Fly Fishing - Crested Butte, CO

Taylor River Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Photography - Colorado

Sometimes you think the sun is going to help with the cold and on certain days is does. For all the rest of the days, it’s easiest to just accept the fact that you won’t feel your hands again until you get back to the truck. At which point you’ll need to put a koozie around your beer just so they don’t get any worse. Thankfully this wasn’t one of those. It’s only the middle of October but that doesn’t matter. If you spend time in the mountains then you know an early summer morning can feel oddly similar to winter. It’s got to be part of that whole love/hate thing.

It’s safe to assume that most western fly fisherman, in the beginning at least, are only concentrated on the rainbow trout. It’s put up on a pedestal. The trophy. The goal. Won’t deny having those same feelings, but that’s all changed over time, as everything does. Now, in my opinion, brown trout are king. Their colors and markings are really special.Now, In the name of transparency this isn’t my fish, but my friend caught it while I was shooting. Which means I was sort of catching it vicariously through him. That’s the only way I’ve found to calm the urge to set the camera down and replace it with a fly rod. It’s a vicious cycle that I’m trying to be at peace with. On the scale of problems, it’s a good one to have. Snowboarding is the only thing I do that absolutely won’t involve a camera unless it’s the one on my phone. Fly fishing on the other hand is a constant battle.

Good times on the Taylor River that day.

Click here to see more of my Fly Fishing photography

Fly Fishing the Taylor River

The beautiful markings of a brown trout

Colorado Fly Fishing Photographer

11 Mile Canyon Fly Fishing - Colorado

Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains not far from Lake George, Colorado - 11 Mile Canyon is a breathtaking destination that attracts fly fishing aficionados with its crystal-clear waters, stunning scenery, and abundant fish species that offer an unforgettable experience for anglers. Colorado is known for its breathtaking mountain ranges, lush forests, and serene lakes. The backcountry canyon section of the South Platte River offers a unique opportunity to escape the crowds of fisherman, immerse yourself in nature, and find solitude on the water. Fly fishing in these remote areas not only allows you to connect with the environment but also gives you access to wild, untouched fisheries teeming with life.

If you’re going to spend a few days fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon, there are designated campsites along the way, with Spillway Campground being the best. Just to be clear, this is not dispersed camping. It is a campground where you’ll have neighbors, but the sites are adequately spread out, and your literally steps from the South Platte River in a section with large, hungry trout. Early mornings there are great for quiet fishing before anyone wakes up, but don’t wait too long or there will be people on every corner. At that point, I’d recommend making some breakfast, then heading down canyon where you’ll find stunning stretches of river and solitude if you’re willing to work a little bit. Some of the canyon sections are a lot harder to access than others because a short hike down a steep hill is required for river access. It’s all worth the effort though to be surrounded by rocks cliffs and pristine water. Then, when the sun starts going down, head back to camp for some food and beer, and you’ll be just in time for the evening hatch. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about success throwing mice patterns there in the dark, but have never done it myself. Usually at that point the itch has been more than scratched, and beers around the fire is too appealing.

Click here to shop my fly fishing wall art and contact me directly about licensing photographs for editorial/commercial usage - rob@robhammerphotography

Fly fishing road trip

11 Mile Canyon Fly Fishing

Scenic Colorado Fly Fishing

Black and white fly fishing print - 11 Mile Canyon

Take a break on the river - tying flies

Netting a trout on the South Platte River

Fly fisherman walking through a tunnel in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado

Fly fisherman on a scenic section of the South Platte River in 11 Mile Canyon, Colorado

Black and white photograph of a fly fisherman netting a trout on the South Platte River

Boulder hopping in 11 Mile Canyon

Fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon

Afternoon rainstorm in Colorado

End of the day - 11 Mile Canyon

Fly Fishing the Owens River

Owens River Fly Fishing

Mammoth Lakes, California - Winter

Some time over the past couple months has been spent archiving my library of images which is a hell of a process. Sorta seems like moving houses in that you have no idea how many stuff you’ve accumulated over the years until it’s necessary to move it. Archiving my library is daunting but necessary. Should have been doing it all along. A lesson I’ve learned during this process is how easy it is to forget about images once they sit on hard drives for a certain period of time. Life goes on. You get busy. Commercial shooting and other paying projects get put on the front burner. So now I’m faced with having to archive 10+ years of imagery onto a separate site that will allow the images to be licensed instead of collecting dust on a shelf. That aside, it brings a lot of joy to see images from trips past that I haven’t looked at since they happened. Also brings the thought of travel to the forefront and what COVID has done to the possibility of doing it at all. Internationally at least.

The images you see here are from a camping trip last year to Lone Pine, CA in the Alabama Hills. On the way out we hit the Owens River briefly to see if there were any trout hanging out in a particular section we’d never been to. Turns out, there weren’t……

Click HERE for an archive of fly fishing imagery which will is still a work in progress and always will be as my library continues to grow.

Fly Fishing in the Eastern Sierra

Owens River Fly Fishing

Winter fly fishing on the Owens River

Fly fishing the Owens River

Winter fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra

Kern River Fly Fishing Photography – A Real Look at California’s Wild Trout Water

Kern River Fly Fishing Photography in California

The Kern River isn’t the kind of place that gives itself up easily. In the words of Merle Haggard - “I’ll never swim Kern River again.”
It’s steep, fast, and often unforgiving—but that’s exactly what makes it one of the most compelling places to photograph fly fishing in California.

These photographs come from time spent along the river documenting real anglers in motion—working pocket water, navigating boulders, and adapting to a river that demands attention.

Kern River Fly Fishing Photography

Why the Kern River Stands Apart for Fly Fishing

There are plenty of rivers in the American West that are easier to fish—and easier to photograph.

The Kern isn’t one of them.

This is a river defined by movement. Fast seams, uneven footing, constant adjustments. You’re rarely standing still for long, and neither is the water. It demands attention in a way that more forgiving rivers don’t.

That’s part of what makes it so compelling. There’s no illusion of control out here. Just an angler, a line, and a river that keeps pushing back.

Photographing Fly Fishing on the Kern River

Photographing a river like this isn’t about setting up clean compositions or waiting for perfect light.

It’s about staying mobile.

You move with the angler. You anticipate where they’re going next. You react to changing light as it drops into the canyon or disappears behind it. Shadows come early here, and highlights can be harsh—there’s not much middle ground.

Most of the time, the best photographs aren’t the obvious ones. They happen in between casts. While someone is adjusting footing, reading water, or working through a stretch that doesn’t give them much.

That’s where the authenticity lives.

Black and white photograph of fly fisherman on the Kern River in late afternoon light

A More Honest Look at Fly Fishing in California

A lot of fly fishing imagery leans toward something polished—wide open landscapes, perfect light, clean casts.

The Kern offers something different.

It’s tighter. Rougher. Less predictable. There’s no lodge culture here, no manicured access points, no sense that the experience has been shaped for anything other than the river itself.

What you get instead is something quieter and more grounded. The kind of fishing that doesn’t need to announce itself.

That’s what I’m interested in documenting.

Summer fly fishing in California on the Kern River surrounded by forest

Fly Fishing Prints from the Kern River

A selection of these Kern River photographs are available as fine art prints, produced on museum-quality paper for collectors, anglers, and those drawn to the landscapes of the American West.

These aren’t decorative images—they’re rooted in real places and real moments on the water.

View Available Fly Fishing Prints

Summer fly fishing on the Kern River

Fly Fishing Photography for Brands & Editorial Use

This work is part of a larger body of fly fishing photography created for commercial and editorial clients, including Patagonia, Fishpond, and The Drake Magazine.

The focus is always the same—real anglers, real environments, and an honest representation of what it feels like to be out there.

View Fly Fishing Photography Portfolio

Contact me directly for editorial and commercial licensing info - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Camping on the Kern River

Part of a Larger Fly Fishing Photography Project

The Kern River is one of many rivers I’ve documented across the American West, from Colorado to Montana and Idaho.

The goal isn’t just to photograph fishing—it’s to build a body of work that reflects the broader culture around it. The people, the places, and the quieter moments that tend to get overlooked.

If you’re interested in seeing more:

• Fly fishing in fall foliage on the Colorado River

• Winter fishing on Clear Creek

• Hot Creek Fly Fishing - Mammoth, CA

• Editorial work featured in The Drake Magazine