Philip Smith
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Dan, I’ll get to you via email. You also need to check out wvangler.com
All else, thanks for the compliments. I appreciate them. I was also honestly after some hard criticism. There are some really fantastic photographers here, albeit digital, but still know a ton more than me. Some of the issues I’m having you can see that on the first shot the right side is overexposed, should I try to lower the aperture down and then crank the left side up in photoshop? On the second shot you can see that the sky is overexposed. This happens to me in ‘canyon’ streams in the winter when the leaves are off. What do I do here?
I could post more bamboo pics, but I don’t want to seem like I’m advertising. That’s poor etiquette.
That is one of my rods. I’m a bamboo rodmaker.
I live near Charleston, but fish the entire state. I’m real familiar with Cabins. Lets go fishing.
This is my initial review of the camera…
http://wvangler.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/on-cameras/I’ve only used it twice. Once this past weekend while snowboarding at Timberline Resort (see video below…all taken with the GoPro)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up6EwPKSNL4
…and once on a southern WV wild rainbow/brown stream (see video below, only underwater portions taken with the gopro – note that I wasn’t focused on the fish very well, this is a learning curve on the camera on my part, not the camera’s fault. I wasn’t sure how far out from the camera to hold fish and I was taking all the underwater shots solo since my partner couldn’t catch any).
Zach,
Just wanted to drop a line and tell you that I got my first ipod for Christmas and have really enjoyed going through and listening to your podcasts this past month. Keep up the good work. I’m actually inspired to do some podcasting myself as soon as I figure out how to do it.
Phil
Okay, you guys have more photograpy knowledge in your pinky finger than I do in my entire brain. But in case I can give some really abstract idea for you to improve upon, I figured I’d reply. For my videography I made my own housing. I used plans found on a wakeboarding site to make it. Total cost about $50.
It needs improved on some, but it has worked for me on some shots. The plans call for using a soap dispenser epoxied onto the housing to work the shutter. On mine I just turn the camcorder on and screw on the back and submerge. You’d have to add a buttload of weight to keep it submerged if leaving it behind, it’s really bouyant. It’s also a major PIA to carry around as it probably weighs 8 pounds. I find myself bringing it along less and less all the time. I recently bought one of those GoPro Digital Hero cameras for my underwater video. Not near the quality as DV Camcorder, but a heck of a lot easier to carry.
You have to have a slide scanner. I borrowed one from a friend that is a flatbed scanner that has a slide scanning option. That style has a light that shines through the back of the slides so you can scan them. Can’t speak for others, but the quality of these scans was awful. I have some shots that I’d like to have blown up and the scans had so much garbage in the shot from the scan that it won’t work. I’ll have to take them to the photo place to have them scanned.
They make a slide scanner that isn’t a flatbed if you’ve got the coin. I’m sure that would have to produce better results.
For reference, my local high quality photo store charges something like $2/slide just to scan it for you.
I know a guy here that someone struck gold and got a Nat. Park Service cap. He’s had folk’s digging for licenses just by approaching them.
I’ve got two fishing hats. For rivers when the sun is an issue I prefer a real “hat”. It’s the Orvis fishing hat that they discontinued, but is made out of the same breathable material as the Silver Label waders. Which is nice because I don’t get too hot and it is waterproof. I don’t like the neck strap on it though, ’tis a pain to have to tuck into the hat to get out of the way.
My other hat is my grab and go ballcap. It is a yellow Madison River Fishing Co. cap that is nice and stinky. Nice sweat stains, gnarly and mashed up. Got a few dismantled flies from good days on the water jammed into it.
Flyfishermen are created out of different molds. I’ve gotten more open minded about it over the past few years. Some believe that Nirvana is reached by catching lots of big fish, some never venture off the river to explore tributaries, some believe that fishing bamboo is the pinnacle. Etc. There is no wrong answer, just misinformed opinions and lots of self righteousness.
For me, I believe that fly fishing itself is an archiac sport and that modern advancements have taken flyfishing to one spool of monofilament away from being spin fishing. I make and fish bamboo rods because I think it is really effin cool. Whoever said that the ultimate satisfaction in fly fishing was catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself never made his own rod out of a big piece of grass. I also think that catching fish on as many different streams is better than catching big fish on the same water time after time.
But not everyone is like me, if they were, there wouldn’t be any need for them at all 😉
I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy!!!!!!!! Those are great shots.
Richard, et. al. you guys might as well be talking African Bushman, I don’t know anything about photography technicalities and jargon, nor do I own any nice equipment. But I love taking photos and like Zach, when the going isn’t going enough, I resort to photoshop for something to do.
I live just outside of Charleston, WV. Have 2 children, a 3 year old and a 2 year old. My wife works shift work so I’m babysitting much of the time. I work for the state govt. which has…
pro – I work in the field covering all 55 counties. When the day has ended, or when I have plenty of leave hours to burn, I get to fish the length and breadth of the state (provided I can get home before my wife blows a gasket). I’ve assembled a personal database of nearly 1000 different wild trout streams in WV so it is sort of my ‘type of fishing’ to canvas as many of them as I can in my lifetime, even if many are very very tiny native brook trout streams that most people wouldn’t bother with. Sort of a pioneer spirit.
con – The pay is awesome, I literally get paid like hundreds of dollars a year (note sarcasm). My family income is such that I would never be able to afford destination fishing. So, I took the bull by the horns and started my own side business; I make split bamboo fly rods, fishing videos, photography, etc. The few coins that I profit from said business either gets put back into the business, buys gear, or pays for trips (i.e., my recent week in Montana). Problem is that with my day job, my kids, a ton of volunteer time spent with Trout Unlimited activities, and a workaholic wife w/no babysitter to fall back on, I don’t get much time to actually “run” my business.
I’m a huge deer hunter. My dad started taking me deer hunting since before I started Kindergarten. Grew up in a dyed in the wool bow hunting family. Where I come from (central West Virginia) there are no upland birds sans about 1 grouse per square mile, a double gun is as rare as antelope in these parts. Of course, trout fishing was a rarity too, as it is about an hour to the nearest wild trout stream from where I grew up.
Anyway, times have changed, I self taught myself fly fishing in the early 90’s and the rest is history on that. My friend Lee introduced me to grouse hunting and I got addicted, bought a double gun and spend several days each year on old strip mines with Lee’s Brittany searching in vane for at least one flush. But I’ll never shake the deer woods. I’m a trophy hunter first and foremost. Since about 1998 I decided that if I wouldn’t have it mounted and put on my wall, I won’t shoot it. Still waiting on that trophy, but if you don’t let ’em go, they won’t ever grow. By the end of season, if I want meat I’ll take a doe or 10 with my blackpowder rifle. I also turkey hunt in the spring and do some rabbit hunting in the winter. I was also raised with at least a couple of good beagles in the pen at all times so we rabbit hunted a lot. I love it, but haven’t been out for cottontails in a couple of years.
I’m torn on whether to go west again next year for trout or to use that time to go bowhunt for antelope and/or mulies.
I uploaded about half of my slide scans last night. The scanner I used is a CanoScan 4200F. I’m not that impressed. The slides look way better both in terms of clarity and color than these scans show. Here are a portion of the photos I took in Montana.
I don’t have time to clean up the messes I make when tying. So that leaves one option for me…
…a rolltop desk. Out of sight, out of mind.
That pic is actually cleaned up a bit.
The Postal Service is the name of the band. I dig ’em. Hear them on Sirius Alt Nation 021. Everytime I hear that tune’s opening moments (prior to making the video) I pictured using in a video with a river scene sped up to show clouds shooting over (i.e., kinda-sorta like the opening scenes) but I couldn’t get a day when the clouds/wind/river would cooperate to get that kinda scene. Still, you get the feel. I do that with a lot of music though. When I hear a song I picture what kind of movement the song should have with film.
Gawd, getting back to real life responsibility sux ya know? Wishin’ I was still kickin’ up dirt and smashin’ frog’s fanny into EHC’s. I’m worthless after these trips.
P.
Did last night’s rain help with visibility? I see where there is rain in the forecast until next Tuesday. Fingers crossed. The gauges came up overnight on the Gallatin and Madison
Zach,
Not sure what you’ve planned, but the offer still stands to fish the Stillwater and tribs with us on the 28th as far as I know. email me if interested. psmith@vandaliarodworks.com
Only problem would be that we may fish a private ranch section that we have access to. Not sure about logistics of bringing extra man or not, but may be able to work it out.
This year I’ve read
“Casting a Spell” George Black – **** In my opinion, a great great resource for learning the history of the fly rod, fly rod business and draw towards bamboo rods. Black is a little full of it in places, but that’s to be expected. Not every bamboo rodmaker has a copy of Garrison’s book (I don’t and don’t care to) and not every rodmaker is after the relentless pursuit of a mystical perfect rod. Personally, I like making really kickazz fishing rods, not poetic hogwash. Each his own.
“The River Why” D.J. Duncan – ***** Personally, I thought it was great. I found it incredible that he could concieve all those working parts of that story. Just when I think I could pull off a 10 cent novel of my own I read something like that and say ‘well crap, no way I could write like that’. Duncan likes to show off his vocabulary a bit though, which is fine, but I prefer KISS writing.
“Moose on the Water, Bamboo on the Bench” – * Didn’t do anything for me. Took them a decade to make one freakin’ rod.
“Pale Morning Done” *** I could’ve done without the romance myself, but it had some fantastic parts. I think this one would make a good movie.
“Trout Bum” – I’m currently 3/4 way through it. Yes, I’ve never read it until now. It is pretty darn good. Maybe not as good as I’d expected, but still very good and a fun read.
Next up and on the nightstand at the ready…
“Seasons of a Fisherman” by Roderick Haig-Brown
Some others from a year or so back…
“Splitting Cane” Ed Engle – *** Nice look into several cane workshops. I did a bit of snickering though.
“Constructing Cane Rods” Ray Gould – * If you’re looking to get into the craft, avoid Gould IMO. Go with…
“Handcrafting Bamboo Fly Rods” Cattanach – **** Much better and easier to follow. You don’t have to be a mechanical engineer to figure this one out.
“Fishing Bamboo” Geirach – ***** See “Casting a Spell”. Read Black’s book for the what, read Geirach’s for the why.
