New Guy – Photography Questions
- This topic has 16 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated Jun 10, 2008 at 3:01 pm by
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I have been devouring this site for a while now, primarily the articles and now the podcasts, and perusing the photography and writing forums now and then. I’d just like to say thanks, Zach, for all the hard work you have put in and what a wealth of information your web site brings. It has truly been a pleasure to learn more about flyfishing photography, writing, and flyfishing in general.
I especialy have an interest in sporting photography and writing, and have recently been reading your articles and listening to the podcasts on these subjects. Photography has been one of my hobbies for the last ten years. I just switched to digital a little over a year ago. This spring, I finally got a web hosting site, and have been working on getting my photography site set up and loading my best images. I have primarily been a landscape and wildlife photographer, but I would like to expand into fly fishing, and other sporting life images, which I would like to submit to sporting magazines in order to see if I could get anything published. I know some of these magazines use landscapes and wildlife, but it would be a lot more difficult to fit their photo call with only my landscape and wildlife images…..but those images are all I have to date. I was wondering what you and others here thought of my images and if I have a chance, or should keep practicing. My photography site is http://www.creationslight.zenfolio.com
Thanks for your help and suggestions and keep up the great work!
Yes, I have to say the photographers’ work who have influenced me most would be Tom Manglesen and Ansel Adams. Couple that with the fact that I have been going to the Tetons to backpack, climb, snowboard, and now a little fly fishing, over the last ten years, it holds a special place in my heart for sure. My first trip to the Tetons back in 1997 was the last straw that caused me to break down and buy my first SLR. Yosemite is somewhere I had always wanted to visit, and I had the chance to make a two day visit last June. Unfortunately in the past, my photography has always taken a back seat to the main activity I was occupied with (backpacking, climbing, fishing, or just sightseeing with my wife) You do bring up a good point though, which is one I have been a little concerned about, and that is that there are probably thousands of great images of lots of these places, from three of our greatest national parks. This is one of the reasons I am interested to try expanding into flyfishing/field sporting life images. Another slightly limiting factor is the availability of taking trips to lots of different places to shoot. But, even if it continues to be only on a once a year vacation type basis, I hope to be able to expand my image base more in the future. Venturing into flyfishing photography is something I can do here on my home water, and other waters I visit.
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement guys. I am itching to get started with fly fishing photography. Unfortunately, our trout season is just coming to an end, for all practical purposes, here in Central Texas. So, I may have to get out some mornings early and try to get some warmwater pics of bass and such, until this fall/winter. I hear the trout fishing can be marginal here on the Guadalupe River, during the summer, if you go at sunup and fish for the first hour or so before the 100 degree heat/humidty, and the tubers. This year we should have good carry over for the trout (gaurantted minimum flows) and have already seen some evidence of natural reproduction, so this summer should be one of the best to give it a try.
I hear the trout fishing can be marginal here on the Guadalupe River, during the summer, if you go at sunup and fish for the first hour or so before the 100 degree heat/humidty, and the tubers. .
John, I feel you I live in AZ.
Well, if I were to drive to Colorado, the Texas/New Mexico border is in Texline, TX which is about 11 hours from me. From there, it is an easy 7 hours to my friends in Edwards, CO and the Colorado & Eagle Rivers. Northern New Mexico is somewhere in the order of about 16 hours or so, so Id’ rather just go on to Colorado at that point. Texarkana is about 7 hours. The Coast at Port Aransas is 3.5 hours, and the lower Laguna Madre is about 7 or 8 hours. There is great saltwater fishing for redfish, and tarpon in Port Aransas (see podcast with Capt. Scott Graham), but you have to have a boat for the most part. I went out with an old friend once and we got stuck about 5 miles out of Port O’Conner because he wasn’t watching the tide and striped the prop on his little bay skif trying to get us out of a back bay in about 6″ of water, so after that, I am very particular about who I would go out with. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of money to spend on guides. There are some places that you can wade, and or use a kyak to access, I just never have gotten into saltwater yet. My heart is really in the trout fishing. It is an hour and fifteen minutes from my house to the Guadalupe for trout, but it is pretty much a late November – mid May fishery. Luckily, the Guadalupe is a great fishery, but it is all private land here in Texas, so it is very benificial to be a member of TU and the local TU lease program to get much access and be able to get away from the crowds. There are several tubing companies/public campgrounds to which you can pay a day fee to gain access to fish. There are also huge stripers in the Guad, which we go after in the fall. The current state fly rod record striper was caught in Fall ’06 and weighted I believe 36.5 lbs.
John,
Are you in Austin, or still north? I live in Dallas, and there are trout to be had year ’round only a few hours drive from here. Obviously, we are not talking about trophies or anything other than ‘bows and the occasional brown, but they can be found.
DustyJohn,
Yes, I was referring to the LMF in Broken Bow. During the summer, the place tends to be quite busy at times. I would go during the weekend if at all possible. But during the winter, you can have whole runs to yourself if you time it right. Of course, all year you have to compete with locals and salmon eggs, but this has never been a problem for me.Head to Gruene Outfitters in Grune, TX. The staff is friendly and seems to be knowledgeable. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and one of the employees told me he would be hitting the San Marcos River right now, but access can be sticky at times.
If it is trout you must have, for now you have to go to the LMF or the Guadalupe, though I do not know how the Guad. is doing these days. During the winter, the TPWD stocks the Elm Fork of the Trinity R. (Lewisville, TX (just north of Dallas)) and the Brazos R. below Possum Kingdom Lake. Earlier this year, a buddy of mine pulled out a 26″ ‘Bow from this tailwater; it seems that the hatchery was ridding itself of brood stock!
Dusty
The Guad is doing good. Flows are about 210 cfs which is moderate to easy wading, and water temp is from 64 – 71. There were some reports of decent dry fly action back in April and early May, although the usual rig is a 2 fly nymph rig with indicator and lots of split shot. We have gauranteed flows of 200 cfs throughout the summer, so should be good carryover. We have already seen some eveidnce of natural reproduction this spring with a couple young of the year being caught and photoed ( http://www.grtu.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2152 ). Caught my largest rainbow on the Guad mid March, which was just over 20″. Larger fish were caught this season. But the rubber hatch starts about mid May and is heavy through August, so you have to fish for a few hours early during the summer, otherwise it can be a circus. From what I have been told, though, the fishing is so-so during the summer, (I have never tried it myself past early June) even in the early mornings, because of the heat and the fish seem to slow down. Most people don’t fish for trout much during the summer because it is a lot of effort, hot, and not much time to fish before the tubers start coming down in droves. There are some nice Guadalupe Bass in the river as well. Check out http://www.grtu.org for more info on the Guadalupe River. I have been a member and fishing the river since 2002. Lot’s of nice folks.
John –
First, welcome aboard.
A few fishing comments.
The Guad is a beauty, and you don’t have to belong to TU to get access. There are numerous places that you can put in/take out, and if you get yourself a kayak, you’re golden. Having said that, I think it’s worth supporting TU in the area, and they do have nice lease access.
You really should consider flyfishing the salt too. The area around Rockport/Aransas Pass/Port Aransas has some of the best flats fishing in Texas, and excellent access is available as well. Grab a 6wt or an 8wt, a few spoonflies and a mixed bag of clousers and deceivers, and you’ll be rockin’.
True, you don’t have to be amember of TU to get access….didn’t mean to imply that….but, some of the best water is accessible only through the GRTU leases (unless you are floating). The river has been getting especially crowded the last two years, which is especially prevelant at the public campground accesses, still, some of them have really nice water. Even the leases have been crowded. But, if you get out and explore the river and move away from the access points, you will find good fishing. I used to have a pontoon boat, whcih I bought for floating the Guad, but ended up selling it bacuse to me, it was more of a hassle than wading the Guad at the leases. If I ever get another boat, it will be a kyak.
I need to explore more and find good wade fishing spots along Mustang Island south of Port A. The last I heard, they closed Brown & Root flats, for security reasons, because it was right by the ship channel. My wife and I usualy head down there once a summer. I also have heard that fishing the lighted dock in Port A around midnight can be really good, but haven’t tried it yet.
Thanks for all the welcomes and input guys…
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