awesome video my friend, very well done! That HD truly came through incredibly! I was fishing again the whole time watching it and I want to be back out there right now. Like we talked about it takes a lot to get the gold from both fishing and video shooting perspective and there is some serious gold in this! Good story as well, there are many people in my life that may never really understand, but this video can definitely give them a taste of the amazing things and places that we see out there. Fly fishing for me has always been the one thing in my life that I can count on and focus on and that takes me away from everything and brings me to a place where everything in the world is right and love how you said it here..."Either way, I get my fix of beautiful natural imagery and an escape from everything." exactly and also here: "Fly fishing is also an individual game and sport and much like other individual sports, the only competition is with myself." I have never been much into team sports but always gravitated to things where I was pitted against myself and fly fishing was something that I could do that constantly challenged and rewarded me and I could do whether or not anybody else would go. I do value the time that I spend with others on the stream more and more and when you can share it with somebody else that has the same passion it takes it to another level and provides even greater satisfaction. Fly fishing is an amazing thing and it is hard to explain all of what makes it so amazing but this video definitely is a window in to it. Nice work. |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by flymouth on January 02, 2010 | | WOW...Jeremy this is the best video to date. Nice work! |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by TheMadTrouter on January 03, 2010 | | Amazing Footage Guys...Super Impressive! |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by Boz on January 03, 2010 http://www.maineriverguides.com | My favorite thing about fly fishing is in "being there" and after watching this on the Big Screen I WAS there again for 4minutes and 21 seconds. Thanks for the ride.
Incredible! |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by Austin on January 03, 2010 | | Incredible video! One of the best! The HD footage takes it to a whole new level, there wasn't a single moment where i didn't feel like i was right along with you on the water.....great work jeremy!!!!!! I can only imagine what 2010 will be like for fliesandfins.com!!! |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by AvidDavid on January 04, 2010 | Wow! I know that we had some back-and-forth exchange about HD over on Facebook. All I can say is that this HD video is amazing! Jeremy, you have taken this to the next level. The colors seem more vivid, the clarity is phenomenal.
I love it!
Dave |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by hedrush999 on January 04, 2010 http://www.worldangling.com | | As far as I can remember your idea for a year end video started in like 2005. A bunch of time has gone by since then, but in that time we have both worked really hard to learn more about the things we love. I knew that you really enjoyed making your video throughout the year. I just didn't know you liked it enough to take it to this kind of level. It absolutely moved me, especially since we get to share some of the memories together as we fished together last year more than usual. I only have one question...where did you find the time to get it done? |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by Shaq on January 06, 2010 http://www.theanglersnet.com | Robin and I were wondering when you were going to start releasing all that great footage we know he has got in the can...Epic shots my man epic shots!
Keep it up...you're helping us get through the cold.
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by alex on January 08, 2010 http://www.patagoniaflies.com | | Jer , just amazing bro, the video and song...I love seeing the albies feeding the way we like um, high def is in insane... cheers man and hope to see you all soon..another incredible year... |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by chromefinder on January 10, 2010 | | Cool, great visuals, watching this helps me escape the current deep freeze. I can't wait for spring. Did you shoot this video on your SONY DSC-W290 P&S? |
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Re: Fly Fishing: Rivers & Oceans, What Do You Do Out There?
by MarshallD on January 16, 2010 http://www.flyanglersguide.com | What a great year book of fly fishing!
I remember when you were filming the many trips we've been on...then setting it to your down home music...honest and artful.
Who knows what will be forthcoming in the NEXT season, eh? There are truly great images to be captured on most any fly fishing adventure from nearby small brooks to far away large oceans, the sport is as vast as all earth's water.
Excellent work, my friend.
Now be sure to look me up next time your down this way! |
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