Updates on travels, adventures and news from Jess McGlothlin Media.
“Despite the fact that North Korea had recently launched two missiles over the island and a typhoon was barreling our way, the daily tempo of life on Hokkaido appeared peaceful, almost bucolic.”
I penned a few words about fly-fishing Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido for The Fly Fish Journal. Read it in the latest issue, or online here.
I’m just back from a shoot at El Pescador Lodge in Belize—my first international travel since March. This trip was a long time coming; I held a total of five different ticketings since July, as the reopening date for Belize continued to shift back. Finally, on 1 October, the country re-opened and I hopped a plane to head south.
Here’s a brief look at what international travel looks like right now:
I did have a friend not receive his test results in time, and therefore was required to test in Belize City. He said the process was easy, quick, and pretty painless.
All in all, travel to Belize was easier than I’d expected. People were happy and friendly. I was last in Belize in February, and while the process feels quite different now, eight months (and what feels like several lifetimes) later, it was very doable and an encouraging first international experience after the arrival of COVID.
El Pescador is one of my favorite lodges around the world—it’s homey, and the staff and guides are like family. I’m planning a return trip this winter, and will readily jump through the travel hoops (we’ll see what the world presents us with) to get down to the saltwater flats once again.
And you know what, after seven months of not seeing angling pressure, the fish seemed pretty damn happy to see us, too. See a few images here.
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.
This past week found me down in Savannah, Georgia, for a non-photography project. While most of the daily hours were spent in meetings, I snuck out a bit, camera in hand, to explore the city. You can watch a photo diary of Savannah in my saved Instagram stories; random moments walking and exploring the historic district of the city.
I’ve said before that the best way to explore a place is to just get out and walk. Take your time—don’t have an agenda—and just let your feet guide you where they may. Do a bit of homework first, of course… stay cognizant of where you’re walking and be smart. But don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path and just wander. If you can, wait for the quiet, low-light moments of the day: right after dawn and in the evenings when the light drops, when the light gets golden and pink and the shadows long. And just wander.
Look at the details. See that palm frond reflection on the beaten stones of the sidewalk? What about that small bouquet of flowers sitting on a table, popping brightly through the glass of the old paneled window? Listen. Appreciate the local language or accent. Find a coffee shop where the locals go, get a good cup of the local brew and just listen. Don’t put your headphones in. Listen. Go get a meal by yourself and watch the people around you. Enjoy the nuances of local dishes. Just slow down for an hour and see what details pop up.
I think you’ll be surprised.
“At first glance Per Jobs is almost too intense. Intense in the way of an old-time Hollywood star or an artist immersed in practising his craft – radiating that singular energy of a man on a mission, keen eyes set in a sharp face, intelligent in their focus. It’s only when I learn of his former – rather significant – career as a composer that something clicks and the intensity makes sense. Even now, sitting in the grass playing with a mischievous 13-week-old puppy bred to hunt moose, there’s nothing lackadaisical about the businessman and entrepreneur.”
I had the great pleasure to fish with Per Jobs, founder of Fish Your Dream last summer while working with Swedish Lapland. He proved to be one of the most interesting people I’ve encountered in a while, and I was reminded once again that there’s no better way to get to know someone than by spending time on the water in a remote destination.
Read the story the UK’s Sidetracked Magazine here.
Have a winter trip on the books? I penned a feature for Gear Junkie about my favorite gear for fly-fishing trips… give it a read and see what’s missing from your packing list.
Among my favorites?
Read the article and see what else I bring along on every shoot.
More work coming out from last July’s partnership with Swedish Lapland and Fish Your Dream.
This article in American Angler Magazine, titled “Life, Simplified. In Swedish Lapland” talks about the remarkable slowing and rebalancing of life away from the distractions of modern life. By far my favorite aspect of this assignment was the removal from phones, computers and the internet. Life slowed to the pace of nature, rising and falling with the sun, and things just were. And it was glorious.
Last summer I was lucky enough to go spend some time running around Swedish Lapland with a few newfound friends. While the team from Swedish Lapland Tourism was making a short film about my photography and writing work, I was running around with cameras and an underwater housing, trying to capture the incredible light, rivers, fish and people of far northern Sweden. Whenever you are above the Arctic Circle, magic tends to happen, and this was no exception.
I really enjoyed penning a feature for the U.K.’s Fieldsports Magazine about the trip, especially mine time off the grid at Geunja and Tjuonajokk, now two my favorite “reset and remember what’s important” locations. Thanks to the Swedish Lapland team, the awesome crew at Fish Your Dream and the various editors around the world who have supported this project. It’s rare on international shoots that everything goes smoothly and is even kind of relaxed, but this shoot was one of them (despite the lack of sleep—why rest when the midnight sun is the best light for making images?). And, somehow, despite the lack of sleep I’ve rarely felt better.
Must be something in the water.
