The diary of a pro.....

specialman

specialman

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Pat MacInnes
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For those who are interested I thought I'd just keep you updated on how my weeks pan out when shooting for magazines as a professional photographer.

As most of you will know I shoot exclusively for fishing magazines – I'm head of a photography at DHP Ltd (I'm a one man department - sweet!!) – so all of my professional work revolves around doing shoots documenting how anglers catch fish in each respective field of angling (coarse, game, sea). It's a great job, probably the best I could wish for what with my passion for togging and angling, and takes me to a whole host of places to meet some really great people and shoot some great stuff.

Snow has put paid to shoots this week (w/c 21st) – the weather is just a bit pants for fishing and photography – so here's what I did over the past two weeks...


Monday 7th December
Penarth Beach, South Wales
A 320-mile round trip for a few shots of some Shimano bags and a guy casting out; features probably don't get more desperate than this but that's the nature of the job. We were supposed to be out in Cornwall doing a brilliant bass feature down near Penzance but 40mph winds put paid to that so we reconvened on a wet and windy Penarth Beach instead to do some product shots for Total Sea Fishing magazine. I can't say this was my favourite shoot but I can't pick and choose so I had to go with it; fortunately, the mother-in-law lives 20 miles away so tea and a fry-up weren't far away. Anyway, Roger (the guy in shot, he's TSF deputy) is happy, so I'm happy and I found out this morning the designer is more than happy. Everyone's happy. Top stuff.



Tuesday 8th December
Day off to do some Xmas shopping and to spend some time with my 10-week-old boy, Charlie. Days like this are precious, especially with the little one developing so quickly. Hope he's into photography when he grows up. He can pay for his own gear though...;)

Wednesday 9th December
Ashmead lakes, near Yeovil, Somerset
I'm on the road at 5am to do the 200-mile journey from Rugby to the lake near Yeovil called Ashmead. The sunset and the blanket of low-level fog covering the Somerset levels is amazing but there's no time for stopping to take shots; the angler is waiting and he's on fish.





I get to the lake after negotiating a mile of the biggest potholes known to man (I must get rid of the Cupra R before the front splitter is ripped off) and the lake is literally leaking over its banks in places. The ground is sodden but Ian Chillcott, my star angler for the day, has had plenty of carp through the night up to 20lb so we're confident of one for the cameras. Ian's a nut job in the best possible sense (he's a riot to hang around with)and after chewing the fat and deciding G'n'R are one of the greatest bands ever, we get down to business.
Do the standard bait shots and some in-situ shots before the buzzers start howling and a nice mirror comes to the net. Ian's well chuffed, as am I, and we have the feature wrapped up by lunchtime. A few quick shots using off-camera flash of feeding finish off the session and then I'm back in the car and negotiating the mid-afternoon traffic on the M5.
Get home, take the missus to her works Xmas dinner and then sort through the images to see if we have a cover shot; we have - result!!

Thursday 10th December
Studio, Daventry



This is a rarity for me; I rarely do studio stuff these days but it's exciting when you have loads of interesting stuff to shoot and we spend five hours in there covering everything from tackle to bait. The angler, Roly, isn't great in front of the lens but he mellows as the day goes on and we get two good features. It's great working with new people, especially when they become a bit more relaxed and you get a good result. Kev, the editor of the mag we're shooting for (Total Coarse Fishing), is more than happy - another successful day and we get lunch down the pub thrown in to boot.

Friday 11th December
Larford Lakes, Stourport, West Mids
Arrive at 8am and it's cold, ultra-foggy and just not an inspiring day. I'm here to shoot Simon Fry, who's the £5,000 Drennan Knockout Cup champion after win a two-day shootout against Ian Didcot on the River Wye. Today's shoot is the start of a mini-series in Match Fishing magazine that covers Simon's thinking as a top-class match angler.



It's the first day I'm using my new D2X but with the ISO ramped up to 640 I'm a little wary of what the results will be like; safe to say, it performs admirably - who needs a D3!!! Anyway, against all odds, Simon has 70lb of quality bream in the net in just two hours on pole-fished pellet and that means I can get some shots of another angler, Matt McGuinness, for another column in the mag. Matt's fortune's aren't so god but we get the shots that help him promote the products for the company he's sponsored by.
This is one of the rare occasions where I manage to take a shot for personal use – so trees on the far bank that are shrouded in mist – and I'm happy with the result... I'll post that at another time :)
Home for 5pm to warm up.
 
Monday 14th December
Orford Ness, near Ipswich, Suffolk
I've been looking forward to this shoot simply because Orford Ness is an exposed shingle bank that was once a test site for radar and nuclear triggers. It's also one of the most prolific big cod marks in the UK and pretty much as exposed as you can get.
I'v stayed over at a mate's but still have to leave Felixstowe at 5.30am to make sure I get to the quayside in Orford to get the boat that will take me and a gang of anglers 20-minutes down river to the fishing marks. I do some slow-sync flash stuff on the boat that I'm happy with, even if it's a bit noisey at ISO 800. As we hit the shingle the sun is just rising and we see one of the most fabulous sunrises I've seen recently. The light is lush.



I snap away to take some scenics then we start fishing; it's freezing despite the warm sun and as the day progresses it's clear the cod are nowhere to be seen. We end up with a dozen or so good whiting and a shot of a 4lb cod taken by an angler a 100 yards away. It's not the best results but we have the bones of a feature.
I'm back at the car for 4pm and back home to Rugby for 6.30pm. All the way home i think about just how good it would have been if we'd have had a brace or two of big cod. Oh well, that'll keep for another time.....

Tuesday 15th December
Arnfield Reservoir, Peak District
I'm supposed to be office-bound today, enjoying a Christmas lunch with some of the editors, but I'm booked out, which went down like a cup of cold sick when i was told at 8pm the previous night. till, I love trout fishing and the place we're heading for is situated in magnificent scenery so we'll get something worthwhile.
I'm with Total FlyFisher editor Steve Cullen and meeting up with Paul Richardson from tackle company Wychwood. The journey takes an age thanks to the Glossop road being blocked by trucks but once we're there, we are greeted by fish topping and slate grey skies that are moody as hell.



Trout fisheries are generally the most attractive places to shoot because they usually have a sense of foreboding about them because they're so big. Arnfield is a good 40-acres (not big compared to the 400-acres of places like Pitsford and Grafham). I snap some landscape shots for myself and the get down to the job at hand.
Unfortunately, a lack of fish is following me around and as darkness descends, we have the grand total of two trout. We have a feature but it's not great, especially when the fishery are telling us it's been solid with fish. We obviously caught it on a bad day.



Off-camera flash using Skyports has paid off today but I'm happy with the high ISO performance of the D2X when shooting without flash. These dull days really test your equipment but again, the Nikon kit I scrimped and saved for has worked a treat.
Back home for 8pm after monster traffic jams on the M1. I'm knackered.

Wednesday 16th December
Linear Fisheries, near Oxford
Another dull day but this time we've got inch-thick frost on the ground and a chilly breeze that's enough to chill you through in five minutes. Gore-tex and loads of fleece layers are a must in this weather but I'm still struggling to keep the old tootsies warm. This is one of those days where I don't have a brief so I have to wing it by asking the anglers every question imaginable.



Carp fishing in general is a waiting game and today we're not expecting fish; the feature is in two parts, the first about bait dips and glugs to add extra flavour, the second about line and how to tie rigs. It's not my cup of tea – carp fishing for me is a distant memory I once participated in –*but talking of tea, carpers love it and the kettle is on constantly to keep us warm.
It's sleeting too, which is a nightmare for the lenses, and by the end of the shoot there's not a dry pice of cloth on my body that hasn't been used to dry the filter. Anyway, we get what we need and I'm back in the office by 2pm. I even got a personal commission from the angler to do a product shoot for his company - a result when I'm needing some extra income for equipment.

Thursday 17th December
Feature cancelled so I spend the day in the office on TP, Flickr and Amazon doing some last-minute Xmas shopping. Send the boss an email about the fact we need extra funds to update the photography kit. Get promptly told there's no money. Bummer.

Friday 18th December
Littleport, The Fens
It's snowing. Hard. With bells on. Steve Martin from Total Coarse Fishing magazine picks me up at 6.30am and I soon realise getting him to drive in his 4x4 was a good move. The A14 is getting a covering and every man and his dog is moving at 5mph. We burn through the traffic and make it out to Littleport for 9am to meet Mick Brown on his boat that's moor on a tributary of the Great Ouse.
Mick is well known in the industry as probably the most prominent predator angler there is. he also stars alongside Matt Hayes in several fishing shows on the Discovery Shed channel. He's a really nice guy, knows his stuff and despite the blizzard conditions, we have ultimate faith in him.



Anyway, to cut a long one short, the D2X stands up against the snowstorm that's following up and down the river and Mick bags a big 2.5lb perch that I shoot with the magazine cover in mind. Cover shots are my favourites; apart from the obvious point that it's the first thing you see on a magazine, they have to be shot with stringent factors in mind – straplines must have somewhere to be placed, the masthead must have plenty of space and overall, the image must shout to the guy who's browsing the newsstand shelves for hi next purchase. One I get home I'm straight into Lightroom to check the results and despite the cold seriously affecting the focussing performance of my Tamron 17-50mm, I've got the shot.

To cap off a hectic but interesting two weeks, I got in the office yesterday to find a pile of magazines on my desk with several of my shots on the cover. It's a great feelings seeing those shots used by editors and is the reward for the long drives and even longer days.

As an aside, for anyone who thinks you need masses of kit and the most expensive kit, think again; I use a pretty standard setup that most amateurs on TP wouldn't think twice about buying, which is;

Nikon D2x
Nikon D200 (up for sale as I write - I'll buy another D2X)
Nikon 12-24mm f/4
Nikon 60mm f/2.8 macro
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8
Nikon SB800
Nikon SB28
Nikon SB28dx
Elinchrom Skyports

I'll keep posting a blog of sorts through the next year as I become busier and busier, and hopefully as my travels widen with respect to the destinations I'm charged to visit, I'll report back with some stories and interesting work you'll want to read about.

Cheers

Pat MacInnes
 
Great write up Pat - some of the images you've posted a truly superb.

Good luck with the year ahead.

Ryan
 
Great read Pat...very interesting and great pics! It's inspirational to see someone who can combine both loves for a career...makes me insanely jealous :)! Will definately keep an eye on your future updates.
 
That was a really interesting read Pat, thanks for sharing. I, for one, could not take the cold conditions for hours on end!

Perhaps it's because you do bring home the bacon you keep getting told there is no money for kit ;)

Take care out there and have a happy and restful Christmas with your family :)
 
That is a brilliant read mate, must be great when you enjoy two things and work with them together, but the amount of travelling you do :eek:. I hope you get petrol money. There is some great pictures there as well. A bit poor though that they cant afford to get you a d3. :(

Cant wait for some more. :)
 
Wow great work & as you say dream job for an angler & tog.
The Linear isnt fishing its Alchemy -lol, I am not a great Carp specialist, dont mind them when they hook up on the pole, then its great sport.
Love the Mick Brown picks, even my missus will watch angling shows when Mick's on.
Thanks for putting that all together
Pete
 
A nice insight into your work and cracking photos to go with it.
Thanks,
Iain.
 
Great stuff, Pat. I used to fish on a couple of those place and buy the mags on occasions. Who'd have thought I'd be chatting on a forum with the guy who took the pictures!
 
Here are some of the covers - really pleased the editors have gone with the shots I did especially for the FC. Always nice when they allow themselves to trust your judgement as a photographer...







 
Hey guys, thanks for the kind words. The long hours and crazy mileage –*I do about 2800 each month (petrol paid for by the way) – are a bummer at times, especially when you've been in sub-zero conditions all day, but knowing you've got thousands of people looking at your shots each and every month is a great feeling.

I'm really going to go at it hard in 2010 to do more creative off-camera lighting but I'm also going to rent a few long (400mm preferably) lenses off Stewart at LFH to try that side of photography. It's very much a case of shooting what your given on the day but I can only try to make even the mundane seem interesting*–*hopefully I've done that so far and with a bit of new kit I might get some more of those 'killer' shots.

Shark fishing is one thing I'm going to try to get covered properly next summer –*a big 200lb Mako would look great on a fisheye!! – but hopefully someone can get me some international trips sorted, preferably to a nice warm place :)

Wish they would buy me a D3 but on the face of it, what with the recession an all that, I'm pretty thankful I've got a job going into Xmas and 2010 –*some other people aren't so fortunate. I'll just plod away with the D2X for the time being and maybe invest some crimbo money in some warm boots instead!! :)

Mind you, if my D200 sells then I'm seriously tempted by either a 10.5mm fisheye or a used Nikon 17-55mm....;)
 
Brilliant writing. Really enjoyed it.
Was Mr. Chilcott his usual crazy self?

If you would like a nice warm and sunny destination, my best mate owns a carp fishery in France.;)
 
Yep, chilly was his usual bonkers personified!! :)

France eh?..... might be tempted if this winter lasts too long ;)
 
A great read all round. Good to see that you can combine what you like to do and come up with a job. I'll be looking forward to more of this indeed.

Tom N.
 
Well, that's me done for 2009 - no more shoots until January 4th. Will be reporting back then... :)

Have a good crimbo everyone and don't get too sozzled on NY ;)
 
Great read dude!
 
Excellent thread!

I love these "diaries of" things. Also gives some indication of the graft that goes into being a "pro".

Your pictures (of course) are damm good too. I am not a fisherman - but I can appreciate the technique that goes into getting those shots.

Please - keep posting.

Now if any Pro - gig/music photographers out there would like to do the same thing........;)
 
Fascinating stuff and a cracking good insight into your working week. Be really interesting to read more as your year pans out.

I only have one real concern, I fear that all those early mornings and freezing shoots may have affected your taste in music...

specialman said:
and deciding G'n'R are one of the greatest bands ever
Click to expand...

Still combining two great interests and having a dream job was bound to have a downside.

Merry Christmas :lol::lol::lol:
 
As a nutty fisherman and tog really enjoyed reading that, thanks for the time putting it together.

It must be a real buzz to see your work on a front cover. I rarely buy an angling monthly these days as there really isn't anything new but i did notice the front pic of TCF whilst browsing the other day and thought great pic! Just shows how much effort goes into it certainly sounds like you work damned hard for it!
 
So here we are in 2010 - it's been a varied month both weather-wise and on the fishing front. I've got a new 50mm f/1.8, a new speedlight and another Skyport, plus my 365 I'm doing for Flickr is giving me bags of photographic inspiration that I'm hoping will see me good for work this year...

Friday 8th January 2010
River Ancholme, Lincolnshire



At last, I've managed to get out of the office. Being cooped up with all the journos is doing my head in. Anyway the roads have cleared and after a 110-mile jaunt up the M1 in heavy traffic I've made it up to Brigg. The guy I'm meeting, local angler Lee harrison, is a bit of a legend in these parts but even he couldn't have predicted two-inches of ice forming overnight that puts the brakes on any chance of catching. It' a shame really, as the river has been fishing it's head off through the big freeze but after five hours of trying all he can muster is one suicidal roach - not good. The light is crazily bright thanks to snow on the ground and I'm just not in the mood to try and do much to try and control it. The D2X just gets on with the job and I end up with a set of pics I'm not proud of at all. These days are few and far between but it's a shame that the first feature of 2010 isn't one that inspires me...

Tuesday 12th January 2010
Studio



We have a tackle and gun magazine (aptly named Tackle & Guns would you beleive!!) and this is my first opportunity to do anything relating to guns. The brief was simple; create an illustrative shot for an article relating to air gun silencers. The editor was well chuffed with this, although I'm sure I can keep doing these kinds of shots better with practise. I have some more shooting features planned, actual outdoor shoots, so that's going to be another strong to my bow, which I'm looking forward to...

Wednesday 13th January 2010
River Test, Broadlands Estate, Hampshire



This feature was cancelled the previous week thanks to the snow and despite the met office saying that snow's on its way again, I have to give it a blast to try and get there. The A34 round Oxford is chaos; cars in the central reservation, cars ramming each other as brakes lock up. I'm just glad I'm not driving and that the guy who is, is in a big 4x4. We make it there in one piece after four hours and are on the bank for 9.15am.
The test on the Broadlands estate is very much a tale of two fisheries: on one hand it's famed for great roach and grayling fishing on standard float gear; on the other it's a very good salmon and trout stretch. We're after pike so we fit into neither camp!
Miles, our angler for the day, is someone I've heard of but have never met. It's that typical male thing when we meet; it's a bit standoffish (well, he is) and obviously wants to prove his credentials through tales of previous catches. However, as the day progresses and the fish don't play ball he comes back down to earth and we get on swimmingly. We walk about three miles of river in search of a big pike, battled blizzards that make for good shots when I can get my fingers to work in the cold.
The main problem with shooting at this time of year is reduced light levels; flash helps but can only illuminate so much of the scene so ISOs are ramped up to 640 to give me some working space without too much grain. One thing this does do is adds some atmosphere to the shots, although when we do get a 16-pounder on the last cast, the Elinchrom Skyports and flashes come out so we can be in total control of exposure. I really can't emphasise enough the value of reliable Speedlights and a good trigger system when you're in need of your own light. They're certainly proving to be a lifesaver and a good investment...

Thursday 14th January 2010
Company Visit, Essex
I've got a cold. Again. Muggins here has to drive the 250-mile round trip to Nash tackle HQ in Essex and it's ****ing down. I hate these conditions, especially when I'm going to shoots some bivvies in the slush. The camera gear is soaking, my Tamron 17-50mm stops working halfway through the shoot and my patience is wearing thin as editorial staff ask for the seemingly impossible. I bite my lip, have a cuppa and soldier on. The shots end up as just record of something and not anything I look at as special - they're so boring I'm not even going to post them here. By the end I'm actually looking forward to the M25 because at least it means I'm on my way home and I have the day off tomorrow...
 
I've just stumbled across this thread, I'm very happy I did :thumbs:

Excellent photographs and a very interesting and entertaining read.

To be able to combine two of my favourite hobbys and get paid for it would be a dream come true :)
 
This is the first time I've spotted this thread. Am at work at the moment so will have a proper look when I get home.

My two biggest hobbies are fishing and photography and this looks really interesting. Would be my dream job too! Love the pics.
 
Fascinating insight which I missed first time round. It makes for a really interesting read and what comes through is your passion - thanks for taking the time to write it.
 
Monday 18th January



Studio shoot for one of our magazines. Just doing general tackle shots - not really exciting but just part of the job. I don't want to see bivvies again for a long time though - they're a ball-ache to put up and they look crap in photographs!
One plus point is doing macro fly-tying stuff. I'm currently digging this big-time and using some creative lighting to get a good result.

Tuesday 19th January
Yeovil, Somerset



I'm getting used to these mammoth drives. It's 400 miles to the fishery to meet Ian Chillcott again to shoot a feature about how to make a blank session help you improve. Bonkers idea I know, but Chilly is a good laugh and we end up having a 20lb mirror, which brightens up the day and might give me a cover shot on Total Carp. I have a strict picture list so it's one of those days where brain is disengaged and I just press the shutter. The good thing about this is once the list is finished you can get home and after leaving home at 6am I'm back by 4pm - good by my standards.

Wednesday 20th January 2010
River Test, Hampshire



This is a totally different stretch of the Test to last week; it's all trout and grayling, very shallow and ultra-exclusive. I'm tailing Total FlyFisher editor Steve Cullen and boss of Fulling Mill tackle, Barry Unwin. I'm not fishing unfortunately but today is a chance to get some really initmate shots for what is essentially and interview piece with a bit of fshing in it. The light is gash –*1/60th at f/4 is a good exposure on ISO 500 – sio the 17-50mm f/2.8 (now working) and the 50mm f/1.8 are the key tools today. No flash for a classy, natural look and waders on to get some viewpoints from within the water.
It's cold and slightly wet thanks to intermittant sleet, but it's good fun and we're all happy, probably because we've just had the best Little Chef breakfast ever at Popham Services, the one Heston Bluemnthal revamped in his TV show.
The only downside of the day is getting stuck in the mud - the Cupra R isn't made for this terrain.

Thursday 21st January
Gypsey Bridge, near Boston, Lincs



I'm meeting a new angler, Steve Winters, who turns out to be a top fella and we catch loads of fish - it's how features should be. The venue is a drain in deepest Lincolnshire so isn't pretty but it's reliable and Steve knows it like the back of hand. I'm happy....


....until on the way home is have a 70mph blow-out. Changing the tyre I notice that both my fronts are bald as coots so after changing the blown tyre, it's a very tentative crawl home to Rugby. This is a stark reminder that my mileage is massive these days with this new job; those tyres were new in August!

Friday 22nd January
Chelmsford, Essex



Wet, wet, wet. I'm cheesed off because I have to A) drive (managed to get tyres replaced at 5pm the previous evening), and B) get up at 4.30am. I'm with Dave Lane, legendary carp angler, doing his regular piece for Total Carp magazine. Again, it' a picture list job so fairly straightforward but because it's lashing down we're in the bivvy for most of the day drinking tea. My SB800 gives out in the rain and one of my Skyports stops working also. Every lens has drips on the front element and being thoroughly soaked just isn't making this into a feature to remember (for the right reasons anyway).
The saving grace is that despite the wet and very cold conditions, dave wangles out some quality carp, including a couple of good mid-doubles that are great for the cover. A break in the weather allows us to get that cover shot and we pack up in super-fast time because it's Friday, we're wet and we're hungry. Home by 5pm and I'm zonked out on the sofa by 5.05pm!
 
Only just spotted this and its a great read for an angler and photographer. Very good that youve managed to do two things you love as a career.

im not jealous at all honest:lol::lol:
 
wow, what a great insight into an amazing job. This does combine two of my great loves. What a great opportunity you have created for yourself. I am so jealous.


This is the shot of the bunch for me.

Perch.jpg


Good old Mick Brown.
 
Thank you for the post up. I really do enjoy reading articles of different photography professions. They seem to tick a lot of my boxes as a job, meeting different people, going to interesting places, and each day brings something a little different.

Right now it's a hobby for me, but perhaps in the future I might have the skill and luck to do something like you !
 
nice insight into your work
i used to do a lot of fishing myself but cant seem to find the time lately
my eldest son works in our local tackle shop which is one of the biggest in the country and is a keen angler
 
Cracking thread, really enjoyed the read, used to love fishing but can't afford to do it as well as togging.
If ever you need an assistant, driver, dogs body, bait mixing chum thrower then you let me know..!
 
Monday 25th January
Stainforth & Keadby Canal, Thorne, South Yorks



Today I’m shooting three months worth of images for a diary piece in Match Fishing magazine. This kind of job is hard and easy at the same time; the easy bit is taking the shots – the angler, Lee Kerry, knows what he wants and we can bang out different images left, right and centre. The hard part is doing it on a wet and very cold canal in the middle of South Yorkshire where it’s muddy as hell and not really representative of the coming months. The problem we have with all of our magazines (some are worse than others mind you) is the disparity between editorial deadline, actual on sale date and the cover date. It’s bad enough trying to shoot months ahead of yourself but winter and spring are a real pain anyway because everything’s done about eight weeks ahead of time. If deadline is the start of Feb (which it is for MF – it’s 03/02 be precise) then we’ve been shooting all the way through January. The mag will go on sale about the 20th of February but it’ll be the March issue. Once you’re shooting in April then you’re shooting for May and in some cases, June, which is the biggest ball-ache know to man because you really need to be canny with your angles so as not to get too many bare trees in shot.
Anyway, we get the shots, although it’s another ISO 640 job today, which although not the end of the world, means that when I get back into the office I’ll either have an editor or a repro manager (or both) chowing at me for excessive image noise, something they’re not even remotely aware of the workings of.

Tuesday 26th January
Kidderminster, Worcs



I love trout fishing. I used to be the editor of our pole fishing magazine for six years but it’s trouting (well, fly fishing in general) that’s really got me hooked over recent seasons. I just love it and when I get the chance to partake, it’s a nice reward for all the hard work.
The venue, Shatterford Lakes near Kidderminster, is lovely; set in a valley the lakes site terrace-style down the valley side. It’s not a fishery I’ve heard of before as a trout venue (one lake holds big catfish that are the main draw) but the fishing is good. The small catch-and-release lake is too coloured to fish properly but the main specimen lake that’s tucked away behind trees is a real gem. Anyway, Paul Richardson from Leeda/Wychwood (the star of today's feature) manages four big fish, three about 7lb and one knocking 12lb, and it’s job done.
I’m pretty pleased with the results too; knock out a few edits of main and catch shots and am quite taken by the dual-tone look on one of the DPS efforts. I know it'll probably be a bit radical for general consumer magazines but I think it's something I can play with as I tout for brochure business with the major fishing manufacturers. In fly fishing especially this more 'arty' approach is favoured because the mages are seen as page furniture rather than integral to the brochure.

Wednesday 27th January
Office – paperwork, sorting my diary and doing some general shots. An easy day.

Thursday 28th January
River Dee, Llangollen, North Wales



Today is a real treat. I’m with Total Fly Fisher editor Steve Cullen, who fished the river on the weekend during the England team qualifiers.
The weather has perked up slightly but it’s still ISO400 or above to get decent shutter speeds. I manage to stand on my rod, which puts me out of action on the fishing front, but that’s not a massive problem because there’s so much to photograph.
It’s a wading river for sure so it’s pretty cold on the old nether regions but what waders do allow me is the flexibility to great a lot of different angles. Mind you, I’ve learned that wading comes with its own risk and the camera bag stays on the bank and only a body and lens comes out into the water with me. This is probably where zooms allow me the most flexibility at the expense of super-fast apertures, as primes require a lot of lens changing that’s never good when you’re in the water. Admittedly though, my favourite shot of the day came from a tripoded 80-200mm.
It’s not a fish-filled day mind; the water’s dropped and a lot of cold water has seeped in off the hills so the grayling have shut up shop. We manage two fish about the 1.5lb mark but it’s enough for the feature. One bad thing to happen is the zip on my waders breaks so I’m limited for half the day to wading in shallower water.

Friday 29th January
Day off – the wee man needs looking after and there’s a kitchen floor to be tiled.

Monday 1st February
Fazeley, Staffs



I’m at Bonehill Mill today with Drennan Team England angler Sean Ashby, one of the best silver fish anglers in the UK. He’s starting his new series in Match Fishing magazine (called Silver Machine) and we’re at a familiar venue called Bonehill Mill. It’s freezing, there’s 2” of ice formed overnight and the fishing is bound to be hard. To cut a long one short Shaun manages 4lb of roach, not great, but enough for the feature. It’s very much of a switch your brain off feature where I just shoot generic shots; we’ve covered this kind of thing many times before over the years but as with most instructional mags, repetition is essential because newcomers to the sort may not have read something like this before.

Tuesday 2nd February
Feature cancelled due to a frozen lake so it’s thumb twiddling time in the office :)

Wednesday 3rd February
Bolton, Lancs



The M6 isn’t my favourite motorway simply because it’s speed cameras all the way to Manchester and the M6/M62 junction always gets clogged up at rush hour. Still, after a brief detour through Bolton I arrive at the reservoir after a 3.5hr journey and we get fishing. The lake is part-frozen, so we’re limited to where we can fish but Howard Croston from Hardy/Greys does the job and by 1pm he’s had 20 fish for the cameras. They’re definitely not big fish and not the prettiest either (a bit lean from the winter) but it’s the kind of place that a lot of the magazine’s readers will be visiting this time of year when the big waters are all closed.
My 80-200mm plays a big role in my fly fishing photography, as do all my primes, simply because I like to really separate the angler from the background sing low apertures. I tend to stay away from loads of flash too, because I feel that natural light just seems to work better to give a classy feel to the session. However, I’m surprised when I see the finished design that the wide-angle 12-24mm (plus flash) shots are the pick of the bunch.

Thursday 4th February
Feature cancelled so time to catch up on paperwork.

Friday 5th February
River Welland, Market Deeping, Lincs



Another new venue but back with TV angler Mick Brown. We’re here to catch chub on a coloured River Welland using fish baits like sardines and lamprey. It’s not a familiar tactic to many anglers, which is why we’re doing it, but it works as we wangle out a decent chub on an impossible day. We also manage a handsome, out of season brown trout that livens up the day with its acrobatics. It’s returned safely after a catch shot to fight another day.
 
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