Project: The Fly Fisherman
“… ultimately, we all have a stake in protecting what’s wild and sacred.”
There is no shortage of pristine rivers in Southern Appalachia, but for much of my youth, I only visited these rivers with the intent to swim and drink beer on their rocky banks. That is, until I met Matt Green. He was my neighbor during my college years. At the time was working on his masters of biology with a focus on entomology, or the study of the life histories and diversity of aquatic insects. To say he was fascinated by bugs would be an understatement. And often I thought he enjoyed catching bugs more than he did trout. The man lived and breathed aquatic insects, and his passion was contagious.
I chased Matt around some of the Southeast’s most beautiful rivers, observing and studying the bugs that would become food for the Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout found in those waters. He knew that the better you understood those unique river ecosystems, the more fish you caught. Ultimately my friendship with Matt would set off a lifelong interest, not only in fly fishing, but in striving to understand river ecology, and the intimate and interwoven relationships humans have with the landscapes that surround them.
I approach each project in the hunting and fishing world with a respect for ecology and a deep curiosity for understanding the complex systems that take place in the local ecosystem. The more time I spend on projects both within the outdoors sports industry, as well as wildlife conservation, the more I begin to understand how the two are profoundly interconnected. In fact, hunters and anglers are often the backbone of wildlife conservation, pushing forward legislation and measures that keep spaces open to the public. It’s my goal to continue to advocate for the environment with my photography and film, and to show that we can all work collaboratively in our efforts. Because ultimately, we all have a stake in protecting what’s wild and sacred.
The South Holston as it runs through Eastern TN, where this project was located. 80% of the trout population in this river are wild and naturally reproducing.
