Latest Photography

Jersey shore

Its beaches along the Atlantic are the crown jewel of New Jersey's myriad angling opportunities

by Greg Koch - Wednesday, Feb 28th, 2018

By most, New Jersey is thought of as a concrete badlands, conjuring an image of a landscape predominated by stacked and twisted highways, smokestacks and warehouse distribution centers. And in many parts of the state, that image holds true. But from where the mighty Delaware courses through its mountainous reaches in the northwest to its pinelands in the center of the state to the largemouth bass ponds that dot its south, Jersey is rich with angling and outdoor opportunities.

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Its crown jewel, however, are its beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, which run virtually uninterrupted for 130 miles from New York City to Cape May, offering anglers shots at a dizzying array of saltwater species—weakfish, bluefish, flounder, striped bass, tuna, even the occasional redfish and much more.

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As a result, anglers flock to New Jersey's beaches in droves, not just in its summer months—when anglers are left to navigate their way around beachgoing crowds—but throughout the year. Chasing schoolie stripers in late autumn and winter means gearing up for the cold (photo: Greg Koch).

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This time of year, you won’t find lifeguards and swimmers on the beach. Instead, fishermen line the shore, hoping to hook into a bass (photo: Greg Koch).

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Anglers share New Jersey's salt marshes, dunes and beaches with its wildlife—including harbor seals, diamonback terrapins, deer and millions of shorebirds, such as osprey and sanderlings [seen above] (photos: Greg Koch).

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Glassing the water in search of birds feeding on baitfish. Where there’s bait, there’s bound to be bigger fish (photo: Greg Koch).

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The clouser minnow is a staple of every fly fisherman’s flybox. Many days, you don't need anything else (photo: Greg Koch).

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With New York City's skyscrapers looming in the distance, anglers cast in hopes of hooking up a schoolie bass. More often than not, when the fish are there, the hookups come—fast and often (photos: Greg Koch).

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Though schoolies (a term used to describe a bass in its first two years of life) are most common along the beach through Jersey's winter months, bass upwards of 30 pounds are regularly taken from the beach throughout the year (photos: Greg Koch).

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A break in the action means a break for coffee and the hope that fish start blitzing baitfish once again before the day is done (photos: Greg Koch).

Greenland rising

North to the land of reindeer and char

by Earl Harper - Wednesday, Nov 8th, 2017

Greenland, the largest island in the world. Three times the size of Texas, but with a population of less than 60,000 people, it is one of the least populated countries in the world. Though Greenland’s ice sheet still covers around 80% of the island and is almost 10,000 feet thick in places, Greenland’s ice is melting at an astonishing rate due to anthropogenic climate change. Greenland's ice sheet is so thick and immense, that it literally deforms the earth's crust.

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Greenland is rising (photo: Earl Harper).

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As you approach the town of Maniitsoq, little islands are scattered around like mismatched pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Homes here are colorfully painted, some say to help brighten the dreary winters. Others claim the myriad hues originated with building kits delivered from Scandinavia in the 1700s—where buildings were painted a particular color based on their function. The tradition in both locations has continued, even though color no longer designates use (photos: Earl Harper).

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Many of Greenland's rivers have large numbers of sea-run Arctic char. The Kangia River—seen here— is one of them (photo: Earl Harper).

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Fish are plentiful and usually not difficult to hook, but are an exhilarating challenge to land. Still, thanks to the Kangia River's enormous bounty, 50-fish days aren't just possible, they're common (photo: Earl Harper).

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Swinging flies through the Kangia River's deep pools can produce char in the 8 to 10 pound range (photos: Earl Harper).

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A sculpture formed from the rib bones of a whale overlooks the North Atlantic. Greenlandic Inuits have been dependent on the island’s resources for some 4,500-5,000 years. Fish, birds, land and marine mammals all contribute to provide food, clothing, shelter, and tools (photo: Earl Harper).

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Reindeer remain one of the most important natural resources in Greenland. The large deer are a vital source of meat and hunting reindeer has long been an important part of Greenlandic history and culture. Because of their antler size, which in relation to their bodies is the largest among the deer family, many trophy hunters pay for the opportunity to harvest reindeer—making them also an important part of the tourist economy (photo: Earl Harper).

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Death gives life to the people. Out of respect for the animal, every part will be eaten or used. It is common practice for hunters to share the bounty with elders and others in the community who are not capable of going out on a hunt for themselves (photo: Earl Harper).

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Anglers gather at a small base camp perched above the river to meet, eat lunch, change clothing or drink hot coffee (photo: Earl Harper).

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Char enter the Kangia at varying times. Fresh runs of fish bring bright, silver char like this one—especially on incoming tides (photo: Earl Harper).

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Fish that have been in freshwater for some time take on late summer and autumn spawning colors that often seem impossibly vivid (photos: Earl Harper).

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At the end of the day, hikes back to Kangia River Lodge can seem long and rife with elevation changes, but one can almost always count on fresh wild blueberries for sustenance along the way (photo: Earl Harper).

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Lucky anglers back at the lodge, toasting the day with whiskey and cigars, will be treated to a show of the Northern Lights before they leave Greenland behind (photo: Earl Harper).

The Savan

Floating Kamchatka's everything river

by Earl Harper - Wednesday, Sep 27th, 2017

Anglers travel to Kamchatka, almost without exception, for one reason: its plethora of trophy wild rainbows the likes of which aren't found anywhere else on the globe. The Savan isn't Kamchatka's numbers river or its big fish river. Or maybe it's both. The river's unique combination of plenty and size gives anglers a little taste of everything (photo: Earl Harper).

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The river's unique combination of plenty and size gives anglers a little taste of everything (photo: Earl Harper).

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Whether to the Savan or another of the peninsula's seemingly countless rivers, all trips into Kamchatka's wilderness pursuing its wild rainbows start here or another heliport like it. Here a mechanic and engineer perform a pre-flight inspection on a Russian MI-8 helicopter before takeoff (photo: Chad Shmukler).

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The helicopter touches down at basecamp, which will become home later in the trip. Anglers making a float down one of the Savan's tributaries, the Ichanga, are exchanged for weekly supplies here as well. A short 10-minute flight to our first night's camp ensues, affording tantalizing views of the river all along the way (photo: Chad Shmukler).

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After breakfast the first morning, angler Gene Kennedy and guide Santos Fernando Madero pore over fly boxes deciding on a first offering to the Savan's waiting quarry (photo: Earl Harper).

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Anglers and guides head north from camp for a short hike. 10 minutes or so later, we turn toward the river to ply its waters (photo: Earl Harper).

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There's no more exhilarating way to catch a Kamchatka rainbow than on a mouse pattern. Here one of the finest fish of the trip, a thick shouldered 27" rainbow grabs a mouse swung along the banks of one of the Savan's myriad side channels (photo: Earl Harper).

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It's impossible to convey the heft of a Kamchatka rainbow. Pictures show off their size, but fail to do justice to their mass. These are not the trout you know (photo: Chad Shmukler).

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The late afternoon sun and the fact that this chum hen is fat with eggs means she'll be headed back to camp with us where her roe will be harvested for dinner (photo: Earl Harper).

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Once the eggs are harvested, they're placed in a cheese cloth to drain, after which they'll be salted (photo: Earl Harper).

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Back at camp, the chum's roe become an appetizer served on dark Russian bread and paired with a bit of vodka (photo: Earl Harper).

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The diversity of the fishing on the Savan is staggering: tight, tree-choked braided channels, expansive flats, riffles dotted with islands, boulder lined runs and burly rapids. Each bend in The Savan seems to offer something entirely new (photo: Earl Harper).

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And a seemingly endless supply of Kamchatka rainbows to admire briefly before being sent back to chase mice, parr and the rest of the Savan's bounty (photo: Chad Shmukler).

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Fishing the lower river means daily excursions from basecamp via jetboat. Each day we travel farther downstream and encounter a whole new face of the Savan (photo: Chad Shmukler).

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Basecamp is simple and rustic but well appointed with comfortable beds, a dining and living area and, most importantly, a hot shower. Watching it grow smaller as the crew waves goodbye on the final day of our two weeks on the Savan means it's time to leave the river behind. It also means it's time to start planning a trip back (photo: Earl Harper).

#NowOrNeverglades Photo Contest: The Winners

All the selections from this year's entries

by Chad Shmukler - Wednesday, Feb 22nd, 2017

This year's photo contest (okay, last year's) marked a lot of firsts.

It was the first time that we announced the winners of our annual contest in the following calendar year, due to an amalgam of issues. That's something we hope never to repeat again.

It was the first time that the selection of the grand prize winner prompted a discussion on whether the rules of the contest need to be updated (more on that later).

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Here's a great example of why grip-and-grins suck. Look how much more this runner-up shot from photographer Justin Hamblin gives us, without giving us a full look at the fish, virtually any look at the angler, or any idea of whether this is a big fish, small fish or so on. But who cares? There's so much more to see.

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Fly fishing takes us to places big and small. Transmitting the scale of a place is one of the harder tasks facing a photographer. This shot by Brodie Buchanan does it exceptionally well.

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There's often a clarity and smoothness to photographer Matt Shaw's images, one that makes fellow photographers want to go out and buy new glass or at least send theirs in for repair to find out what's wrong. Add this one to the list.

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Some shots just have that special something, like this image of peanut bunker in the lights from Howard Abramowitz. As one judge noted, "Another should-be-outlier that grabs the motion and elegance of bait by the docks all too well."

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Jono Winnel has an eye for what makes a good photo, a fact that is well illustrated here. Like the simplicity of sleeping under a tarp, this shot is unpretentious, doesn't feel overwrought and yet manages to capture the essence of a day in the backcountry about to begin.

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Here's a surprise: Dave McCoy knows what he's doing. Shot on a small stream in Argentina, this is another great example of making scale the true star of an image. As McCoy himself notes, "If there is anything our sport brings us it is the ever presence of natural beauty 360 degrees around us most of the time."

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Saturation slider much? Nah, not on this one. If you've been lucky enough to find yourself on the banks of Oregon's North Umpqua River, you know the colors in this image are all too real. Photo: Arian Stevens. Angler: Jesse Ball.

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When photography isn't about capturing scale or colors, it is about capturing the moment. Here, on the brawling Limay River near Bariloche, Argentina, Santos Fernandez Madero hooks into what turned out to be "just a 25-inch brown trout." Photo: Alex Knull.

RUNNER UP: Even the River Peasants Wear Jewels

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Or the devil can be in the details. This close-up shot from Karen Seginak., of Bolivia's "lowly" sabalo, is overflowing with them. Crane notes, "You need not be river royalty to wear gorgeous gems. These little jewels get transformed into Bolivian river "gold", when consumed by one of their main predators, the magnificent Golden Dorado."

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Loaded with all manner of richness, this image by photographer Jim Stimson of the Smith River has too much going for it to be ignored.

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Did we mention that Jono Winnel has an eye for what makes a good photograph? Perspective isn't quite everything here, but it's most of it.

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Martin Christensson seems, with regularity, to do things with natural light that other photographers only dream of.

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As the editor of this rag, and one of the judges, I'd have liked to see this image from Andrew Luedke walk away with this year's grand prize. While this tarpon hunting shot might come off as cliche at first, it ticks all the right boxes: texture, tone, color and more. Unfortunately for Andrew, I'm not the only one choosing. Angler: Jeff Stolis.

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When fly fishing gives you a perfect, snowy scene like this one, you owe it to the rest of it to capture it—but doing so is no easy task. With this shot, photographer Ray Gadd makes it look easy.

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Resisting the urge to over-process image can be downright impossible for many photographers. Even when we try, many of us fail. This second selection from Andrew Luedke, akin to his first, is heavy with mood without feeling even remotely overcooked.

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Release shots are a dime-a-dozen, except when they're not. In the bevy of release shots we get each year, a few usually stand out. This year, it was this one from Steven Longfield.

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There's not much to say here. If you, like photographer Francois Jacobs, capture an African tigerfish in the process of attacking a flock of birds that wandered too close to the water, people are going to notice.

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Good action capture? Check. Painfully pretty little New Zealand creek? Check. Beautiful colors. Yep. Another box-ticker. Photo: Jeremiah Clark.

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Of this moody aftermath shot, photographer Arek Kubale says "Love bites, especially if your beloved one's jaws are packed with hundreds of knife-sharp teeth."

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Swinging flies for winter steelhead is a dark, contemplative business only to be undertaken by the most serious anglers with deep, deep thoughts. Don't believe me? Just look. Photo: T.J. Orton.

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Was Golden Dorado already at the top of your bucket list? Is it now? If not, then what's wrong with you? Photo: Dave McCoy

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Arian Stevens' action-packed shot received votes from more judges than any other shot except this year's grand prize winner. Why? "Great chaos in the details here. A rare action shot amid a lot of 'staged' entries."

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Martin Christensson is at it again, pulling off some mastery of light. Another shot that made it onto almost every judge's list of picks.

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Here, photographer Matt Shaw shows off his technical perfection again, but adds in a immersive perspective, a stellar action capture and deep rich colors. Easily good enough for second prize, if not more.

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Technically perfect? No. Dust spots? Yes. But so what? As one judge noted, "I can’t believe I’m giving this second place, but common, you never see good shots from this perspective ... the truth is this just feels real, raw, and is surprisingly refreshing." Most of the other judges tended to agree, and that's why this first prize winning image from Arian Stevens kept showing up in so many of the judge's picks.

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In our year of firsts, this one is the biggest. This year's grand prize winning image, from photographer Jeremiah Clark, marks the first time the same photographer has won our grand prize multiple times—prompting discussion about whether there needs to be a rule against that. Jeremy's stunning captures have been wowing us for several years now, and this winning shot is no exception. I mean, those eyes.

2015 Fly Fishing Photo Contest: The Results

All the official selections from our 2015 photo contest

by Chad Shmukler - Wednesday, Dec 9th, 2015

Each year we say a lot of the same things in summarizing our annual photo contest. Things like that we received a lot of great entries, that the decisions were difficult, and that we're privileged to be in the position of to amass and share such a fine collection of fly fishing imagery both now and throughout the coming year. And we'll say it all again this year. Not because those are the sort of things you're supposed to say, even if it they are, but because they're true.

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This runner-up image from photographer Oliver Rogers perfectly captures the inspiration for of this year's contest: permit. If you've spent any time chasing permit, this shot will undoubtedly make your heart pound.

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Nick Vanhorn captured this image of a what is clearly a fine summer day and an even finer fishing companion.

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Photos of grayling dorsal fins aren't exactly rare and, thanks to the grayling, even the drabbest of all shots often impress. This shot from Justin Hamblin, however, shows off how colorful these fins can be. More importantly, it is unique and hard to look away from.

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Photograhper Trent Sizemore captured this richly textured image early one foggy morning on the Firehole River.

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This image, from photographer Jeremiah Clark, is quite simply one of the finest captures of a tailing redfish we've ever seen.

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Why bother writing a caption for this one, when photographer Courtney Boice did it for us: "Sometimes you need to stand on old cars in the river."

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We get 50 contest entries each year titled either "Last Cast", "The Release" or "Fish On", and they often all blend together. This technically stellar image, from photographer Ed Sozinho, however, has it all and had no trouble standing out from the pack.

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Photographer Martin Christensson captured this image of a single angler scanning the water for sea trout.

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Photographer Arian Stevens seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, or maybe just being particularly good at working a camera. Or maybe it's just the good fortune of living near the Deschutes. Whatever it is, we get the pleasure of staring at another one of his stunning images.

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Another Arian Stevens product, this time from beneath the surface of Nevada's Pyramid Lake.

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This compelling capture of the face of a big brown in the net just under the water is one that, according to photographer Joe Cummings, he's been trying to get for years.

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Taken at the base of Firehole Falls in Yellowstone National Park, this image from photographer Chris Daniel is the result of hard work and a cooperative angler.

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Yeah, sure. You can cast 90 feet. I bet. Why don't you prove it? Photo: Ed Sozinho.

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Guides eye's. They have them, you don't. Photo: Ed Sozinho.

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The lower fly zone on New York's Salmon River is a battle zone, and claiming your water means getting there early and braving the conditions, such as those depicted in this image from Charles Sands.

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Never let anyone tell you that winter doesn't have plentiful hatches. This stellar capture of a feeding trout, was snapped by photographer Anderson Thomas, during an epic BWO hatch on Utah's Green River that happened on a cold and miserable winter day.

SECOND PRIZE: Black White Brown Portrait

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A paper thin depth of field and some creative editing produced this unique brown trout portrait from fishing guide and photographer Joe Cummings.

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Whether you're an accomplished spey caster or a novice, you know what it's like to drive a burly streamer into the small of your back, your head or, if you're really unlucky, your ear. This image from Seattle photographer Dave McCoy is the product of impeccable timing.

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For the past several years, the images that have stood out most to the judges have been those that depict not only the places fly fishing takes us or the fish we chase when we're there, but the people we do it with. This image from Charleston, South Carolina photographer Jeremiah Clark, shows what happens when you try to barehand a redfish that beaches itself in the mud exposed by low tide.

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When flooding rains come, what better to do that grab the skiff? But, a tie for the grand prize? How do you split a trip to Mexico? Thing is, we don't have to. This image, which tied for this year's grand prize, also happens to be from photographer Jeremiah Clark, making a potentially tricky situation ... well, not so tricky.