Photo Essay

SteelheadBee · Mar 3, 2022

I thought I should share this series (since it's rare to record these moments) : A good friend/photographer, Senor Esteb, was able to capture a sequence of tying a dry fly on the river and raising a steelhead on said fly.

swimmy · Mar 3, 2022

Love it. Well done.

Oliver1329 · Mar 3, 2022

That's amazing! Thanks for sharing.

longputt · Mar 3, 2022

Great post.

Tying stream side has always intrigued me. Can you imagine 400 years ago, before poly fibers, chickens bred for feathers, super glue, UV epoxy, ductile steel that allows for eyes, vises....fly tying has evolved, maybe even more than rods. Old flies must be a lot different than todays.

Leland Miyawaki · Mar 3, 2022

Very cool.
Leland

Horsedoc · Mar 3, 2022

Really nice; thanks!

Billy · Mar 3, 2022

woahhhhh that's incredible!

mcswny · Mar 3, 2022

While I find the photos beautiful and the story well portrayed I do have a question. I also want you to know I am asking it in all sincerity with 0 snark or attitude.

What's the benefit/point of tying streamside in this instance? I think I would understand if you were matching the hatch (ie, a bug you weren't expecting and didn't have already tied). But in this case it's a generic muddler that could have been tied at home (or camp for that matter).

Again, I don't want to detract from how rad this. I'm also the person that enjoys watching fishing youtube videos and is not above pageantry--even the ones that show the alarm clock going off in the morning--meaning they literally woke up, reset the alarm clock, set up a camera, and filmed it.

Yard Sale · Mar 3, 2022

Doesn't get much better than that!

Does that river happen to start with a B?

creekx · Mar 3, 2022

SteelheadBee said:
I thought I should share this series (since it's rare to capture these moments) : A good friend/photographer, Senor Esteb, was able to capture a sequence of tying a dry fly on the river and raising a steelhead on said fly.

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Shallow DOF fly fishing photos for the win!

Searun · Mar 3, 2022

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

TDub · Mar 3, 2022

Nice photos and fish!

SteelheadBee · Mar 3, 2022

mcswny said:
While I find the photos beautiful and the story well portrayed I do have a question. I also want you to know I am asking it in all sincerity with 0 snark or attitude.

What's the benefit/point of tying streamside in this instance? I think I would understand if you were matching the hatch (ie, a bug you weren't expecting and didn't have already tied). But in this case it's a generic muddler that could have been tied at home (or camp for that matter).

Again, I don't want to detract from how rad this. I'm also the person that enjoys watching fishing youtube videos and is not above pageantry--even the ones that show the alarm clock going off in the morning--meaning they literally woke up, reset the alarm clock, set up a camera, and filmed it.

"The benefit in this instance...?" ... the answer to this question required some introspection on my part.

The short answer: Maximizing the fun factor - It passed the time as we waited for our buddies to float down (they had the beer cooler) and I wanted to catch a steelhead on a freshly-tied Harry Lemire Grease Liner.

Long answer: Chasing the next level of satisfaction.
I suppose it stems from the same reason why some feel better when they catch a fish from a fly they tied themselves versus a store bought bug. Or maybe the same reasoning when a bloke ties a really well-proportioned fly and has more confidence in it even though fish usually could care less. Or like you mentioned, why some enjoy watching videos of guys waking up, pouring coffee, tying on the boots, hearing the crunch of gravel, stripping line off the reel, etc.

For me, there is an art and grace and challenge in fly fishing. It's what drew me to it (I was raised a conventional gear angler) - I enjoyed reading stories about fly fishing.

Eventually, as I learned to flyfish, I also learned to tie in hand, then I learned how to catch steelhead on dries and so on. For me, time on the water should be memorable...stories help make it memorable.

Cheers! I appreciated your question.

Pink Nighty · Mar 3, 2022

This is really well done. It feels perfectly complete, a full story. For some reason, I'm adding a picture in my mind of you razoring that fly back down to the hook, and starting again.

Thank you for sharing!

DFG · Mar 3, 2022

Great photos!

clarkman · Mar 3, 2022

strong work!

mcswny · Mar 3, 2022

SteelheadBee said:
"The benefit in this instance...?" ... the answer to this question required some introspection on my part.

The short answer: Maximizing the fun factor - It passed the time as we waited for our buddies to float down (they had the beer cooler) and I wanted to catch a steelhead on a freshly-tied Harry Lemire Grease Liner.

Long answer: Chasing the next level of satisfaction.
I suppose it stems from the same reason why some feel better when they catch a fish from a fly they tied themselves versus a store bought bug. Or maybe the same reasoning when a bloke ties a really well-proportioned fly and has more confidence in it even though fish usually could care less. Or like you mentioned, why some enjoy watching videos of guys waking up, pouring coffee, tying on the boots, hearing the crunch of gravel, stripping line off the reel, etc.

For me, there is an art and grace and challenge in fly fishing. It's what drew me to it (I was raised a conventional gear angler) - I enjoyed reading stories about fly fishing.

Eventually, as I learned to flyfish, I also learned to tie in hand, then I learned how to catch steelhead on dries and so on. For me, time on the water should be memorable...stories help make it memorable.

Cheers! I appreciated your question.

Well I really appreciate this response. While I may have not seen it at first, I totally see it now. Have a good one my friend!

Matt B · Mar 3, 2022

mcswny said:
Well I really appreciate this response. While I may have not seen it at first, I totally see it now. Have a good one my friend!

Also, he’s also got one in the wallet ready to go. Coulda just used that one.
Why? Because he can and it’s fucking rad.

Great OP and photos, good question and response.

MT_Flyfisher · Mar 4, 2022

That is super cool! And I bet there’s another story to be told about your stream side tying kit, your rod and your reel. ?

SteelheadBee · Mar 4, 2022

MT_Flyfisher said:
That is super cool! And I bet there’s another story to be told about your stream side tying kit, your rod and your reel. ?

There's certainly quite a few stories about the rod and the reel. Those 2 have had their adventures raising dryfly steelhead while in my care. The reel likely has its own personal story prior to steelhead (I wish it could tell me which it preferred: steelhead or Atlantic Salmon?).

The tying kit is just a magnetic clasp leather fly wallet from Fly Fishing Collaborative. That particular wallet is great for winter tube flies and maybe shanks (neither of which I use); but I found it more useful to store tying scissors, thread, wax, dubbing and hair when I want to occasionally tie flies on the river.

I am glad the forum enjoyed the images. I owe it to my pal who had the camera skills and idea to shoot (this wasn't a pre-planned team effort to create). Maybe he had the plans in his head but he certainly didn't coach me with what to do.

Like I mentioned, we were just waiting for the beer cooler to float down to us. And it sure was tasty after that wet sleeve moment. (I can hear the cans floating in the half-melted ice)

Cheers!