Top 18 Pics of 2018
2018 was another incredible year. We couldn't be more grateful for another year filled with incredible, people, places and fish. Here's a quick trip down memory lane and our Top 18 Photos of 2018 in order or chronological appearance:
#1 Belizean Permit H&H
While hosting our Flats Fishing School in Belize I had hardly touched a rod all week, which is typical when I'm hosting any trip. On the last day while the guide was working with one of our guests (and had an apprentice guide with him as well that day) he told me to jump out and go stand on a point and see if a permit swam by so I did. After 10 min I hadn't seen anything and they were starting to move after a school of permit with the skiff so I started wading towards the boat so I wouldn't be left behind. They spooked a small group of permit with the boat that I was able to get a shot, at while trying to catch up with them, and this fish ate with zero hesitation. Nice way to break in the new Orvis H3
#2 Sunset Hex
Guide all day and then drive 2hrs to fish into the darkness, that's Hex fishing and we love it. This day we got there early enough to find a few Hex's hatching before the sun went down and I was able to capture this image that I just loved
#3 Stonefly Brown Half & Half
We've known Steve Luethi for a lot of years now and we've been to a lot of different provinces and countries chasing fish together, so to have him guiding with us this year as well was such a treat (for us and for our guests) Here's Steve with a nice Bow River Brown trout during the first few days of the 2018 Stonefly hatch.
#4 Eyes on the Prize
I love shooting eat shots and this cutbow about to devour a beetle was one of my favourites from this year
#5 Big Gulp
This is the next photo in the sequence from that same fish eating the beetle...he gawn
#6 Orvis Plano Group
Steven Palmer from the Orvis Plano Store has been coming up to fish with us for 3 years now and when Giles hooked this fish with Naoto, both our boats pulled in to see Naoto, Giles and Phil land this fish and then Naoto had the fantastic idea to get a group shot. I LOVE this photo as it shows how happy everyone was and how great a group it was, but it still bugs me that Naoto was taking the photo instead of being the one to hold the fish that he guided Giles to.
#7 Orvis Louisville
We had the privilege of hosting a group of Orvis Store and Fishing managers this summer. This is John from the Orvis Louisville Store releasing one of many cutties he caught that day but something about this photo just struck me so much
#8 Orvis 50/50 on the water Yoshi and Megan
Yoshi (Naoto's younger brother) usually comes out once a year to fish with Naoto and sometimes I'm fortunate enough to get to tag along. This year Yoshi's wife Megan came as well and the 4 of us floated the Bow one day and it was unbelievable how great a day it was. This is Yoshi with his new PB brown from the Bow that day, that he later broke,but it was a great fish none the less. Getting to watch Yosh share that day and that moment with his wife was just awesome.
#9 The Bond Brothers
This was the same float and just getting to witness the dynamic of Yosh there with his wife and fishing with his brother was something extremely special. Naoto has spent so much time learning this river and to see how excited and proud he was to have his brother and sister in law in the boat that day was just fantastic. This is one of my favorite photos from 2018 period.
#10 Drake & Dun Magazine H&H
Last summer we had the privilege of once again working with Tourism Calgary, this time to take out Tom Bie (The Drake Magazine) and Jen Ripple (Dun Magazine) along with Malory (@malbc on IG) and Timbre and Darcy of Faceless Fly Fishing. The Bow River did not disappoint that day. It was such an enjoyable day and another one of Naoto's pictures ended up on the cover of a magazine, this time it was The Dun Magazine and the Bow River Brown Jen Ripple (editor) caught that day. This was a shot I got of Tom & Malory with a double header from separate boats. Jen was in the middle but a wave cut her out of this pic, unfortunately.
#11 Eagle on Salmon
Since I started becoming more serious about photography I've wanted a picture of an eagle tearing a salmon apart. With a freak snow storm at the end of September, two of the other guides and I (George and Steve Luethi) snuck out for a couple days of salmon fishing and I was able to finally get this image, although it doesn't count because its an immature bald eagle and not an adult with the bright white head and tail that will pop for a photo lol
#12 Brown Trout Draught Ends
Mar started fishing with us many years ago with her father Len. Over the years she's hooked some absolute TANKS for browns, including one of the biggest browns I've ever witnessed take a dry fly. She's fished with myself and Naoto, either with her father or husband, but the one persistent issue was the browns getting away before she got them to hand. Enter super guide Steve Luethi who snapped the draught and got Mar her Bow River brown during our Halloween Float. How cool was that that she got her brown with her husband and young son Reese there to share in the moment, and while wearing her Wonder Woman costume to boot! Great job getting the brown in the net for her Steve and with this photo!
#13 Rainbow Eating Shark
During the Halloween Party Float my godson and nephew, Nathaniel landed his first fish on a fly rod, this Bow River Rainbow. This picture was voted on by all our IG (Instagram) followers as their favorite photo with a fish and in costume for the day!
#14 Santa's Sleigh
For those of you who follow us on social media you'll remember the Santa photos. We had a lot of fun this year on all our Santa shoots and were particularly found of this shot of Santa's bow river sleigh taken by Steve Luethi.
#15 The Grinch Who Stole Whitefish
All I can really say about this photo is if you're not having fun you're doing it wrong ;-)
#16 Elf Uber
Waiting for Santa to actually land a trout we had to sift through more whitefish than any Santa's little helper should ever be forced to. We also learned that whitefish serve as vital transportation to miniature elves. Who knew?
#17 The Rod Santa Eventually Owned
These are the type of photos you find yourself taking while waiting for Santa to land a TROUT! lol
#18 Santa's Bow River Brown
We were worried for a while that Santa might not shake his whitefish jinx but he finally got his bow river brown. It might've been a small brown for the bow but at least Santa finally got his photo with a trout just in time for Christmas.
