fly fishing photography,    Photography,    the year in pictures,    Underground Entertainment

The Underground's "2011 Fly Fishing Year In Pictures" Post

By Tom Chandler 1/31/2012

Somewhere around the middle of December I lost steam on a "2011: The Year In Pictures" post, the problems being I didn't have any time, and once I did, I realized I had damn few good pictures from 2011 (in the image department, it was nowhere near as good as 2009).

Still, perspective adds a layer of meaning to even mediocre photographs, so I plowed ahead, and this is what I got.

The Year's Real Story

For us, 2011 revolved around the record snowpack, which topped out at 170% of normal, and was bolstered by a lot of late snow:

Late snows pushed the snowpack to record levels

The winter fly fishing wasn't stellar, though it seemed to hang on far into spring; temperatures in "spring" were about 15 degrees cooler than normal, so despite all the snow, we never had a giant runoff event. Instead, the water was just... high. For a very long time. In fact, everything was a good month behind "normal."

ice crystals

The Upper Sacramento River

A fall, 2011 Upper Sacramento Rainbow Trout

The Small Stream Thang

The last couple years have been all about small streams; I often found myself driving past closer, bigger trout in search of a more distant, smaller trout, and in truth I can't wholly explain the attraction.

Neither am I ready to stop:

Wayne Eng on a high -- but fishable -- small stream.

Scott Chandler fly fishing a small stream

A small stream Brown trout

Wayne Eng (about to hook a brown trout)

An alpine brown trout

A March Brown?

A skinny humpy

A Lassen brook trout creek

Tom Chandler fly fishing an alpine creek

A small stream Rainbow trout

Wayne Eng fly fishing a small stream

Tom Chandler fly fishing a mosquito-infested stream

Wally the Wonderdog

A small stream Rainbow trout

Scott Chandler fly fishing

The Maine Thang

We made it Maine again in the summer of 2011; the place has a solid, built-to-last permanence about I simply haven't seen out west, and there are times you can catch a smallmouth bass every cast,

West Grand Lake

Maine's Big Lake -- a smallmouth bass paradise

Big Lake and a Grand Lake Canoe

West Grand Lake sunset

Industry People, Places && Gear

The Orvis folks proved they had a sense of humor after I made sport of them in a blog post:

Orvis Zero Gravity fly rod

Later, I crafted a revolutionary new IFTD show format that would allow manufacturers to sell their gear via the power of interpretive dance, but the industry -- inexplicably -- failed to listen. They're the poorer for it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyTifrKB-y0[/youtube]

It was also The Year Of The Interview: I neatly questioned a couple writers and a photographer, including John Gierach, falconer Rebecca O'Connor, biologist Anders Halverson, and even uber-fly-fishing photographer Val Atkinson.

Rebecca O'Connor

Val Atkinson photo

I even revealed a Forbidden Love:

Whoppers

And also dealt with a bear who tried to peel up my garage door (and was largely successful):

California black bear

Let's Hope For More in 2012

I admit to shooting far fewer pictures on my 2011 trips than in prior years -- a symptom of someone who wasn't fishing enough, and didn't want to give up as much of his fishing time to taking pictures.

Of course, there's a pretty good reason I didn't fish as much:

"Little M"

2012 is going to be interesting; we're making two round trips to Ethiopia, and once M2 (my clever code name for Little M's little sister) comes home, I suspect fishing time will be hard to come by.

It's what it is, though I have uncovered some interesting small streams not all that far from home, and there's still hope for a quick escape to another state.

I think every new year comes with a healthy set of expectations, most of which are just waiting to be dashed by weather, sickness, work and other surprises.

Still, I hope to see you on the river in 2012, Tom Chandler.

AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

13 comments
It's pretty much the same as before, only I don't drink, the babes are 3 and 5, and I fish in 45 minute increments. Otherwise, exactly the same.
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Beer ,Babes and Brown trout . I miss those days Tom..
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wow what a nice picture. After a long time I have sited in front of internet. My mind was very sorry. But looking your wonderful picture I recover myself. "The bird on hand of a woman" picture is so wonderful. I am not forgetting that. I think it is the first gift of 2012. So waiting for more
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A. Wannabe Travelwriter: O.K. I may have gone too far with my effusive praise. Don't be silly. It's simply not possible to be too effusive...
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I only wish I could write with wit as well as you. I only wish I could take evocative pictures as well as you. I only wish I had that rugged outdoors manly look as you. O.K. I may have gone too far with my effusive praise.
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WOW! Amazing photos. Wishing you the best in 2012. I really need to be out fishing right now.
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Great Photos and recap from 2011. With not much snow this year in Utah, maybe it will swing the opposite way this year with low water? Also, the crystal picture of snow? is amazing, nice work!
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Thanks for the photos, Tom. All great...but my favorite is the last one!
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I watched the dancers for a whole two minutes before I realized I'm an idiot. Whoppers are good, but a poor man's Malteser. Cheers. Jonny
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Great photos, Tom.
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As always you are a giver. Thanks for the wonderful pictures Tom.
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Thanks for the review! Still think that pic of Little M is fantastic! The fish & stream pics are beautiful, but the sheer joy & wonder on that little girls face is a wonder! Keep up the great work Cedar Man!
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Thank you for this beautiful year! Whish you (and us) the best for 2012! Always a pleasure to read your texts. From Montréal, Albert Gaudet
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