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Brian Irwin Slide Show – Sept. 4 @7pm

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Sept. 4, 2015 – Brian Irwin  7pm
@  EWA Store

DCIM100GOPRO

DCIM100GOPRO

Hailing from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Brian is a regular contributor to Fly Fisherman Magazine, member of the Outdoor Writers Association and photographer.

From the Upper Tuolumne River under the smoke of the Rim Fire to the northern reaches of Mantioba, from Texas’ Lower Laguna Madre to the flats of Southern Belize, Brian will explore how human impact is affecting a not-yet-faltering set of waters.  Dam removal, agricultural runoff and nascent conservation efforts will all be discussed as I share a year in search of trophy brookies, redfish, permit and Snake River native cutthroat.

Something Refreshing

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After work tonight I was flipping through the new Idylwilde catalogue and I noticed that there was something missing. I have no idea if they did it intentionally, quite possibly they did. It’s something we are so used to seeing we don’t really think about it when we do, but we should. It’s in most major magazines, advertising campaigns, and blogs (ours included). In fact, I’ve done it hundreds if not thousands of times in my life and seen it done many times more.

When I realized what was missing I was actually slightly surprised. I flipped back through. Sure enough, not a single instance. What is it? Why simply fish unnecessarily removed from the water for a photograph. The status quo is: catch a fish, lift it out of the water, take a picture, let it go. But did that fish really need to come all of the way out of the water? Was the picture that necessary? As a photographer and a fishermen I can’t help but wonder what is the trade off. I profess to love fish so much, yet I increase the chance of their mortality every time I remove them from the water and why? For my own pleasure and ego usually.

Rainbow in Water

This, compared to:

 

Fish out of Water

this (me, guilty as charged)

I don’t want to get on a soap box here; I’m not an anti fish-lifting nazi, but I think we can all, as an industry and as individual fishermen, take note of the absence of fish-out-of water in the Idylwilde catalogue and try to keep more fish in the water where they belong. Next time your in a fly shop that carries Idylwilde’s flies ask to see the catalogue. It’s a nice catalogue, and I guarantee you wont miss the grip and grin.

EWA Featured Photographer — Mike McCoy aka Dad!

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I have spent my life in this sport having fly fished or been exposed to it since I was in diapers, led the entire time by my dad. I can say with ease that the ONLY reason I am where I am today was the long leash and exposure he afforded me at a young age consistently through my life, and always, hand in hand with a fly rod was a camera. Thank you dad, enjoy the photos everyone!

My first steelhead, Lake Creek, Oregon.

Yet another of my life long mentors, Bob Leach searching for bugs on the Deschutes, look a little harder Bob, you’ll find one!

A brown trout from an eastern Oregon lake.

Always watch your backcast…

Landing pad for dragonflies on Klamath Lake.

Bald eagle about to take flight on the North Umpqua River.

An angler landing the evenings dinner on Davis Lake in central Oregon.

An angler presents on the North Umpqua River.

A chum head on the Skagit River.

Casting on a foggy winter day, lower Umpqua River.

A Blue Heron taking flight.

One of my favorite views in the world, the Deschutes emptying into the Columbia.

Catch Magazine: Puget Sound Photo Essay

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Catch Magazine issue #18 went live today and included along with a number of other visually stunning pieces is a photo essay on the Puget Sound by none other than our illustrious owner, head guide and good buddy Dave McCoy. There are some sweet shots in here Dave! I love the one on the front cover because it has me in it! Kudos to Dave for his awesome photos and for recognizing that including a picture of me will get you published in any magazine. (Lucas may have played some small part as well).

Check it out here:

www.catchmagazine.net

EWA Featured Photographer — Blake McHenry

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I met Blake years ago when he mailed me an application and resume to work for us. I was immediately drawn to a number of things about this kid, at the time a kid and still one to me in a fatherly sense only. He was young but had taken considerable effort in having a professional resume that was littered with legit experience, no fluff or made up/name dropping experience. What really made me pay attention however was the fact that he had understood at such a young age that including some of his better and favorite images of his time in the sport would enhance his qualifications — it did!

It is just my opinion but when you have all the tools of a great guide and I mean all of them — chameleon like personality, boat handling skills, articulate, well traveled, amazing casting and instructing skills, patience, infectious demeanor and you parade around with zero attitude but still bearing the patch of passion on your shirt sleeve or tattooed on your forehead and forget to include photography, you have missed the boat. These two entities, fly fishing and photography should really be considered Siamese twins, joined at the hip as one captures the essence of why we do the other and that doesn’t always mean the fish.

Blake has guided in Alaska, eastern US, Montana, India and traveled the world, you can can see MORE of his work in the following photo journals here: South Pacific, Alaska, Montana

Beautiful shots Blake, see you soon buddy! Get to know Blake more here: Blake McHenry


Fishing the sunset in Montana.


Great method for knowing what is hatching.


Caddis sits just long enough…


Maybe one of the greatest bear shots I have ever seen not taken by someone parked and waiting for the moment.


Alaskan angler holds a prized bow for silhouette shot.


The beautiful colors of nature.


Ascension Bay in Mexico, sleuthing out a permit.


Heaven on earth.


Permit achieved and sometimes only the simplicity and contrast of B&W can really tell the story.


Late in the day in Nicaragua, tarpon waters.


Gotcha!


New Caledonia, new species!


Volcano erupting in the South Pacific.


No trick photography here, just a GIANT bone from the South Pacific…


We will end with three of my best friends, Coach Duff holding Blake’s giant bonefish in Hawaii, that being my third friend here, South Pacific bones, they are HUGE!!

Happy spring everyone, look for Blake and I to be putting together a co-hosted trip to Africa and the South Pacific in 2012 or 2013 at the latest.

EWA Featured Photographer — Alex Collier

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Our next guide staff member to share some of their photography passions is Alex Collier, our backcountry creek and alpine lake specialist. More of his images are throughout our site. Enjoy.

A caddis sits on the water, waiting…


Dave guiding an angler, actually guiding it looks like!


A beautiful upper Yakima rainbow.


A March Brown settles in for a brief rest.


An angler trying to match his line on a mountain creek.


Close-up of a westslope cutts face from the St. Joe River in Idaho.


Alpine lakes, a view only for those willilng to get there.


A cutthroat takes the offering, a day complete.

Skate the Fly T.V. Episode 4 — Brian O’Keefe

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Yep, we are still at it, hopefully getting a bit better but likely not. This episode we have the pleasure of chatting with Brian O’keefe, renowned fly angling photographer, sales rep and just all around great guy. If the fly fishing industry had more Brian O’keefe’s, there would be nothing to worry about! Click the picture above to be whisked away…!

EWA Featured Photographer — Chris Ringlee

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We have always felt one of the most important elements of fly fish guiding is not only knowledge of your sport and the necessary attributes to attain such a position but also to be very adept at capturing everything surrounding it on film. Our staff excels in this department and over the next few weeks we are going to… highlight all of us.

Our first is Chris Ringlee, born and raised right here in western Washington, enjoy. Read more about Chris here:

Chris bio

Alaska Rainbow


A wet Red Fox


Alaskan bear family


Sockeye from above


Char face


Alaskan Fireweed


Spring steelhead fly


Native steelhead snout…close


Adipose


Released


Waiting

Online Magazines

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This is as good as it gets and is the future of our industry. Not only blogging but virtual magazines that encapsulate our industry, speaking to what is current and also paying homage to what it once was and always will be.

Creative and provocative photography, articulate and thoughtfully woven threads of our language that when together open minds and intrigue readers — they move and inspire us.

What is unreal is they are free, you just have to sign up for their monthly or quarterly email. When delivered, like this past week when 3 of the best all came nearly at once, you will be whisked away, time will feel captured and still but will past instantaneously.

— 10 and 2 has a wonderfully written piece on our friend Dec Hogan

— This is Fly has Coach Duff – RAW baby – photographed by our other EWA pal and online staffer Blake McHenry

— Catch features friend and killer photographer Aleksandar Vrtaric

Here are some of our favorites:

Pool 32 Magazine

Sleeping in the Dirt Ezine

Catch Magazine

Blood Knot Magazine

Ten and Two Magazine

This is Fly Magazine

My personal favorite reason for subscribing to these is their undeniable, virtually invisible carbon footprint on our environment, that very same one we love to hike, fish, photograph in.

For this reason alone, everyone should be supportive.

Emerald Water Anglers

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Seattle, WA 98116
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206-708-7250

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