2013 Thomas & Thomas Fly Fishing Photo Contest: The Results

by Chad Shmukler - Tuesday, Dec 17th, 2013

We received many wonderful submissions this year from photographers that share a love of fly fishing. Unfortunately, we're only able to award a few of those with prizes. However, thanks to our generous sponsors -- Thomas & Thomas, Montana Fly Company, Maui Jim Sunglasses and Airflo -- we're able to award those few with some very nice ones. For prize info, you can view the original contest page.

It is our privilege to host these contests, the primary goal of which is to help aggregate and showcase the amazing photographic talent that -- as we've noted many times before -- seems to disproportionately coalesce in the sport of fly fishing. In the gallery below, the top ten images from this year's contests are showcased, plus one image that received an honorable mention for what will be obvious reasons.

Many thanks to all who entered, our sponsors and our judges (photographer Earl Harper, accomplished author/writer Erin Block, photographer Matt Jones, artist Paul Puckett, guide/revered spey casting instructor Tom Larimer, Thomas & Thomas communications manager John Carpenter, our assistant editor George Costa and myself).

We're already looking forward to another great contest next year, with even better rewards for the winning entries. Entry time for 2014 will be here before you know it.

Winners, please use our contact form to forward along all relevant contact info.

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(HONORABLE MENTION) Kendra Nelson, who captured this image, noted that she was "inspired by this man's determination to do what he loves, despite the obvious restrictions his body has tried to place on his love for fishing and the outdoors." And she's not alone. This truly impactful image has been seen by almost 300,000 people on Facebook and has been widely shared on Twitter, Reddit and so on. While this image lacks the technical quality of the others, it more than makes up for it with substance.

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(RUNNER UP) While those of us who love fly fishing hope we'll be able to instill a love of the sport in our children that will send them to seek water, sometimes the motivation comes from an altogether unexpected source. 10 year old Finn, pictured here, broke his arm leaving him unable to "ride bikes for the summer." Instead he took up fly fishing, and is said to be hooked for life.

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(RUNNER UP) The effect here is nothing new. We've all seen black and white images of a rose with the entire composition desaturated except for the rose's red petals. In the world of fishing. the effect is used in ubiquitous fashion with brown trout shots. Applied here, however, in combination with the image's interesting perspective, many of the judges felt that something "just worked".

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(RUNNER UP) To say there was no shortage of submissions of underwater photographs of fish would be an understatement, many of which were very compelling. This shot of a brown trout from a small spring creek, however, was a standout. The image is full of life and tone and offers a stunning view of the lateral line of the trout.

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(RUNNER UP) Justin Hamblin's image captures the interplay of early morning winter sun, which differs starkly in character from its summertime counterpart, and water in this image. The fleeting brown, highlighted all-too-perfectly by the sun's rays and the bright red of the fisherman's bear spray complete this excellent image.

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(RUNNER UP) What's not to like about this image? Sure, another stop down and we'd likely have a tack-sharp rainbow, but who can be bothered with such a worry when you're entranced by the silky-smooth texture of the water, the eerily well-paired couple that is Stu Hastie's New Zealand hog and the Montana Fly Company reel. Toss in Stu's handy work on the custom fly rod, and the whole scene seems like it was pulled from a dream.

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(RUNNER UP) The favorite of several judges, this ethereal capture -- full of contrast and depth -- of a wild 'redside' rainbow trout from Oregon's Mackenzie River is one of those images you can't look away from.

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(THIRD PRIZE) A blanket hatch, skies filled with an impossibly large swarm of insects, isn't something your average individual would find beautiful. This image, however, which depicts the sun's rays filtering through an amazing trico hatch on the Missouri River, will likely inspire awe in both fisherman and non-fishermen alike.

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(SECOND PRIZE) Despite its soft tones and beautiful colors, this image ends up taking second prize more for the technical prowess involved in capturing this scene. The challenges of slowing the camera's shutter speed to create the silkiness in the water, while keeping the subject still to insure it remained sharp are not to be understated. Whether a product of good fortune, or good method, the result is incredibly captivating.

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(FIRST PRIZE) As one of our judges noted, "I'm sure you have seen just as many, bad, out of focus, harshly lit, busy background, bug shots as I have. This has none of those problems." A truly intimate, alluring portrait of one of the salmonfly - one of fly fishing's most notorious bugs.

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(GRAND PRIZE) Whether you're chasing the light, or your kids, half the battle the photographer faces is being ready when the moment is right. When that moment is your 9-year old son catching and releasing his first fish on the last cast of the day, imagine the reward of being able to capture it as well as Stu Hastie has in this grand prize winning image.

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