Jess McGlothlin Travels

Updates on travels, adventures and news from Jess McGlothlin Media.

Jess McGlothlin

Fly Fishing for Yellowfish in Lesotho With African Waters

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The end of January and early February was spent exploring the Johannesburg area with good friends, then I flew to Pietermaritzburg and met up with the African Waters team. From there, it was a 10-hour drive across the border into Lesotho, crossing over mountain passes and winding our way along dirt roads past the massive Katse Dam (Africa’s second largest double-curvature arch dam) and on to Makhangoa Community Camp. The small camp rests in the Maluti Mountains, not far from the local village of Makhangoa.

Maluti Mountains and Bokong River in Lesotho, overlooking from the Makhangoa Community Camp run by African Waters.

Guide Greg and I arrived as dusk was falling, on a cool, foggy, rainy night that challenged my perceptions of African weather. We met up with the rest of the guide team—Kyle, Riley, and Chris were awesome—and settled in for a “get to know you” before the work started.

It’s still one of my favorite parts of this job; arriving into a new camp or lodge and getting the lay of the land and the crew at hand. It’s never boring.

You’ll read more about the week in upcoming magazine articles, but suffice to say, yellowfish are unlike any species I’d fished for anywhere else around the world. South Africans call them “African bonefish,” and the same fits. Constantly on the move, picky dry fly eaters, and almost comical in appearance, yellowfish have quickly pressed near the top of my “fish I like fishing for” list, and I’m already very keen to get back to Africa for more chances to chase the fish.

Yellowfish caught while fly fishing the Bokong River in Lesotho, Africa.

My time in Lesotho was epic, and I can’t wait to share the stories. From long walks along the nightly Bokong River, to galloping young two-year old horses along dirt paths, to sitting outside in the dark at night with beer and cigarettes solving life’s problems, it felt so strangely like home.

Thanks to the African Waters team for having me; I’m looking forward to he next adventures! In the meantime, stay tuned here and on Instagram for updates as these Lesotho stories and images hit the streets.

David ties on new flies while fly fishing for Yellowfish on the Bokong in Lesotho, Africa, with African Waters at Makhangoa Community Camp.

Moving On From 2022

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There’s a lot to be said about 2022, a lot of which I’d rather never say.
I worked with some of the best teams of my career—and a couple of the worst. There’s no time for plain incompetency.
Signed a few new clients who are utter rock stars. You know who you are. Thank you.
Was reminded that family isn’t necessarily who shares your blood, but more so your beliefs. Immensely thankful to be united with some of the latter this year.
Made new friends who I knew would be chosen family within a day of meeting them—even as we were running around the woods and working a job. Beyond grateful for chosen family.
Got burned by people who I thought were as interested in having me in their lives as I was them in mine. So I re-learned how to move on.
Shot fewer images than I have in years past, yet sold a higher number of those I shot. Market honing.
Was reminded that cultivating relationships in third-world airports can really be a lifesaver. Sometimes literally.
Caught a few good fish—and lost the biggest one of my career.
Watched a good friend die. And buried another.
Learned that life’s too short to work with people who don’t value what you bring to the table.
Got cursed out at Thanksgiving dinner. Walked way from it.
Learned I really can work for a month straight with less than six hours sleep a night and still function. Mostly.
Logged more than 70 hours in various airport lounges, and filed who knows how many stories from them, fueled by machine-made espresso shots.
Had my eyes opened to a few new corners of the world, one of which may be my new HQ.
2022 was a strange year and, to be honest, a rough one. I won’t be sorry to see it go, and am excited for whatever 2023 throws my way.
Here’s to moving on with life.

Exploring Hawks Cay Resort

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Duck Cay Marina in the Florida Keys near Hawks Cay Resort.

Was able to make a quick trip down to the Florida Keys a few weeks ago to visit Hawks Cay Resort.

Yellow fin snapper caught near Hawks Cay Resort, on Duck Cay in the Florida Keys.

Resorts aren’t my typical fare, but I was pleased to see Hawks Cay lived up to the promise of good fishing and a quick break. It was a quick few days with plenty of good food, a bit of snapper, and a quick taste of the Florida Keys. I’ll likely be back to visit, and hopefully slide into a bit of backcountry fishing as well. Hawks Cay is a great family-friend destination (most of the places I visit aren’t), but also has some hideaways for adults seeking to avoid noisy kids (the rum bar is top  notch).

Assignment Work for The Wall Street Journal

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Had such a pleasure shooting images and video for The Wall Street Journal‘s feature on 100-year-old swimmer Charlotte Sanddal. What a legend! Charlotte and her trainer Peggy met me at the Helena, Montana, YMCA early on a cool, rainy morning last week, and were gracious enough to put up with me sticking cameras in their faces and flying a drone over the pool as they worked. Both these ladies were fantastic to work with, and it was a pleasure to work with the WSJ team again.

Give the article a read here.

Gear Care and Maintenance 101

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Outdoor photography, by its very definition, takes place, well… outdoors.

And the outdoors are dusty. And muddy. Sandy. Gritty. Windy. Wet. Damp. Humid. Icy. Smoldering.

None of which present “ideal” operating conditions for camera equipment.

Not an electronics-friendly environment. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Emir “Gordy” Martin.)

One of the most common questions I get is how I manage gear in the field, keeping it functional and operating at peak capacity when conditions are tough. The care and keeping of camera gear varies with every shoot as the conditions are different, but here’s a look at my basic daily cleaning routine in the field, as well as upkeep maintenance I do upon returning from a shoot.

Camera Bodies / Lenses

Especially on saltwater or very dusty shoots, cameras and lenses are wiped down with a damp washcloth each evening. Lenses and filters are cleaned and swabbed dry, and if needed a bulb blower is used to remove dirt and dust from crevices. Camera bags are dried if they got wet throughout the day.

Every night I upload image files from my memories cards into Lightroom, and back up in triplicate before clearing / reformatting the memory card. Batteries are charged up if needed. And it’s all left to air-dry a bit before being packed and prepared for the next morning.

Drone work in the field. Tasmania, Australia.

Drone

The drone presents a love / hate relationship. Logging flight plans and following international import laws means there is no time to slack. Before leaving for any shoot, I always perform a check flight at home, then do another upon arriving at the shoot location to ensure nothing was damaged in travel. My drone spends a fair bit of time crossing the equator, which seems to mess with the compass settings. That’s a frequent reset / reconfigure routine.

Remember, know your equipment. Know its temperament and common issues… it helps troubleshoot things like this in the field.

On a recent international shoot, my drone was roughed up a bit by customs and I was getting odd error messages in the field, after a clean test-flight at the lodge. I’ve spent the past week stripping all the software off, reinstalling, and reformatting the whole thing. That’s also involved a lot of test flights, diagnostics, and all those things that take a lot of time but are a part of the package.

In the field, the drone gets a minor version of the DSLR’s nightly routine. Wipe down, inspect for dual damage, clean lens and filters, ensure batteries and controller are charged for the next day. Especially in saltwater climates, sunscreen, high humidity, and saltwater don’t make for a terribly LiPo (lithium polymer) battery-friendly environment.

Speaking of those LiPo batteries. The batteries are notoriously volatile, and don’t do well in very hot environments. (Like a 100+F flats boat.) Keep them in the shade when possible… keep them cool. Rotate through your stock; don’t always use the same battery and keep the others as backup. I have mine labeled numerically, and note in my flight log which battery was used, and to what percentage it was drained to. It’s a good way to ensure rotation and also track potential problems.

Underwater photograph of a Belize permit caught fly fishing.
Even in cloudy water conditions, a clear, well-performing underwater housing is an asset in your quiver.

Underwater Housing

I use an AquaTech underwater housing, and have been largely quite happy with it. It’s durable, allows good adjustments within reason, and has held up to storms, sharks, and other shit. It also requires a bit of love.

The housing is rinsed meticulously after each day in the field. If I’m some place with a shower, it comes in the shower with me for a good rinse, and all the buttons are pressed to ensure fresh water gets in every little nook and cranny. Very occasionally, I’ll use a small amount of silicone grease on the controls to keep them smooth and happy. Even less occasionally, the o-rings in the housing and dome port get a very light coating of grease as well.

The dome is cleaned and polished every night inside and out. Each morning as I load the camera in, a good sprinkling of silica gel packets to help manage any moisture that might get inside.

Computer, Hard Drives, and Other Gear

Travel’s not easy on any gear. Even though they log less time on the water and in the field, cameras and hard drives still take a beating. I keep my laptop in a padded neoprene sleeve, which is a very basic effort to prevent sliding injuries in various airport security lines around the world. It helps.

I’ve also run a strip of gaffer tape along the spine of my laptop to help keep out dust and other debris.

Overall, just use common sense with your electronics. Don’t handle them with excessively salty or dirty hands. Wipe them off every now and then. Watch condensation if you’re going from air conditioning into a humid, hot environment often. Cushion it when you can.

Gear is meant to be used. It’s going to get dinged up and maybe even broken. But with a little extra maintenance, we can tip the odds a little more in our favor that it’ll perform when needed in the field. Besides, there’s something cathartic about wiping off the hard-earned dust and dirt from a shoot gone well.

Take care of your gear, and it’ll take care of you.

You Booked a Saltwater Trip… Now What?

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As a general rule, anglers are passionate folks. Often our identity rolls right up into our passion for fishing… it becomes a core part of our being. But I’ve found that passion often doesn’t correlate directly into a willingness to put into the work. Spending more time working at saltwater lodges over the past years, I’ve been curious to see a lot of people showing up to their “trip of a lifetime” with no idea of what lies ahead.

There’s something to be said for the unexpected. But it also pays to do a little bit of research before hopping on a plane and flying to another country to fish (or to do anything, really). And I’d argue that if you’re spending a good bit of change on a trip, taking up a guide’s time, and just generally want to have a decent time on the water, a bit of preparation is going to help.

Bonefish fish caught while fly fishing in Belize at El Pescador Lodge.

I’ll preface this piece with the fact that I did not grow up in the salt. I’m a Montana trout girl, who grew up chasing trout and grayling in the waters of the West. I had a few chances to chase salty species as a teen, and then — strictly due to photography work and the place sit takes me — I’ve been able to fish the salt around the world as an adult. For the past decade and a half, I’ve taken notes, learned from guides, and spent many long hours casting in Montana parks trying to perfect my double-haul. I didn’t grow up fishing salt, and I’m still learning. But like all good things in life, it’s worth the effort.

So here are five quick tips to keep in mind if you’re heading to fish the saltwater for the first time:

1) Casting Practice

At least have an acquaintance with the double haul. It’s okay if you can’t do it well, but watch a few videos online, play with it, and understand the benefits of increased line speed and control. Lay a few hula-hoops at 30, 40, and 50 feet and practice casting into them, so you’ll have an idea of distance when your guide tells you, “Ten o’clock, 50 feet!” and the boat’s in chaos. If you’re crushing that drill, string in hula-hoop vertically from a tree, and practice shooting line forward through the hoop. The more you can compress your loop, the better control you’ll have.

2) Understand Gear For the Destination

Not all saltwater fisheries are the same, just as all trout fisheries are a little different. Know what gear is requisite for the place you’re going to fish. I like to travel with a 8 and 10-weight rod — at minimum — both ready with floating and intermediate or sinking lines. I keep both coldwater and tropic saltwater boxes stocked. There’s some overlap in patterns, of course, but have a divide by location helps prevent me from having to pack the entire kit for every trip. Come prepared with terminal tackle (leaders, tippet, etc.) as well… do your research into the location’s fishery. Will you need wire? Maybe. Will you need 80-lb. mono? Possibly. Lodges and booking agencies should supply you with a packing list including suggested tackle, and if you’re on a DIY trip, research online. You’ll likely find some ideas. 

Two men fly fishing in Belize from a panga boat beside a mangrove island.

3) Educate Yourself on the Fishery

Come prepared with at least a basic knowledge of the fishery. There are very few locations these days where you can’t find information online about the fishery and the location… and when I’ve gone on a few exploratory trips with no information online, I’ve still been able to research other waters in the region. Know if there are crocodiles around. Are blacktop sharks an annoyance? What are the tides like? What kind of weather patterns can you expect, and what will the wading conditions be like? An hour of research can help you understand what you’re getting yourself into.

4) Take Care of Yourself on the Water

This seems to be a sticking point for a lot of anglers I’ve seen over the years. It’s easy to geek out over your gear, obsess over the fishing, and then forget that your physical ability is a key part of that equation. Tip number one? Hydrate. Drink a ton of water on the boat. (Side note: get used to peeing while out on the water. Guys, you have a big advantage here. Celebrate it.)

I get through at least one packet of electrolytes on the boat, along with a lot of plain water. I also limit myself to two boat beers a day… it’s too easy to become dehydrated otherwise, and I’d rather be on my top fishing and/or photography game. (There’s always the bar once you’re off the boat, if that’s your cup of tea.) I love bringing along a few caffeinated electrolyte Clif Shot Blocks and sticking them in the cooler. Midday, when it’s hot and miserable, they’re hard, frozen little bursts of caffeine and salt. Voke Tabs are also a great little caffeine hit, and take up virtually no space in your bag. Cover up skin with either clothing or sunscreen, and reapply the latter often. (Especially on the triangle of skin between your thumb, pointer finger, and wrist. That skin somehow always gets burned.)

Permit caught while fly fishing in Belize.

5) Be a Smart Traveler

Common sense seems to be very uncommon these days. Practice basic security measures. Keep only the minimal amount of cash in your wallet, and have at least one backup stash spread throughout your bags in unexpected places. (It’s a good idea to keep a backup credit card in one of these places as well.) Keep both hard and digital copies of all your travel paperwork — passport, visas, booking information, health information, etc. Don’t drink any unbolted water unless you’re absolutely certain it’s safe. Carry a decent medial kit with you (I detailed mine in this two-part blog post); even if you’re in a country where you think you can buy first-aid supplies if needed, what happens if the store is closed? Be prepared to take care of yourself and others. 

6) Bonus Tip: Don’t Be That Guy

By its very nature, fishing is a hit-or-miss activity. When everyone gathers at the bar at the end of the day, the guy next to you might have landed a Grand Slam, where you hardly saw anything other than a single school of bonefish. It doesn’t mean you had a bad guide. It doesn’t necessarily mean the other guy is a better angler. Some days it’s just not your day, no mater how much work you put into it. Fish will be fish. Don’t get pissed off about it. Don’t blame your guide because you “Didn’t see fish.” (Chances are the fish were there, and your guide saw them, but knew you couldn’t cast that far. At the end of the day, the guide can put an angler into fish, but the responsibility of catching falls to the angler’s skill. (Hence Tip #1 being at the top of this list.)

This is all common-sense stuff… just use your head. Most of all, enjoy the trip, and be willing and ready to learn from your guides (to this day, I still carry a little notebook and jot down casting tips or learnings every day I’m on the water). Fishing and travel on their own are two very good things, and when combined, they’re one of the very best things about life. Go forth and enjoy!

A Note to Aspiring Writers

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I feel absolutely unqualified to tell anyone how to write, as good writing is a deeply personal thing. But several of you have sent in messages and emails asking about writing, so here we are. While my standard pitch will always be “Pick up a pen and put words on paper… work through it” (just as “Pick up a camera and go” is my advice for photographers), here are three things I always try to keep in mind when writing:

Write like you talk. Stop worrying the words on the page. If you’re looking through the Thesaurus for a fancy-sounding word to dress up your writing, stop. If you wouldn’t use it in spoken English, don’t write it. Think about the cadence of the spoken word. How do you form your sentences? See if you can capture that tempo on the page.

Be honest. Writing—good writing—isn’t for the faint-hearted. You’re putting a private part of yourself out there into the world. It encourages you to do things worth writing about… to get out into the world, meet people, get a little banged up, and tell a story in the process.

Embrace the chaos. Don’t wait for a quiet coffeehouse playing the right kind of music, or for the morning sun to hit your breakfast table just right. Don’t be fussy with your location. Carry a notebook and pen wherever you go, and just pick up the pen. Open the notebook. Poke at the paper a bit. Write. Write a grocery list. Something. Just put stripes of ink on paper. Words will come, and those word will become paragraphs.