Jess McGlothlin

Gear Talk: Chilean Camping “Field Office”

March 9, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this most recent trip to Chile regarding gear. Here’s a look at my “field office” one night; just off the water and backing up images as dusk falls.

The Big Agnes tent and Therm-a-Rest bag / pad served as a comfortable basecamp, and were easy to set up / take down as we changed locations nearly every night. My battered Pelican Professional case has been to six continents with me and served as a makeshift desk on most of them. MacBook Pro and a LaCie drive (I travel with two for three backups, including a temp one on the computer’s hard drive). Patagonia duffel and roll-top pack—still drying after wading deeply. My Orvis Fly Fishing wading jacket serves as a bit of insulation from the ground at the “desk” while Orvis PRO boots are drying outside the tent (the waders are drying in the bush beside the tent). And, of course, my Canon camera standing by. Another camera is in my hand, and a third is in the Pelican. An iPhone is also on the blue duffel, safely in a LifeProof case and ready to film camp shenanigans.

Quick look at a mobile camp while on assignment.

Not pictured: Skylar Lamont and Zach Lazzari pouring generous amounts of box wine and cooking up all kinds of meat for dinner.

Men’s Journal: Jackets, Rods, and Reels: Breaking Down Fly Fishing’s Best New Gear

March 3, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

I had a lot of fun combing through the latest and greatest fly-fishing gear to write this piece for Men’s Journal. After spending many of my early years in fly-fishing and outdoor retail, gear that works is close to my heart. Give it a read, and then let me know what your favorite piece of fly-fishing gear is.

In other news, I’m just back from Chilean Patagonia after a weeklong shoot. It was amazing—met up with some good friends and camped for the week, fishing a variety of water. Most of the images are embargoed until clients have their pick, but you can check out the behind-the-scenes Instagram story here.

On Island Time in Belize for the U.K.’s Fieldsports Magazine

February 9, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

“The air is heavy with humidity and the playful scent of tropical flowers, mixing languidly with the scent of aviation fuel and the general bustle of Belize’s largest airport, Philip S. W. Goldson International, in Belize City. The open-air stroll into customs provides a welcome glance at what’s to come: Belize is delightfully casual. Things move on ‘island time’ in this Central American country, and the airport experience is a part of that. I’m quick to find a seat at Jett’s Bar, the bustling airport bar run by diminutive, wizened Jett, and settle in to wait for the short Tropic Air flight to San Pedro.”

The U.K.’s Fieldsports Journal is one of my favorite publications to work with. The magazine itself is gorgeous—thick, heavy paper printed with intense colors, the binding sturdy. Each issue reads more like a mini-book than a magazine, and shows in my mailbox carefully nestled in cardboard packaging. Quality, all around. The editors are lovely, and I delve through each issue—whether or not I have an article placed—with excitement.

In this most recent issue, I wrote up a few words about Belize escapes. I’ve been down to the Central American country three times now, each time bringing very different experiences and new lessons both on and off the water. But there’s a relaxed “go slow” island vibe I fall in love with a little more each trip. I tried to sum it up in the closing paragraph of this most recent article:

“After a long day on the boat (most full-day fishing trips run eight hours) it’s back to the lodge for appetizers and cold drinks. Bartender Mariano runs the bustling El Pescador bar, serving up a mean Belizean Painkiller crafted from pineapple juice, orange juice, and spiced rum, with a few special additions. As is traditional at any fishing destination around the world, fish stories are exchanged over drinks and bar games; tales of near-misses and photo proof of the ones that didn’t get away. Later, dinner is served informally at the open-air tables dotting the deck, and newfound friends find themselves seated at the long tables, exchanging fishing tales from Belize and beyond. The tropic air of the Caribbean softens at night yet rarely loses its warmth or humidity, and once the revelry at the bar ebbs anglers find their way back to their rooms, ready to rise again in the morning and do it all again.”

Talking Tasmanian Trout in Men’s Journal

February 6, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

“Tasmania houses 8.5 million sheep and a mere 500,000 residents. Few know, however, that the “Island of Inspiration” is also home to one of the world’s most pristine brown trout fisheries. With barely 300 international fishing licenses sold each year (nearly a third of those to Americans), Tasmania teems with passionate fly-fishermen who are carefully sustaining and growing the precious fish populations.”

Talking trout, snakes, and some truly awesome people on Men’s Journal today. I’ve rarely spent time in locations quite as wild, surprising, and vastly big as Tasmania, that also feel oddly familiar and home-like.

Take a look at this Men’s Journal photo essay, and then start planning your own Tasmanian escapades.

Cooking in Thongs: Sea-to-Table at Kimberley Coastal Camp

January 20, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

The U.K.’s Sidetracked Magazine is one of my favorite outlets to work with. I first met Sidetracked’s online editor Daniel Neilson, while hiking across hills and deserts in Jordan. A few months later, I penned a piece for the magazine about Per Jobs, an enterprising business man (and avid fly angler) I met while fishing in Swedish Lapland. A few months passed, and the magazine sent me to document a cattle gather at Hunewill Ranch in California, a fine few days of dust, horses, cattle, and sleeping outside in the Sierras.

And now the kind editorial staff (thanks John!) has published stories from another adventure—this time from my recent trip to Australia. Here’s an excerpt:

We nudge back through the mangrove channel, pulling up the ropes to see what we’ve caught. Things go smoothly until midway through. The thong is missing from its place on the mangroves, as is the line and – apparently – the entire trap. Tub grows quiet, watching the surrounding waters. Within a minute, he spies the languid form of a large saltwater crocodile swimming back up the slim channel, a black thong proudly in its mouth. Suddenly the boat is spinning and we give chase.

Tub leans forward, shouting, ‘Give me back my fucking thong! Come back here you bastard!’ The croc gives a swirl of its tail and sinks into the murky water.

Alex laughs, noting we’re literally up a creek without a paddle, chasing a crocodile for a thong. I giggle aloud and bring the camera down from my eye for a moment. It’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear.

As you’ll see, Kimberley Coastal Camp was easily one of the highlights of my time in Australia. Tub and Jules’ hospitality was second-to-none, and there’s something about the far-off, odd little corners of the world—far, far away from what we’ve come to understand as “reality”—that will always win my heart.

Read the full feature here on Sidetracked.

Photography Talk: January 25 in Edison, New Jersey

January 18, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

Curious about photography? Wondering how to travel with your camera, and make the most of your time behind the lens? Want to take better pictures of fish, food, places, and people?

I’ll be presenting about the “how-to” of travel photography (for anglers and non-anglers alike) this coming Saturday, January 25, at The Fly Fishing Show, in Edison, NJ. Come join me at 9:30AM in the Drift Room and let’s talk photography. (You’ll also get a sneak peek at images from my recent project in Australia!)

Talking Art and Angling with Montana Painter Ethan Markie

January 17, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

I’ve crossed paths with Montana artist Ethan Markie many times over the past decade. It’s been a pleasure to get to know him a bit, and to watch his art flourish. In this recent profile for American Angler, Ethan talks about his creative process, the bright, high-contrast colors he chooses to use, and—of course—a bit of fishing. Pick up the latest issue of American Angler and give it a read!

Men’s Journal: A Beginner’s Guide to Freshwater SUP Fishing

January 4, 2020 By Jess McGlothlin

Excited to see this piece about freshwater stand-up paddleboard fishing republished on Men’s Journal. In “A Beginner’s Guide to Freshwater SUP Fishing” I aimed to cover may of the questions I’ve gotten at boat ramps and on rivers / lakes around the West. Why use a SUP for fishing? How do you cast without falling off? How do you keep from stepping on your rod when passing through fast-moving water? How do you manage fish once you’ve hooked into something? What SUP is best for fishing?

I’ve outlined the basics in this piece, and illustrated a few points with images from a fantastic SUP camping / bass fishing trip a few summers ago with friends Marty and Mia Sheppard from Little Creek Outfitters on Oregon’s John Day River.

What other SUP fishing questions are burning your brain? What’s keeping you from hopping on a board and trying it out?