Tim Romano is an impressive photographer who has had the pleasure of fly fishing and photographing some of the best fly fishing waters in the world. Involved with many projects from Field & Stream to Angling Trade, Romano has enjoyed many exciting travels in the last 15 years. Romano recently took time to interview with the Venturing Angler:
Where in the world have you fly fished?
Oh geeze – you’re making me sound like a spoiled brat right out of the gate … I have been lucky enough to travel to quite a few countries as well quite a bit domestically over the past 15 years. Let’s see, to name a few… Alaska, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Guyana, BC, Russia …
What is your favorite destination and why?
At this point in my life I’d have to say New Zealand. I’m a trout fisherman at heart and the trout fishing there is top of the game, the scenery absolutely spectacular, the people some of the nicest I’ve ever met. The country as a whole really caters to people who are traveling on a budget, making it very easy to camp and get around.
What is the most memorable travel experience you have and why?
Most memorable travel experience? Not sure I could name just one of them … As a group it has to be the extended photo shoots I’ve done with Field & Stream. I’ve had the pleasure to see the entire Mississippi, Rio Grand rivers, and the entire Baja Peninsula from top to bottom and back up again on shoots for those guys. These were intensely long grinder photo shoots, but absolutely amazing ways to see one river or a specific geographical location. Lots of local characters, food, accommodations, etc … I’m not sure I’d do them now, but man what amazing life experiences they are to look back on.
What has been the best trip so far and why?
Tough question … While it wasn’t exactly the craziest fishing I think one of the more memorable trips had to be to Guyana. It was one of the most remote and “real” trips I’ve ever been on. It was an exploratory trip with Costa Del Mar, Field & Stream, and USAID right on the border with Venezuela. We pitched hammocks on fruit farm in the middle of a Mangrove swap and explored the local freshwater tributaries for tarpon fisheries. The combination insane travel, people, geography and fishing made that trip one that I’ll never forget.
Do you have any travel coming up?
I do. I’m actually typing this on a plane en-route to the coast of Texas for a friend’s bachelor party. We’ve rented a place near Matagorda Bay and will be shooting guns, hooking bass and hopefully some redfish too. After that I’m home for a bit then off to Chile for 12 days, back for a couple more days then off to West Virginia for a Field & Stream shoot. Later in the spring I’ve got a Deschutes float and then the one I’m really, really looking forward to is an extended float on the South Fork of the Flathead River in July. It’s a very remote float for big bull trout and dumb cutties. So, yeah … No complaining here on the travel side.
Is there a species that you are dying to catch? What is it about that fish?
I’d love someday to do the GT thing. It just seems like such a mean fish and the locations while far flung, almost always seem like paradise.
When you are not on the water, what do you want the most out of a trip and why?
Uh, like not a fishing trip? Pure relaxation. Sometimes it’s a bit tough to just chill out, put down the camera and take a place in. Those times when I can let myself do that are my favorites.
What is your dream trip and why?
So this is going to sound little weird considering the question and where I’ve been. I’m a bit of a river rat and enjoy a desert white water float almost as much as I do fishing. I’ve always thought it would be amazing to float the Green River from below the dam at Dutch John, UT – taking my time and meandering through the A, B and C sections – down through the no-man’s land for a few days then right on into the Gates of Lodore white water trip for a solid 4 or 5 days. It would take a solid week +, but that would be amazing. You’d get it all – incredible trout fishing, white water, desert-scapes… Either that or a straight up 20 + day Grand Canyon float. No motors, rowing a white water dory and doing it right. Of course I’d have to start the trip with a little trout fishing at Lee’s Ferry – you know for good measure…
If one song where to play in a video short of your last fly fishing trip, what would it be?
Good luck looking this one up … Not so sure about the song title but anything by Boards of Canada. It’s all very trippy atmospheric stuff. Feels like long road trip scene from a movie or something.
What is the one piece of gear you couldn’t bear to leave at home?
The obvious one is my camera. That’s pretty much like sitting in purgatory if I don’t have it. As sad as it sounds though – earplugs. Just the really simple foam kind. I find that they’ll get you through almost anything. Shitty loud airport sleeping, snoring bunkmates, crying kids on airplanes, etc … Gotta have em.
As you have traveled, what environmental issues have most concerned you?
God there are so many it’s terrifying, but the more I learn about it and look deeper into the science the big one has to be climate change. If we don’t solve that there won’t be many fisheries to save. It’s the one that wakes me up at night. Of course it’s going to hurt cold-water fisheries the most, but the ocean is totally screwed too for a multitude of reasons. On the flip-side I guess the carp fishing could be epic in places you never imagined.
To check out more from Tim Romano, please click here.
Great interview with a great angler/photographer/human being. Thanks!