“Photographing game fish is a challenging enterprise. Species that are pursued by anglers are generally wary and easily spooked, and reflections from the water’s surface make the use of telephoto lenses difficult.

I set out to capture an image of a rainbow trout that showed the natural traits of the fish. Stealth, camouflage, and graceful movement were qualities I wanted to show through the photograph. Clear water was a necessity, and I also wanted a cracked background made of gravel to break up the outline of the trout.

Deciding on a spring-fed stillwater in Nevada that is known for sight fishing, I set out with a plan. It’s important to know beforehand how you want to compose this type of photograph in order to avoid stressing the fish prior to the release.

Upon arrival the conditions seemed ideal: large rainbows were in the shallows, sitting in crystal clear spring water over a gravel-strewn bottom. After stalking a small pod, I made a 70-foot sight cast to a 22-inch female. The fly was a size 18 chironomid pupa. The take was extremely subtle, and when I saw the fish move slightly, I set the hook.  Initially nothing happened, the big hen just began moving steadily into deeper water. After about five seconds of steady pulling, she got serious.  I was using a 7-weight rod and a stout reel fitted with 150 yards of backing. In almost no time, despite an aggressive drag setting, the fish had burned off 125 yards of my security blanket.

Thirteen minutes later and after putting some dicey stress on my tippet, she was in the net. At 22 inches the big hen was not particularly remarkable, but she measured three full inches across the back! No wonder she had what it took to nearly line me, and without the aid of a stiff current either.

I took out my camera, lined up the shot, and then released the fish in the shallows with my left hand while looking through the viewfinder. I managed only two frames as she sped off, one of which was out of focus. The other was just what I wanted–the winning shot.”

If  you want to check out more of Brett’s work you can see his website FlytoWater or you can email him at threshershrk@gmail.com. Brett will be working with us more in the near future, so stay tuned for additional fantastic photographs and inspiring words from Brett. We’re excited–you should be too!