The Arts of Fly Fishing, Fly Tying, and Photography
Watching Kelly Galloup, world renowned fly tier and fisherman, sitting at his desk tying a fly was all I needed to become inspired. This was back in 2014, when I took my first trip to the Madison River in Montana to fish with Chance and my Dad. We had stopped off at The Slide Inn to pick up some last minute necessities before hitting the water. Now I had known about tying flies before this point, but had never found a true interest in sitting at a desk tirelessly creating little bugs out of threads and feathers that you could hardly see. When I went up and asked him what he was tying, he told me it was a zebra midge. I took note, and carried along out of the shop. Writing down “zebra midge” in my Field Notes notebook in the back of the car, I knew that something had changed in me, and I wanted to start tying my own flies.
A year later, when I had been using a fly rod for 2 years and tying flies for one, I found a passion for photography. With creating flies, catching fish, and being in beautiful places, it only made sense for me to document these experiences through photos. My work was rough at first, and I struggled internally with finding my own style. To this day I am still trying to find my own style with my photos and writing. Whether it be tying big dries or tiny midges, trying to capture the perfect photograph that elopes all the details in one shot has become a lifestyle.
After getting my wisdom teeth removed a couple of days ago, I have been spending a lot of my time inside at my desk. While waiting for the pain to ease I have been tying lots of flies, watching countless videos, taking a couple photos, and doing some chores. One activity I have done more than all of those is think. Think about fishing, think about school, think about adventures, and think about work. All of this thinking has made me tired, but I believe it is good to look inward and figure out how you can define yourself. While reading the last couple of chapters of John Gierach’s new book A Fly Rod of Your Own, I discovered that for me, fly fishing is an art. An activity where I can perfect my craft. Whether that be casting, snapping photos, or tying size 22 Klinkhammers. Fly fishing, and all it entails, is an art. Looking inward and finding this within myself was a large realization, and I immediately began to think of ways in which I could relate this to my work. I can easily relate this thought to my own “hatch”. Personally, perfecting my craft in those areas will never end, but knowing that it leads somewhere is reassuring. So I encourage you all to go and find something like this that helps you develop your own hatch.
On a side note, there is some new merchandise on the products page! Go check them out before they are gone!
Tight Lines!
