schnitzerPHOTO

Settling In

2012-03-12T07:04:00.000-06:00

A weekend at "home" has recently become something of a novelty. This past weekend, the novelty intersected with beautiful weather. Though there was still enough on the "to-do" list to prevent me from getting on the water, we still managed to have some fun. Sunday evening, as we wound down, we celebrated being back in Colorado in proper spring fashion: antelope steaks chimichurri, from the Weber.

Little by little, we're getting back in to a groove.

TU's New Video: Green With Envy

2012-03-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

The Green River is among the icons of western fly fishing. This new video from Trout Unlimited highlights what is perhaps the biggest threat ever posed to the Green - diverting billions of gallons of its water to Colorado's Front Range. The video premiers on Tuesday, March 13, in Jackson, Wyoming. The film is free and begins at 7 p.m. at the Wort Hotel, 50 North Glenwood St. Refreshments will be provided, and there will be giveaways including a chance to win a guided trip down the Green River.

Other showings include 7 p.m. March 19 at the University of Wyoming Education Auditorium in Laramie and 7 p.m. March 20 at the Cheyenne Depot Museum in Cheyenne.

For more information on the film go to www.ourdamwater.org.

In Progress

2012-03-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Do you see the schnitzerPHOTO shot below, being transformed in to a painting? It's exciting to see it in the works... I'll share more details as they become available.

The mayfly piece in the upper left is a shot from Aleksandar Vrtaric, a fellow photographer whose work I greatly admire. All of this is made possible by Jen, aka Flyfishilicious.

Belize, Revisited

2012-03-06T10:22:00.001-07:00

It's been chaos since returning from Belize a couple weeks ago. No joke. Packed up the house. Loaded and unloaded a 26-foot U-Haul. Nasty weather, closed interstates, white knuckles. Work travel to Vegas, DC. Unpack, and then unpack more.

The transition between Belize and this reality on the homefront was so abrupt, so stark, that any opportunity to savor the experience was all but lost. Thankfully, there are the photos. Probably not enough, but this was a personal trip, not a shoot. This trip was about spending time with my wife in a beautiful place, and catching up with a couple of good friends.

Austin Winds Up For a Bonefish Fastball

Of course, there was fishing. Austin and I had a couple of opportunities to get out. The collective experience covered quite a spectrum: cool rain and pounding wind; classic turtlegrass flats covered with tailing bones; heart-pounding stalks of ghostly permit. Not bad for just a couple days of solid effort. In the end, it was the bonefish that proved most accommodating.

With schools like this, you'd better not miss

Cast after cast, we rarely did

Permit once again proved to be mysterious and elusive. Not that we didn't have some great shots. The image of a 30-plus pound fish turning and stopping on Austin's fly at about 20 feet is forever seared in to my memory. Same goes for the schools of 20 and 30 tailing perm, seemingly unmissable, and then disappearing completely from the flat without a splash or wake. Just another reminder from this fish that has gotten so deeply in to my head, those lessons will keep coming. Next time, it may not be Belize, but wherever it is, when I get back out on the flats, permit will be first and foremost on my mind.

For me, the fishing highlight came one beautiful afternoon on a shin-deep barrier caye flat on a very mild incoming tide. With the handicap of a very challenging offshore wind, schools of tailing bonefish were everywhere. Kel was right there with me, standing at my side as we took in the incredible scene. A pod of fish began kicking up within range, and at a wind-friendly angle from our position. One false cast, and I shot the mantis pattern where it needed to go. A couple of quick strips led to a powerful eat and next-level line burn. Rod high, whooping it up and high-fiving my wife as a big Belizean bone churned across the flat well in to my backing. That beautiful fish was the trip, and to have shared the moment with Kel made it perfect.

There are more photos on the schnitzerPHOTO Facebook page. If you're interested, check it out.

I'll be back tomorrow with more of an update, and some fun things to expect in the weeks and months ahead.

Belize Bound

2012-02-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am fully aware that I'm experiencing a couple of charmed months. As I do with every good run, I'm just trying to roll with it. The Bahamas in December was awesome. Belize in February will be even more so, particularly in the company of my wife and a couple of good friends.

We're taking this break from packing and living amid piles of cardboard boxes and our in-limbo existence stretched between Wyoming and Colorado. We're simply deferring the harsh reality of moving our lives once again, and enduring the all-encompassing upheaval it involves. What better way to do so than with a trip to Belize?

I plan to shoot a bunch during this adventure, so please stay tuned. There's much more to come.

The Contemporary Sportsman: Spring 2012 Available Now!

2012-02-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Take a minute to check out this fresh issue extra-close, whether on your computer or iPad. You'll find plenty of schnitzerPHOTO photography, as evidenced below, among loads of other good stuff. Click on the screenshot to go directly to the TCS website.

Gratuitous Sunrise

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

There are many things we'll miss about living on this little piece of rural Wyoming. Of them, the sunrise view from our front porch is frequently sufficient to stop us in our tracks, ignore the hungry dogs and whistling kettle, and just stare. This morning was one of those.

Orvis!

2012-01-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Pretty stoked to share this screenshot with you all. My first work for Orvis, heading up their fly tying page online. Regular visitors may recall that shot, as it was first seen right here on this blog. Click here to check it out!

Silence

2012-01-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

The blog has fallen silent this January. It is a direct reflection of the amount of time I've spent with a camera during the past few weeks. Which is to also say, a reflection of the amount of time I've spent doing anything related to fly fishing.

This is what happens when one is faced with packing up the household in preparation for a move. Moving is, at best, upheaval. Everything is thrown out of whack. Add to this a hectic work schedule, including spending this past week on the road in DC. Time just hasn't been on my side. Starved for it, I'm in need of some creative time soon. Gratefully, we're heading to Belize in a couple short weeks.

Despite being pulled in a few too many different directions at present, this year has gotten off to a pretty outstanding start for schnitzerPHOTO. I'll share more as things shake out.

Video: Deep Water Cay

2012-01-04T11:29:00.001-07:00

Until the recent trip to The Bahamas and Deep Water Cay, I had never in my life have I made a video of anything. For that trip, however, I had the use of a little GoPro Hero2, and put it to work. It's definitely sub-optimal to be mentally switching between still-frame photography and video, especially when you also consider a third active element of actually throwing flies at bonefish. Also, from a photographer's perspective, the GoPro Hero2 lacks much of the flexibility that I was constantly wanting in order to portray a scene in a certain way. The GoPro is fine for its intended purposes, and there are other creative opportunities to explore within those limits.

Hopefully, Nikon's announcement scheduled for this Friday will include the D800, for which I have been patiently waiting. Assuming that the new D4 will carry a price tag of around $6,000, that flagship model will be a bit out of the ballpark for now. Once that D800 is in-hand, I will delve deeper in to more video fun.

That said, and for what it's worth, I put together this short video:

Deep Water Cay: December 2011 from Russ Schnitzer on Vimeo.

2011 Adieu

2011-12-31T17:49:00.003-07:00

I snuck out for some time on the water yesterday. It was a time to briefly reflect on the past year, with gratitude. But, I am not one to dwell on the past. I spent most of my time considering the year ahead. That, and sucking ice out of my guides. Perhaps as something symbolic, I optimistically pitched big streamers and sink-tip with the switcher. Not so much with the expectation of numbers of fish, but to feel the pull on the swing, and to fish in a way that is purely aesthetic indulgence. I daydreamed of the Pacific Northwest, of wild steelhead, and distant friends with whom I will fish more frequently in 2012.

Looking ahead, my perennial New Year's resolution to "fish more" is simply not enough. This new year, and for those to follow, I resolve to spend more time fishing with friends.

Here's to you all, and to a notable year ahead. Thanks for being a visitor, a reader and a friend.

Support Good Work

2011-12-28T11:59:00.001-07:00

A brief departure from the photo posts today, but for good reason. The end of the calendar year is a time for many to consider their charitable giving. I am taking this opportunity to urge all of you to give a little something to an organization, or organizations, that are working hard to conserve, protect and sustain the things we enjoy most: fish, and their habitat.

Following is a list of organizations that I support (in no particular order), and a brief explanation why. If something here piques your interest, I urge you to click on the link and find out more for yourself. While every donor dollar makes a difference, it is the awareness that comes from learning about these good works that is truly the most important investment. I'd enjoy hearing about other groups out there that you support, and why. No matter which direction you choose to go, be assured that you're making a solid investment in our collective future. Alongside you, I'm proud and humbled to be a part of a community of anglers so passionate and committed to the resource.

Trout Unlimited
Full disclosure: I work for Trout Unlimited. That said, I've been a full dues-paying life member since 2001. No other organization is more closely linked to my personal passions with as broad a scope. From the Appalachians to the Pacific Northwest, TU puts donated dollars to work on the ground, while also linking those hands-on projects to meaningful resource management policies and regulations at the state and federal levels. TU is action and results; it is friends and family; it is, and will continue to be, the most powerful voice for coldwater resource conservation in the country.

Native Fish Society
This group is dedicated to ensuring the future of wild salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout. The Native Fish Society pursues its vital mission through hatchery reforms, Endangered Species Act advocacy, and the development and application of sound science in fisheries management. They do this with a relatively meager budget and very low overhead. If you've ever fished the rivers of the Pacific Northwest for steelhead, you know just how important and magical those wild fish are. For all that these rivers and their fish provide, give a little back by becoming a member of the Native Fish Society.

Western Rivers Conservancy
Western Rivers is a group I've supported for several years now, and I continue to be impressed by the results they earn. Theirs is a somewhat unique approach in the non-profit conservation realm, a hybrid that blends traditional land trust / conservancy "protection" tactics with an additional emphasis on comprehensive conservation strategies for crucial watersheds throughout the West. Western Rivers aggressively pursues its objectives not only in the Pacific Northwest, but also in the Intermountain West, with current projects in Montana, Colorado and Utah. Even if you're as-yet unfamiliar with this group, consider this: In 2011, WRC permanently protected sixteen river miles on the lower John Day River in Oregon, and began the process of conveying it to the State of Oregon. It is scheduled to open in 2013 as a State Park, thus making available sixteen river miles of fishing to the public. That's a big win, and that's the kind of results you can expect from Western Rivers Conservancy.

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
Bonefish, permit and tarpon are species that many fly anglers dream about. All it takes is one experience - one introduction to those turquoise flats, one heart-thumping shot at a tailing fish - and you understand why this version of saltwater fly fishing is so storied and revered. Yet, amazingly little is known about these fish, their habits and patterns, their genetics, and the intricacies of the habitat that supports their populations. The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is the lone organization working at every level to better understand these mysterious species and their importance through science, and then applying that knowledge to protect and sustain them. In Belize, for instance, a BTT study revealing the economic contribution of these species alone helped motivate the Belizean government to make catch and release mandatory for all bonefish, permit and tarpon. That's a huge and positive step.

Alaska Sportsmans Alliance
NO PEBBLE MINE. Period. This group, working along with Trout Unlimited's Alaska Program, is one of the on-the-ground resources working every day to prevent the Pebble Mine from being developed. If you're anything like me, and value Alaska's vast natural beauty as a piece of our national heritage, pitch in and help put this ridiculous and greedy ploy to rest. Forever.

Bahamas in Review: The Flies

2011-12-26T17:41:00.003-07:00

Flats Box #1

Most of us, when preparing for a bonefishing trip, are likely to fill the fly boxes with a plethora of patterns. As passionate anglers, we have conditioned ourselves to prepare for as many different scenarios as possible. Dozens of distinct and similar patterns in at least a couple different hook sizes, and in a few different color variations... It all adds up quickly.

During this most recent trip to Deep Water Cay, I was guilty of over-preparation. I ended up using exactly four different fly patterns during three full days of fishing. I could have settled with two. Ok, maybe even one. But, to do so would be to ignore one of the basic tenets of the fly angler: Always thinking there's a more effective pattern. I'm not saying that there aren't bonefishing trips that demand detailed, continuous analysis of the immediate environment, the fish and the eight-ball guess as to the right fly for the moment. However, this trip reminded me that you can also over-think things. It's always a good idea to start with the basics, and work out from there.

The four patterns that worked well for me during this most recent trip are as follows:

1. Flats Fly

I used this pattern 60% of the time on the recent Bahamas trip. I probably could have used it 90% or more, and been equally successful. It just plain works. I like mine in tan + pearl, tied with badger hackle for a little more depth in the profile while remaining a sparse tie. Maybe two fine strands of pink krystal flash in the tailing. Don't forget to trim and epoxy the underside. If you can find it, use pearl v-rib for the body, and straight 20 lb mono for the weedguard.

2. Shrump

This is a versatile and very solid mantis-type pattern. It can be tied heavy or light, big or small, and catches fish. Works best with a weedguard, and just a hint of flash. Again, I like tan.

3. Veverka's Mantis (Schnitzer adaptation)

My take on the venerable Veverka original. It is a "roots" pattern - basic, adaptable, effective. I've had good luck with this pattern in Florida, the Yucatan and The Bahamas. I'm sure I'll be using it in Belize in February. The only thing that makes my pattern distinct is the lo-fi dubbing material (special thanks to my cat).

4. Bunny Gotcha

Anyone who has fished for bonefish has Gotchas in their box. To fish flats anywhere in the world, you're going to have Gotchas and Crazy Charlies. It's a given, and they work. Just like your Charlies, have these available in sizes 8 through 4, and in tan, white and pink variations.

Sourdough Season

2011-12-24T09:14:00.002-07:00

Now that it is officially winter, it's time for me to get back in to the sourdough game. I've been dabbling in sourdough baking off-and-on for a while, but have been working with my current starter for about four years. Nothing particularly adventurous - pancakes, pizza dough, bread. But, it is bread that provides the most blank canvas for sourdough creativity. Not unlike tying flies, or photography itself, sourdough is more magic and moment than pattern or formula. It is a product of your immediate environment, drawing on ambient warmth, humidity, and responsive to your patience and touch.

Happy Starter

At best, it is a twenty-four hour process. This cannot be rushed. Patience aside, it requires a certain level of attentiveness. Each step is manifested by a different flavor or texture. How active is the starter today? How did it respond to feeding? How much time can you give the "sponge" in the fridge? Is the first rise warm or cool? How humid is the baking environment? Periods of attention are interspersed with intervals of downtime. These provide the baker with a perfect excuse to retire to the fly-tying vise, and use those rise times to crank out a few dozen flies. An ideal wintertime harmony.

Every batch is different, and each loaf a unique experience. When the magic is really working, the results can be amazing. This most recent batch benefitted from a very active starter, a woodstove-warmed house in which we and the dough were stranded by a blizzard, and a little extra time afforded to the second rise. I hope it is a trend for the remaining cold months.

Recipe (guidelines, actually - find what works for you)

A. Prepare the "sponge"
Combine in a non-reactive bowl 1 cup fed starter, 3 cups good unbleached white flour, and 1.5 cups lukewarm water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let sit out at room temperature for 4-5 hours. Transfer to refrigerator overnight, or 9-12 hours.

B. Prepare the dough
Remove "sponge" from fridge, and allow to return to room temperature. Add 1 tbsp sugar, 2.5 tsp kosher salt, and approximately two cups flour. Mix together with wooden spoon until somewhat stiff dough forms. Transfer dough to floured countertop, and knead by hand until very smooth. Transfer dough ball to well-oiled, covered bowl. Let sit at room temperature 4-6 hours, or until at least doubled. It may be very puffy, or it may just kind of spread out, depending on the vigor of your starter.

C. Prepare for baking
Once at least doubled, gently transfer the dough to floured countertop. Divide in half with serrated knife. Gently form in to two oblong loaves, and place on a well-seasoned or greased baking stone, or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with non-stick wrap, and let sit for 1-3 hours. They may spread more than rise. Don't worry about this. Toward the end of this second rise, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Before placing loaves in oven, fill a baking tray with hot water, and place in bottom of oven.

D. Bake
Remove non-stick wrap, and make two fairly deep slashes in each loaf with a serrated knife. Spray loaves with water. Place on middle rack of oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Bahamas in Review: The Fish

2011-12-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

I took this snapshot as a simple attempt at communicating the visual excitement of bonefishing in The Bahamas. Click on the photo to enlarge... Can you spot the fish?

This was not an uncommon sight near Deep Water Cay!

For The Love Of Winter

2011-12-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

It's a whiteout here at the ranch. In fact, I doubt that we'll be leaving the house tomorrow. The snow continues to pile up, a very enthusiastic solstice celebration. Let it be winter, I suppose.

There's one member of the tribe here that is thrilled about the development. He's always loved snow. Days like this - alternating between a couple feet of fresh powder and a spot in front of the woodstove - must be something close to his ideal. Here's to you, Suba. Your love of winter far surpasses my own, and I'm made to feel slightly better at seeing your joy for the season.

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm. Happy holidays to you all!

Looking Back: Deep Water Cay

2011-12-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Poring over the photos from this past week in The Bahamas, the still-tender line burns on my fingers help make each memory more vivid. Though my ears have since calmed from the wind's persistent hum, my half-unpacked bag still elicits sunscreen and salt spray. The bonefishing experience at Deep Water Cay is hard to describe. Steeped in generations of angling and guiding history, the flats are still perfect and the fishing still fairytale. Still, I did my best to absorb every element.

The last day dawned much calmer than those before. Casting amid lighter winds seemed graceful and effortless. We were quickly on large schools of bones, and tight in to them again and again. It was amazing. That last day on the water was drawing to a close as the tide ebbed. I was afoot across a vast flat, the late day sun in my face, surrounded on all sides by tailing bonefish. It was so beautiful, so ideal as to almost seem surreal. Those glittering tails and dorsi glittering in the sun, stretching out to the horizon. One last chunky 5-plus pound fish ate my mantis pattern, and churned off toward the sun with backing peeling off my reel. That's how I'll remember this trip, and what will fuel my ambition to return.

I've now transitioned back to Wyoming and Colorado for a while. It's snowing today. I wiped down my 8- and 9-weights; cleaned the lines and reels, and re-packed them. Seven more weeks until Belize.

Day Three: Wind, Waves and Bonefish

2011-12-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

Another very windy day out of Deep Water Cay. Though there was sun, it was accompanied by a relentless, howling, whitecapped flats kind of wind. It was tricky to spot fish over sand, and nearly impossible to spot anything over turtle grass. Still, today was memorable. Still plenty of wind-sourced frustrations, and a still-adapting cast to compensate. I fished with a different guide and learned more history of the club and of nearby Sweeting's Cay. Saw lots of lemon sharks, including a couple better than six feet in length. As for bonefish, I hooked six and landed five, including three while on foot.

The day's last fish was the most noteworthy thus far. While poling the edge of a hard sand flat, we spotted a small group of distant fish. Being too windy to effectively re-direct the boat, I grabbed a rod and set out on foot to try for a shot. Absolutely solo, a hundred yards from the boat and surrounded in every direction by the vast palette of turquoise and white, it was just me and the bonefish. No guide, no nothing - just a barefoot guy with a nine-weight. Working across the direction of the wind, I finally punched a cast, and it found its mark. A couple of strips, and I came tight on a thick Bahamian bone. A few seconds later I was well in to my backing, and savoring that prolonged sense of elation that bonefishing with a fly rod is all about.

The fish wasn't huge, but respectable at maybe seven pounds. It was a great way to cap the day. One last crack at it tomorrow, and hopefully under slightly better conditions. Before that, however, I'm in need of some sleep.

Maybe more tomorrow.

Day Two: Windknots and Self-Loathing

2011-12-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

The conditions were challenging, to put it charitably. Winds were steady, then gusting, and constantly humiliating. In better cases, double hauls were thrown wildly off course, and often reduced to a laughable heap. Occasionally, flies were ricocheted off the back of my skull, or drilled in to my shoulder. In a few more regrettable instances, wind knots went undetected in advance of tightening up on a slab bone. That very special rush that goes along with a take, a solid strip-set, and a bolting fish peeling off slack turns instantly to sickness at the popping of tippet as the drag engages. So it goes.

Frustrations and failures aside, I'm still in the Bahamas, and surrounded by incredible bonefish flats in almost every direction from Deep Water Cay Resort. I fished today with a great guide. I had legitimate shots at no less than fifteen fish. I hooked five and landed two, all despite the increasingly frustrating wind.

Back at the resort, the Kalik Gold was waiting, along with the fly-tying station to replenish the day's lost supply. After another incredible meal, I'm late to bed, and looking forward to hitting the flats again early tomorrow morning. Wind, blown chances and lost fish aside, nothing can change the fact that this amounts to a fine day by any standard.

Deep Water Cay: Day One

2011-12-12T20:51:00.001-07:00

It wasn't without some difficulty that I finally arrived today at Deep Water Cay. I spent a couple hours detained by Bahamian Customs, as they didn't believe that a "tourist" would have a huge Pelican case full of cameras and lenses. They were trying to strong-arm me for some "duty" fees, sure that I was bringing all that equipment in to the country to sell (at a steep loss, which is typically my game). Some time on the phone with Ministry officials, some help from some friends, and I was finally able to go on my way.

I did make it to the island in time to do some scouting of some of the neighborhood flats. Despite very windy conditions, we spotted several bonefish, including some tailing fish that appeared to be quite nice. It didn't take long for the sun to start to sink, and I was able to get some photos done during that time.

Tomorrow, I'll give some of those fish a shot, and hope to have much more to report tomorrow evening.

On The Road

2011-12-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

Sitting here in the Denver airport, en route to Fort Lauderdale tonight and on to Deep Water Cay in the morning. I've got a trunk full of photo gear, along with seven, eight and nine weights for the week ahead. Fingers crossed for good weather and good light.

More Vise Time

2011-12-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Amid a weekend of snow and cold, I found time to continue work toward re-filling my flats box. The emphasis is on the much-depleted bonefish patterns, and I was able to get another couple of dozen readied. I also lined up a couple of reels being called in for salt duty, this time the Abel Super 9 for nine weight and the Loop Evotec LW 7/9 for eight weight. On both of these rigs, I'm relying on Rio Bonefish Taper lines.

I'm getting set to hit the road toward Denver and Boulder on Tuesday, and will probably throw the vise in the bag, as well.

Frigid

2011-12-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Dawn opens clear and cold this morning. Temperatures below zero here at the ranch. Could be worse, though - the radio reports minus 25F in Laramie. I think I'll bring in a little extra firewood, and have a little more coffee. Keep warm out there, friends.

From The Vise: Meko Special

2011-11-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Preparations are well underway. In recognition of the upcoming trip's destination, I've been cranking out an adaptation of a pattern known as the "Meko Special," named by its creator, Omeko Glinton. Meko is a senior guide at Deep Water Cay, and I hope to have a chance to meet him in a couple weeks. I'm also hoping to put one of these namesake flies to work on Bahamian bones.

Over-Under

2011-11-28T20:46:00.001-07:00

There's plenty that I should be doing - the aforementioned bonefish fly-tying, photo shoot prep, regular work - there remain some other considerations. It is still bird hunting season. I still like to eat chukar and Hungarian partridge. The dogs still need to get out. And, with our house on the real estate market, we still occasionally have a showing to accommodate. Today was one of those days.

After scrambling to put the house in "show" order, I needed no other excuses. The dogs and I headed out in search of some birds. Our neighborhood isn't exactly crawling with them, but we do occasionally jump a covey. Today we found none. We did, however, enjoy a beautiful late afternoon. I'm pretty sure the dogs got the best end of the deal, having flushed no fewer than eight rabbits. Tonight, they're red-eyed and stiff-legged, and I'm happy I could facilitate their entertainment.

Taking the dogs for long walks with a shotgun in hand is an integral part of the season.