The F3T Interview That Wasn't To Be

A few months ago I mentioned that an interview was in the works with Marc Crapo, Thad Robison, and Jay Johnson of the Fly Fishing Film Tour.  The interview was smashed from the start with a digital recorder that was better at picking up what was going on in the kitchen of the sushi joint we were at than what the F3T boys were saying.  My camera battery died couple clicks in.  Not a stellar way to start an interview.   

So...the F3T interview was not to be like I had hoped and next time I'll be better prepared.  At least I had a few notes and iPhone photos to post.  The conversation and sushi we had were excellent and we covered all aspects of the film tour, the quality of film submissions, and what life is like on the road for weeks at a time.  Running the film tour from spot to spot by vehicle and by plane is no joke.  How many of us could take the better part of six months off to live on a limited travel budget, make full day drives in a rental from city to city, sleep on the floor of seedy motels, and still make each night a party for those that show up to the tour?

It was great to put a handshake with each of the faces of the F3T boys.  I've known Marc for a couple of years and it's easy to see why his nickname is "Rowdy".   He fills up the room with his persona.  Jay is an interesting fellow and within minutes of sitting down he picked up my iPhone, leafed through the pages on the screen to check out what apps I was sporting.  He gave it an overall grade of a B+ (B for the apps and a A- for organization).  He's got a thing for iPhone's.  Thad is quiet and a bit serious.  It's easy to see why they call him "Dad" and why he gets the big bed nearly every night on the road.  This is his baby and he's going to make sure everything goes as planned. 

There was an interesting moment in the conversation when Thad, Marc, and Jay did the math and realized that they might be making far less than minimum wage for their time on the road.  Jay shrugged it off and said that there was no where else he'd want to be working right now.  Clearly this is a labor of love and not just an excuse for fish bums to experience the thrill of a long and weird road trip.  Something that came out from each of the three while talking over dinner was their interest in promoting fly fishing.  This sport is pretty niche even with all the companies, websites, and blogs out there and they look at the Fly Fishing Film Tour as a way to expand the reach of fly fishing. 

At the end of the interview we walked down to the theater to find a long line already forming outside and an anticipation of a good time to be had on a week night out at the movies.  The Fly Fishing Film Tour is good for the industry, the film makers pushing the envelope, the fly shops who are bringing the show to town, and great for the anglers that get to see stellar film footage from all over the world.  Each year the film tour is growing in attendance and the number of shows being put together.  Fly fishing as an industry needs this and clearly anglers benefit from it as well.  I hear there are larger venues for some sold out venues, day long fly fishing festivals in the works in some locations, and a growing list of film makers filming and editing their summer away.  I am already looking forward to showing up at a few of the events planned for 2011.