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Writer's pictureJason G. Freund

Fish Photos Bore Me

Updated: Feb 3, 2021

Yes, this is totally personal opinion and your opinion probably varies from mine. And it is fine that you're wrong...


I kid, well, mostly. When I am scrolling around Instagram (Here's mine, BTW), a page with nothing but "grip and grin" fish photos gets a hard pass from me. They just don't interest me. Most fishes look pretty much the same unless there is something really unique about them that gives them more of a story. I have nothing against taking them, I've taken my share (see below). I want, I don't know, more.


And I know it is a pretty unpopular opinion but unless there is more to it - a story, a truly unique fish (they are quite rare, IMHO), a first fish, first fish in a new place, etc., fish photos sort of bore me. I help manage the Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Facebook and Instagram pages and "Gratuitous Fish Picture Monday" is by far our most popular posts. And the images are fine, they just don't often excite me much. I totally understand that my opinion is unpopular and I even understand why that is the case (well, sort of).

Brown Trout in a net
A quality Dritless Brown Trout in Ben's net.

Look at that red adipose fin, isn't that cool?

Cutthroat Trout
A Cutthroat Trout from Colorado.

Cutthroat Trout - you don't see those every day, at least not in Wisconsin. That's pretty cool...

Rush River Brown Trout
A Brown Trout from a new river (looks like a Brown Trout)
Flopping Trout
Look, an action photo!
Lower Wisconsin River Smallmouth Bass
Commemorating a guided trip with Black Earth Angling Co. - IMHO a good reason for a grip and grin.
Gripping a Brown Trout
Brown Trout death grip.
Me with a Brown Trout.
More proof that I can catch fish. I need work on the grip and grin.
Me with a Smallmouth Bass
Yet more proof that I can catch fish.
Large Brown Trout
That's a pretty sizeable Brown Trout!
Mike with a trout
My friends can catch fish too.
Trout in a net
IDK, that's either a really boring photo or an interesting perspective?
Mike with a Rainbow Trout from Colorado.
Friends still being able to catch trout.
Me with a Blue River (Colorado) Trout
Me, still showing that I can catch trout. I really need to work on the grip and grin.

Bored yet? I am. What am I trying to say? Fish photos are fine, the same way that your fast food burger is fine. There is a place for the fast food burger and there is a place for the grip and grin or just the grip. Its fine. But most of the time, I want something more. Here's my challenge, find a way to sell a more unique story, to do something different than the fast food burger.

Smallmouth Bass being released
It's getting away...

Hey, that's a little different!

SMB with conehead streamer
Smallmouth Bass with a Conehead brown and yellow streamer - deadly SMB colors!

Now that's a pretty cool shot and the fly gives you a bit of a story. The texture in the close up is something different. You've got my attention.

Arkansas Cutthroat Trout
A Cutthroat Trout from Arkansas (no really!)

Now, a few confessions. When I say your fish photos bore me, it is not to slight you and your experiences but they don't mean a lot to me. Your fish photos are likely to be important to you - and that's what it really should be all about. I hold some of the above images up as interesting and how it should be done. Truth is many of them are dated and I think in a few cases, they're not my images. I've always been more of a scenery shot taker than a fish photo taker. That is me. You do you.


By all means, document your catch if that is important to you. It's not to me. I had a difficult time finding a ton of fish pictures because I just do not take them that often. If you do, great! I hope it is something that makes you happy, in which case, please share away. If you'd like to play around and try some different photos - something other than the grip and/or grin - I hope you share them.


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