Power Streamers: Fly Tying and Video Collide in a New Adventure
Creating a fly tying video proved to be a challenging winter project when my husband gave me a camcorder for Christmas. I innocently thought it would be a fairly simple and straightforward project.
Bern wanted me to film him tying streamers he gradually developed over years of fishing here in Montana. They catch the really large trout he paints, so it seemed time to share them with others.
The only trouble was, I don't tie flies. He would go one way and I would be going the other way with the camera. As if this was not bad enough, he did not know how close I had zoomed and sometimes he would unexpectedly jerk the fly right out of the field of vision.
We started out like the Three Stooges even though there were only the two of us!
Bern wanted me to film him tying streamers he gradually developed over years of fishing here in Montana. They catch the really large trout he paints, so it seemed time to share them with others.
The only trouble was, I don't tie flies. He would go one way and I would be going the other way with the camera. As if this was not bad enough, he did not know how close I had zoomed and sometimes he would unexpectedly jerk the fly right out of the field of vision.
We started out like the Three Stooges even though there were only the two of us!
25" Brown Trout Caught on Bern's Bad Boy Streamer
Power Streamers Catch Huge Trout!
A brown trout caught on the Madison River
This huge brown trout was caught with a Bern's Bad Boy on the Madison River. Tomato Bob insisted on using the streamer after the flies his guide suggested were not working. He knows Bern's flies work when nothing else does.
As you can see, this was a good decision.
As you can see, this was a good decision.
Our Marriage Survives Video
Bern and I continued trying to work out the assorted kinks in our filming. We know by experience these streamers work extremely well and we were determined to get the step by step tying process on video.
I started editing the material we had, which mostly meant we would give a horrified gasp and quickly decide to shoot it again.
After enough practice, we started coordinating our movements much better. Adding a fluid head to the tripod helped us take another big step forward. We started getting results worth using, to our immense relief.
I started editing the material we had, which mostly meant we would give a horrified gasp and quickly decide to shoot it again.
After enough practice, we started coordinating our movements much better. Adding a fluid head to the tripod helped us take another big step forward. We started getting results worth using, to our immense relief.
Madison Warrior, an Original Painting by Bern Sundell
Bern's Sculpin Caught the Madison Warrior
Bern built an aquarium we take in the drift boat. We fill the tank with water when we stop and wade. Any particularly excellent trout go in it for photography before we release them back into the river.
Trout are not particularly photogenic in an aquarium if left to their own devices. They promptly stick their nose down in a corner with their tail floating upwards in a most unattractive pose.
It takes two people to photograph the fish properly, one to hold the fish gently at the surface and the other to hold the camera. When the camera is focused and ready, the fish holder lets the fish go and it swims back down to poke its nose in the corner again.
If all goes well, Bern gets a few photos of the fish swimming in attractive poses. If not, well, a lot of photos get discarded in this process.
But this provides Bern lots of reference material for his paintings of trout, which often are extremely large trout heads. Madison Warrior is 54" wide, for example.
These big hooked jaw brown trout males are his favorite fish. This particular brown was caught on a Bern's Sculpin, one of the flies featured in the completed Power Streamers Advanced Fly Tying Dvd.
Trout are not particularly photogenic in an aquarium if left to their own devices. They promptly stick their nose down in a corner with their tail floating upwards in a most unattractive pose.
It takes two people to photograph the fish properly, one to hold the fish gently at the surface and the other to hold the camera. When the camera is focused and ready, the fish holder lets the fish go and it swims back down to poke its nose in the corner again.
If all goes well, Bern gets a few photos of the fish swimming in attractive poses. If not, well, a lot of photos get discarded in this process.
But this provides Bern lots of reference material for his paintings of trout, which often are extremely large trout heads. Madison Warrior is 54" wide, for example.
These big hooked jaw brown trout males are his favorite fish. This particular brown was caught on a Bern's Sculpin, one of the flies featured in the completed Power Streamers Advanced Fly Tying Dvd.
Bern with Another Great Brown Trout
Editing Video Was One Long Migraine
I was new to video editing, and plunged into Final Cut Pro, aided by a big fat manual.
To my horror, as the video developed, I kept using more and more techniques I had not intended to learn so quickly.
I inserted some of Bern's painting images in the introduction. Bern discussed how he developed the streamers and how to create variations for different rivers and fishing conditions.
We used closeups of the tying methods for single and articulated streamers. I inserted titles and edited out bloopers of all sorts.
Just to be sure I made myself half crazy, I added music to it as well.
When it was finally done, we had one hour and 48 minutes of instructional DVD.
To my horror, as the video developed, I kept using more and more techniques I had not intended to learn so quickly.
I inserted some of Bern's painting images in the introduction. Bern discussed how he developed the streamers and how to create variations for different rivers and fishing conditions.
We used closeups of the tying methods for single and articulated streamers. I inserted titles and edited out bloopers of all sorts.
Just to be sure I made myself half crazy, I added music to it as well.
When it was finally done, we had one hour and 48 minutes of instructional DVD.
If You Want Your Own Copy of Power Streamers
- Power Streamers Advanced Fly Tying DVD
- Step by step video instructions on tying three kinds of Power Streamers including Bern's Bad Boy and Bern's Sculpin streamers.
Put Your Two Cents Worth Here!
Actually, keep the change, just leave your thoughts here!
LaraineRose wrote...
I enjoyed your lens very much! This lens caught my attention because ...when I left home, I rented a suite in the home of a man who tied flys. When I was allowed to watch, I was thoroughly absorbed in the process. So happy you wrote this lens. As soon as I drop my 5*s I'm off to view
your "Advanced Fly Tying DVD/Power Streamers.
Posted February 15, 2009
Evelyn_Saenz wrote...
Welcome to A Walk in the Woods. Please don't forget to add your lens to the appropriate plexo and check out all the other lenses walking in the woods.
Posted November 23, 2008
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by Lexi
Hi, I am Lexi Sundell, an artist passionate about painting flowers, poppies in particular. I live in Ennis, Montana and grow most of the flowers I pai... (more)
