The Fly Cult: Where Art and Fly Fishing Collide

With: theflycult

We caught up with the artist behind The Fly Cult, a fly fishing creator who blends his passion for fishing with his talent for illustration. From humble beginnings with budget gear to landing big browns and pike, he’s turned his love for the water into a creative movement. We talked about his fishing roots, his artistic process, and what’s next for The Fly Cult

How did you get into fly fishing? and what made it stick as a lifelong passion?

 Fishing has been my passion since I was 7 years old. The first method I used was float fishing at the nearby ponds. With each passing year, the world of fishing drew me in more and more. I spent more and more time by the water, catching bigger and bigger fish. Once, during a mountain trip, I saw a sign saying that on a certain stretch of the mountain river, fishing was allowed only with "artificial flies." Back then, I didn’t exactly know what that meant, but it sparked my imagination. My dream became to try this method of fishing and challenge myself with the mountain river.

As I progressed in my fishing journey, this desire grew stronger. I slowly started gathering the cheapest gear for a young beginner, and that's how my adventure with fly fishing began. In huge waders and with the cheapest Chinese tackle, I caught my first trout on a fly. Since that moment, I’ve been fascinated by the entire world of nature observation, fly creation, and, in my case, also the creation of art. Because of this "The Fly Culture," I have a tattoo of a trout and a fly, making the motif of fly fishing a permanent part of my life.

What inspired you to merge your love for fly fishing with your creative side through The Fly Cult?

On a daily basis, I work as a tattoo artist. Sometimes, due to a heavy workload, I felt overwhelmed and exhausted. The turning point came during the coronavirus pandemic when restrictions made it impossible for me to work as usual. At that moment, I started creating my own projects unrelated to tattooing.  

I have always been drawn to fly-fishing motifs in American culture, for example, in brands like the snowboard company Burton. I thought it might be a good idea to use my extensive drawing experience (I graduated from an art high school and the Academy of Fine Arts) to create art related to fly-fishing. Alongside this, I decided to run Instagram and Facebook accounts where I share my fly-fishing illustrations as well as my fishing experiences.  

My first drawing received a lot of attention and numerous compliments. As a result, I decided to create prints, but in very limited quantities—only 5 prints in A3 format and 10 in A4. Each illustration is numbered and signed, and I don’t reprint any of my works. I want my art to hold value, so that each person who likes my drawing receives something unique—a part of me, my experiences, and my story.  

Thanks to this approach, my drawings now hang on walls in Scandinavia, Italy, Austria, Canada, the USA, and several other countries. 

What’s been your most unforgettable fishing experience, and has it influenced any specific artwork?

Having fished for so long, it’s hard to pick just one moment. However, one unforgettable experience for me was catching my largest brown trout on one of my favorite large Polish rivers. The moment when a massive swirl engulfed my size 12 dry fly tied to a 0.14 mm tippet, followed by the thrilling fight, is etched in my memory. I also vividly remember a moment from a fishing trip to the Netherlands, where, from the dark depths, a massive pike over 120 cm lunged at my streamer. Another standout experience was traveling to Slovenia, where the crystal-clear waters and breathtaking mountains left me in awe.  

I believe all these experiences influence both me and my art. However, I’m not the type of artist who returns from a trip and tries to recreate a specific scene. So far, I’ve aimed to maintain a static style with The Fly Cult project, focusing on fish and other elements rather than recreating particular moments. That said, the project is constantly evolving, so anything is possible! ;)

What are your top three tips for drawing realistic-looking fish?

I’m not sure if you’ve seen that meme where a guy is holding a book titled “How to Draw?” and inside it just says, “Draw.” In drawing, the most important thing is... drawing. I’ve created thousands of drawings to get to where I am today.  At the beginning of your journey, it’s good to have a mentor or teacher who can guide you, provide exercises, and present drawing problems you need to solve. But the key is consistent work and time.

You can have incredible talent, but without effort, you won’t achieve anything. In the art high school I attended, there were many talented people. One person was exceptional. Do you know her secret to success? She had trouble sleeping and would spend entire nights drawing.

The next step is observation. Sometimes I’ll spend a few minutes just looking at the subject I want to draw—trying to see it differently than I did at first glance, squinting to notice shapes, or even looking at its mirror reflection. When I draw from imagination, I make a few sketches, experiment, and play around with the idea. Drawing is all about play. Are you frustrated because something isn’t turning out right? Leave it for today, do something else, or draw something different. Come back to the piece that’s giving you trouble tomorrow or even a week later. Personally, I often feel dissatisfied with what I create, so I put my work away in a drawer.

Then, after a month, I’ll look at it again and think, “This is actually pretty good,” without even noticing what bothered me before.  I create a lot, but my inner critic only lets me show a small portion of it. And when it comes to composition, I follow the principle that LESS IS SOMETIMES MORE, leaning toward minimalism.

When it comes to fly fishing, do you have a favorite species to target or a dream location you hope to visit someday?

I have two favorite species to catch on a fly rod: brown trout and pike. I love brown trout because that’s where it all started for me. I admire their elegance, colors, fighting spirit, and dynamism. Unfortunately, the nearest trout river is an hour and a half away from my home, so I can’t always make such a trip.  

That’s where my beloved pike come to the rescue, as they’re much closer. I’ve caught several very large pike on public waters using a fly rod. In my country, some anglers wait their entire lives to catch fish like that. Unfortunately, their population is quite small. I love casting large flies, the retrieve, the moment a pike takes the streamer, and the fight that follows.  

As for traveling, it’s an inseparable part of fly fishing for me. I’ve already visited a few countries with my rod. Currently, my biggest dreams are to fish in Iceland (unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted those plans), Patagonia, New Zealand, Canada, and the USA.

How do you choose the species or scenes you bring to life in your artwork? Is it tied to personal fishing experiences?

I try to find inspiration in everything. Sometimes, an apparently unremarkable fly, with its structure or design, can spark my creativity. Sometimes, an artificial fly that seems very difficult to draw becomes a drawing challenge that I enjoy taking on. I like drawing fish from my part of Europe, but I also find inspiration in exotic or distant species. Some of my drawings represent and visualize fish I would love to catch someday, but for now, they remain in the realm of dreams.

What’s next for The Fly Cult—are there any exciting projects or collaborations on the horizon?

I put a lot of work into this project, and every day I try to prepare new drawings, posts, and photo galleries, with the help of my girlfriend. The project had a break, but despite that, after returning, it’s received a lot of interest and great feedback. Creating things I love and that represent my vision, all on my own terms, brings me a lot of joy. I would like to dedicate myself fully to this project.  

Recently, my latest illustration, "The Mayfly Life Cycle," premiered and was very well received, and two more illustrations are awaiting their release. I’m also working on producing enamel mugs and t-shirts with fly fishing designs in the near future. Of course, I’m not closing myself off to collaborating with others because I’m focused on the development of "The Fly Cult" project.  

Besides illustrations, I also try to create quality photo content and short formats from my fly fishing adventures to enrich my social media and show more than just the drawing side of things. If, like me, you’re a fan of fly fishing, join „The Fly Cult” on Instagram or Facebook to follow my work and fishing adventures. And if you like any of my drawings, reach out to me—you might still be able to get one! International shipping is available.