Published

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.

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?

Talking Packing Lists With Men’s Journal

December 6, 2019 By Jess McGlothlin

Woman fishing on boat with fly rod in northern Australia in saltwater. Article for Men's Journal.

Really excited to see this piece go live in Men’s Journal this morning!

I’m definitely a minimalist when it comes to packing clothing and personal items on a trip. The less clothes, the more space for fishing and camera gear. But a short packing list means each item has to perform double (or more!) duty. Each piece has to be dependable, durable, and functional in a variety of climates and conditions. And it has to be comfortable—the last thing I want to be worrying about when on assignment is that my clothing is going to fail.

Packing list for outdoor adventure photographers on Men's Journal. Photo of packs bags and camera bags.

I outlined a few of my “ride or die” pieces in this article, and included a few new favorites, too. This trip to Australia involved two very different climates—up to 110F in the northern part of the country, and less than 20F (plus wind chill!) in the Tasmanian highlands. I also had 14 different flight legs in 17 days, so traveling heavy wasn’t an option. So read the article to see a few of the pieces I lived in on this trip; what makes the grade. Most of these pieces are already on my packing list for January 2020 projects!

Thanks to the team at Tourism Australia and all the fantastic Australians up north and in Tasmania who showed me around, took the time to tell me their stories, and shared their rivers and seas. It takes a team like that to pull off a busy shoot like this one—and things went swimmingly!

Photo of Patagonia waterproof backpack while fishing in Australia. Packing list article on Men's Journal.

Fishing the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

December 3, 2019 By Jess McGlothlin

It was a great pleasure to escape into the backcountry just north of Yellowstone National Park a few summers ago and spend some time riding rough country, chilling around campfires and—of course—chasing fish. The Yellowstone cutthroat are truly a special species, and hands-down one of the more fun fish I’ve chased in recent years.

I was recently able to put together a little write-up to run alongside images from the trip for Big Life Magazine. The gang at Absaroka-Beartooth Outfitters are truly top-notch; Lonny, Cameron, and the entire gang have a way of making the backcountry feel very much like home. See the rest of the story here (toggle right to view the entire feature).

Here’s a brief snippet from the piece:

Sitting around the fire, comfortably ensconced on a dusty bed of dried pine needles, I look around at my companions. Most could have readily stepped from the screen of a John Wayne movie. Cameron and Lonny sit comfortably in their camp chairs, Cameron in the midst of telling some grand ranching tale, hand gestures and all. Lonny looks remarkably at home, and it’s no wonder, really. Her family has been running sheep in these mountains for generations, and she has the stories to prove it. For her, this is as much home as anywhere.

The wranglers are a wild bunch all their own; good guys who I would want by my side at any adventure. Seasoned ranch hand Patrick also runs a small-town bar (the Grizzly Bar in Roscoe, Montana) with his wife. Tall Jacob is a third-generation Montanan who competes in rodeo events when he’s not working the family ranch or in the backcountry. And young Jeremiah brings a quick whit and good tales from the annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.

It’s a motley crew, but the conversation is real, flowing freely around the flickering fire. We laugh when a mouse jumps from the log behind me into my lap before scurrying off into the blackness surrounding us. Just another creature that calls this place home, and will continue to do so long after we make the long ride back to civilization.

But for the moment, we grin and laugh in the darkness, eyes flashing and the bottle of whiskey catching the firelight as it’s passed around. For the moment, the rest of the world fades away and we’re newfound friends on an adventure; breathing clean air and watching the stars wheel overhead, tucked safely in the wilderness. And perhaps that’s the odd magic of it all; we’ve all gathered to chase a fish, to stalk through high mountain creek and ply clear waters for cutthroat. Once again, angling brought together an unexpected group of people and made an improbable clan of them.

There are no moose in Bull Moose Camp. There are, however, plenty of cowboys, horses, mules, and a curious supply of rather good boxed wine.