Fly Fishing Trip with Andrzej (analogue B&W Photography)

Memories of a fly fishing trip with Andrzej last summer.

Reminiscence

Oftentimes, I catch myself scrolling through old pictures from previous fishing trips. Not only to rekindle those fond memories of great company and entertaining trips, but also to see what I miss so much. During the cold winter months, we’re bound at home with a rather meagre outlook to fish. I spend the time tying flies and planning new adventures.

Fly Fishing Trip with Andrzej

Andrzej is a friend of my school mate Robert. He has a flare for minimalistic, old-school things, such as analogue black&white photography, and has recently taken up fly fishing. From the start he was totally immersed into all the facets that this wonderful pastime offers.

Steep Learning Curve

He’s been learning quickly how to cast, began tying his own flies and soon started to build his very own rod. From the onset, he was eager to get to know it all. Throughout his progress, I supported him wherever I could with advice, thoughts, and motivation. It was only a matter of time until we would fish together.

Meeting in Person

We scheduled a trip in early summer, when the temperature and the flow of the creeks remained well below critical levels. Given that Andrzej lived in the largest town of Switzerland (Zurich), he mainly targeted cyprinids, for example chubs and roaches, in the vicinity of the suburbs. Therefore, I took him to some remote creeks in the Jura mountains, where brown trout are abundant.

We set up our rods with a nymph indicator rig and tied on a small copper nymph with a dark body. I knew this river by heart and decided to start fishing at a spot where the vegetation was as open as it gets. It is not an easy place to chase trout as fly angler – but rewarding. As it is custom, I did not start fishing for myself until my guest had caught his first fish. Shortly after Andrzej and I hit the water, he finally caught his very first trout, which is a watershed moment in every fly angler’s life.

Sharing the Love for Fly Fishing

We continued our journey along the creek visiting pools which were like old friends. Some of them welcomed us warmly, others took the piss out of us. Later, my mate André (not to be mistaken for Andzej) joined us. The three of us meticulously worked the pools: Whereas one of us was fly fishing, the others helped spotting trout, giving advice, or making jokes. We ran like a well-maintained engine, as if we met on a regular basis.

Black and White Photography

Over the course of this fly fishing trip, Andrzej carried his analogue fuji film camera. Now and then he took a picture, and I was even able to take my very first analogue picture myself. Though, I prefer to review my pictures immediately, analogue photography has its own allure by teaching you to be selective with your subjects and patient. A virtue that is also indispensable for fly fishing.

Check out his Instagram profile for more black&white goodness!

Take Aways

I love to catch up with like-minded people and share the love for fly fishing. It appears to me that fly fishing teaches you much more than just another way of catching fish. Rather it elevates the innate interest in nature. In this way, it opens one’s eyes to the environment and its fragile state of dependencies. Having fished with Andzrej for the first time, I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to new adventures. Whereas I helped him catch his first trout, he taught me how to take analogue pictures, but – most importantly – we both made a new friend.