The Myth of Manual
IT’S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT “REAL PHOTOGRAPHERS” ONLY SHOOT IN MANUAL.
It’s not true. Certainly not for me. I grew up using manual cameras. Cameras that didn’t even have light meters. In fact I’ve spent as much time looking at the ground glass of a view camera as through the lens of a DSLR. I’m perfectly comfortable with it but I recognize that the automatic features of modern cameras offer benefits that can improve my work and I see nothing wrong with using them.
What “real photographers” do, is understand their exposure choices. How a photograph is exposed has an enormous impact on its emotional content as well as its clarity and color palette. The proper exposure for any given image is a highly subjective thing and possibly the most important choice the photographer has to make. Whether in manual or automatic mode, there are choices to be made and good choices are never made blindly. The key is in understanding what your camera sees and knowing how to control it.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR METER
The first issue is understanding how your light meter works. There are two components to this. First, how the light meter judges a scene and second, how that judgment is influenced by the meter mode selection. First we will look at what your meter sees.
No matter how advanced your light metering system, it is still a dumb machine. That holds true for use in manual mode as well as automatic. This is where novice photographers go wrong in switching to manual mode. The meter functions in exactly the same way and the user either understands that functionality, or they don’t.
To put it simply, the camera doesn’t know what it’s photographing. It is only able to judge tone. To some extent modern cameras know about highlight and shadow but what they really see is the middle of the tonal scale. A value that photographers call
Read More »Pack The Heat So You Can Pack it Out
NO TREES HERE TO CLIMB AND I CAN BARELY SEE THE TRUCK WITH MY NAKED EYES FAR OFF IN THE DISTANCE.
The recent run-in with the local WYDNR officer, who just gave me the run down about heavy bear activity in the area, has got me the heebie-jeebies. I’m trying to let loose and be one with the rod, but I can’t stop from thinking I’m smelling wet dog in the air, and I’m terrified of what could be lurking behind the thick moose brush out of sight. If you’re in the process of planning a trip into the deep wilderness where bear, moose, and other dangerous predators thrive, you just might consider purchasing a canister of pepper spray, and keep it holstered on your side. Hell it could save your life.
Two years ago, I stumbled right on top of a Boon & Crockett moose bedded down during a short hike-in to a secluded stretch of the Snake River. Luckily, we both decided to flight in opposite directions, and I only had to change my britches before wetting a line. Guiding in Alaska one season, I somehow managed to stay under the radar, as two giant brown bears went toe to toe battling over a spawning bed within inches of my outpost tent. And I’ll never forget the feeling of total panic, when I walked up on a fresh bloody mule deer kill on the Upper Hoback River this past July. With my heart pounding out my chest, and the realization of no one knowing my whereabouts, I quickly said the hell with fishing, and high-tailed it back to the truck before I became desert.
We often drop a thousand dollars or more for our out of town fly fishing trips without giving it a second thought. That’s why I find it ironic, that when we get there, we gawk at the $50 price tag of a can of pepper spray. I’m not sure if it’s my life experiences that’s making me wiser, or if I’m just getting softer in my old age, but I’m damn sure of one thing. I’ve already used up all my get out of jail free-cards with
Read More »3 Counterintuitive things tenkara has shown me
By Daniel Galhardo
Tenkara has taught and old dog some new tricks.
Since I started learning tenkara, it’s become obvious to me, that regardless of how intuitive the method is to the novice fly angler, some parts of tenkara are likely counterintuitive to the experienced fly angler.
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THAT ARE LIKELY COUNTERINTUITIVE ABOUT TENKARA TO THE EXPERIENCED FLY ANGLER:
A long rod is an asset in small streams
Small streams call for short rods. It makes sense right? Small mountain streams have always been my preferred playgrounds. Prior to my discovery of tenkara, my favorite rod was a soft action 7 ½ ft rod. It cast beautifully, I felt the force of the line loading it, and I felt I could maneuver it anywhere I wanted. But, that short rod probably contributed to my falling in love with tenkara. In streams we have this thing called drag. When line lays on the water, currents pick it up and drags the line downstream faster than the fly. Then, you have to mend. And, with that beautiful 7 ½ ft rod I had to mend…a lot. It was hard to achieve a good drift when fishing moving water. Like anyone else, I was absolutely intimidated by the idea of using a 12ft rod in those waters. That’s almost 5ft longer! That’s my whole wife’s worth of extra length. But, guess what, it worked. On my very first cast it was obvious that the dynamics caused by this new trigonometry had changed. I could fish pools on the other side of streams I liked without any mending. I certainly did not expect that. Nowadays you’ll find me using a 14ft 7inch long rod on my local Boulder Creek, a mountain stream that is about 25ft wide in most sections and a good amount of evergreens on its shores.
Let the rod bend!
It’s common knowledge: your fly rod is only designed to arc so much before it breaks, and to prevent breakages you should not have the rod pointed up with a deep bend on it. One is usually taught to keep a relatively low angle between the rod and the fish, lest it break. Yet, with tenkara there is no reel to allow a fish to take line. If your rod is at a low angle
Read More »My Favorite Strike Indicator: Video
I don’t always fish an indicator, but when I do…
It’s the New Zealand Strike indicator. I love these little wool indicators. They are the best I’ve ever used. They’re super sensitive, easy to use and they don’t kink up your leader. The thing I love the most about them is they give you a more natural drift than a bobber. You can even let them sink in deep runs and still see the strike. Sinking your indicator gives you the most natural drift you can get with an indicator.
In case you’re wondering, I don’t get any kind of sponsorship from the company. This sounds like a plug, even to me, but this is just a tool I love and I think you’ll love it too.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE NEW ZEALAND INDICATOR.
Read More »Seeing the Fish: Tips on how to focus and see more fish
By Owen Plair
Sight fishing is by far the most exciting and exhilarating way to target fish with a fly.
Whether you’re combing the flats looking for cruising bonefish or walking a river looking for that big Brown sipping on the surface, sight fishing brings out that true primal instinct in both fresh, and saltwater anglers. The feeling of watching a fish feed in its natural environment, presenting a fly in that environment and watching the fish make that gorgeous mistake of eating it, is simply amazing. Fly fishing is fly fishing no matter how you catch a fish but when sight fishing, there are a lot of things that have to come together just right. Seeing the fish is the very first piece of the puzzle and the most important.
As a saltwater guide, the most important part of my job is finding the fish and then being able to get my angler to see them. Looking for fish is fun and one of my favorite things about guiding, but it’s not always easy. There are so many variables. Obviously the most aggravating and unpredictable variable is mother nature. Sometimes I wish I could take mother nature out to dinner a few times a week just so she would always be nice. The other main problem is the angler not being able to see the fish. If you don’t see the fish, then the difficulty of catching that fish is raised 10 times. This article is a brief summary of how to open your eyes to your surrounding, not just using sight but all of your natural instincts to find that fish and present a fly.
When I go on a trip to a new fishery, I always ask my guide or friend, “What are we looking for?” Two sets of eyes on the boat are always better than one, even the guy sitting on the cooler drinking a beer should ask what to look for. I find that one of my favorite feelings is when I step on the bow, strip out my line, and start studying the water. It allows you to be ready and most of all aware what’s around you. Even certain sounds like a tarpon rolling or a fish busting bait can tell you what direction to look.
We have all had moments when we don’t see a fish and all hell breaks loose trying to find what the guide is looking at. The bow clock was created for sight fishing and is one of the most important tools for understanding where to look. Talk with your guide or friend and point your rod from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock so that you both are on the same time zone. The bow is 12 o’clock and always 12 o’clock, no matter what direction I’m spinning the boat. Always look directly at the nose of the boat to find 12 and adjust from there.
Getting an idea of distance is very important. Knowing when to look 40 feet at 11 o’clock or 80 feet at 11 o’clock can be crucial. Most fly lines now have
Read More »11 Tips for Spotting Tarpon
HOW DOES A SIX FOOT LONG FISH VANISH?
It’s hard to imagine, but they do. Even big schools of tarpon can sneak up on you with surprising regularity. Tarpon fishing is a game of strategy and the earlier you see the fish, the better your chances of success. Having the time to set up a good angle and make a plan are key. It’s also important to read the fish’s attitude and in the best case see the eat. Good eyes are as important as the right fly.
Like any flats fishing, good polarized glasses are a must and your guide will be a valuable resource. Even with the help of a guide, knowing what to look for and what it means when you see it will make the difference between frustration and elation. Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Know what to expect
Tarpon shots come in a variety of favors. Tarpon can be laid up, sitting still alone or in pairs. They can be in schools, from three or four fish to three or four hundred. Those schools can be milling around on a flat or on the move. They can move as a big group or a single file procession. These processions sometimes swim in a perfect circle called a daisy chain. Knowing what each of these options looks like will help you quickly identify the fish’s behavior and plan your presentation.
Scan the water
It’s easy to get tunnel vision when you’re on the bow of a flats boat. Fixating on a suspicious shadow or looking where you expect to see fish can blind you to approaching fish. Keep your head on a swivel and scan the water from side to side and near to far. Spend a little extra time studying water where visibility is poor. Fish can literally come from anywhere so don’t get caught staring a hole in the water.
Motion
The easiest fish to see are the ones on the move. The human eye picks up motion quickly and if you are scanning properly you will pick up moving fish from a good distance. Just be aware that you could be looking for a single fish, a line of fish or a big school. A school of several hundred tarpon looks like the shadow of a cloud moving on the water. Make sure you know which direction the clouds are moving.
Color
Like bonefish, tarpon have highly reflective sides which offer nearly perfect camouflage. What gives them away is
Working With Stretch Tubing
By Bob Reece
I love flies that have both transparency and durability. Incorporating stretch tubing into the construction of a pattern adds both of these elements. In addition to this, manipulating the material and those that it’s paired with, can help produce more effective flies.
Stretch tubing comes in the sizes of micro, midge and standard. Micro is the smallest ranging up to standard on the large end of the scale. This range of sizes provides a wide range of applications for patterns of all sizes. For reference, I use the standard for nymphs size twelve and up. Midge for nymphs down to size 18. Lastly, micro for dries and nymphs size twenty and smaller.
One huge benefit of the stretch tubing in comparison to solid vinyl ribs, is its elastic nature. By applying different amounts of tension to the tubing, a tier can alter the diameter of the wraps that are laid down. This allows for the creation of different natural tapers when imitating different bugs.
The color selection for stretch tubing is fairly extensive. It is important to note though
Read More »The Farquhar Bird Fly
What happens when the world’s most aggressive fish meets the world’s craziest steelhead guide?
This is why I love hanging out with Jeff Hickman! On a recent trip to Farquhar Atoll, in the Seychelles, Hickman wasn’t content just catching Giant Trevally on the fly, he had to do it in the most messed up way possible.
It’s rumored that GTs will eat adult sea birds, but will they eat a bird fly? Better yet, will they eat a flip-flop? There are only two ways to find out. You can fly around the world and try it yourself…
OR YOU CAN WATCH THIS VIDEO!
Read More »2 Lessons I Learned from My Bahamian Guide
Most of you know that Louis and I recently spent a week in paradise fly fishing for bonefish in the Bahamas.
It was an amazing trip, providing me by far the best bonefishing of my life. I gained a wealth of knowledge during my stay, mostly saltwater angling skills, but what I really ended up cherishing when it was all said and done was the two guide lessons my veteran bahamian guide Freddie taught me.
Read More »Tie Connor’s Jerk Minnow
THIS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE FLY IS ALL ABOUT THE ACTION.
Connor Jones, from Cohutta Fishing Company, ties this versatile baitfish pattern for bass and trout here in the southeast. It’s a simple fly with a clean profile and it’s easy to tie in a variety of colors.
The secret to the jerk minnow is it’s action. Connor builds a hard, hollow head, from Senyo’s Laser dub and Clear Cure Hydro, which captures air and gives the jerk minnow an erratic darting action, when stripped hard. Big predatory fish can’t resist it
It’s a fly that will produce fish on lakes and rivers. Tie it in the colors and size to match the forage species on your local waters. Strip hard and hang on tight!
Watch the video and learn to tie Connor’s Jerk Minnow
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