From Fish to Canvas: How Fly Fishing Inspires Art
With: charleshicksart
We recently caught up with Charles, an artist whose passion for fly fishing has taken his creativity to new heights. From his first catch in Yellowstone to his current journey combining fly fishing with his fine art, Charles shares how the patience and precision required in both fields have shaped his work. In this interview, we dive into his journey, creative process, and how he captures the beauty of fish through his art.
How did you first get into fly fishing, and how has it influenced your artwork?
I’ve been fishing since I was old enough to hold a rod, thanks to important figures in my life like my father, grandfather, and older brother. Conventional was always my go-to until I held a fly rod for the first time. I was 14 years old on an annual family vacation visiting Yellowstone National Park. My older brother had brought an Orvis clearwater combo along with some popular flies he had purchased prior to the trip, a modest setup. He would bring the rod along to our everyday hikes and would casually fish the small streams that would wind the trails, catching small cutthroats, bows, browns, and brooks. Being the younger brother, I was often stubborn and shrugged off his fishing accomplishments. I remember being quite reluctant to try fly fishing at first; it seemed so foreign, and yet it seemed to be the only way to tackle the timid trout. I eventually gave in and tried fly fishing for the first time, throwing tiny dry flies upstream in a 3-meter-wide creek. It was in a small creek that stemmed off the Gibbon River where I landed my first fish on the fly, a small brook trout. From then on, I have been hooked on fly fishing, progressing to tackle larger freshwater species and saltwater. In a way, my passion for fly fishing is really to thank for the revival of my art. Ever since I was a little boy, I loved to draw. My artistic talents were shown through elementary school, high school, and eventually college. However, as life caught up to me and became busier and busier, I struggled to find time and the motivation to create. That was until my brother and I took a trip out West to Missoula, Montana, during the Fall of my Junior year of college. The trip was a blast; we caught countless cutthroats, cut bows, rainbows, and browns. The beauty of the fish inspired me to pick up art once more and I kickstarted my Instagram account by posting drawings of the fish we had caught on that trip. Two years later, I’m still working on art and posting when I can find time.
As a fine artist, how do you incorporate the themes of fly fishing and nature into your pieces?
To me, fly fishing is all about enjoying an escape from the busy and stressful world; it’s a natural way to enjoy the beauty of fish and connect with the outdoors. Each one of my pieces attempts to capture fish as all of us fishermen see them, a wonder of nature that we are so fortunate to be able to target, catch, and release. Fly fishing can be very challenging, but once you finally land that fish of a lifetime, the feeling is unrivaled. Similarly, I feel great a sense of achievement once I finish a complicated piece of art. Akin to fly fishing, each piece requires immense patience and attention to detail, often taking weeks to finish a single work. All the time and effort put into the final product is always worth it, just like all the preparation and resources put into chasing and hopefully landing that dream fish.
Can you share a memorable experience on the water that has inspired one of your artworks?
The goal of every piece I make is to highlight the shapes, colors, and distinct styles of the fish that fly fishermen often target. Most of my recent pieces aim to capture a special moment in time when a sought-after fish is finally put to hand. Recently, I drew a trophy bonefish that my brother had caught on our past trip to Belize. The overall piece was done with colored pencil on toned blue paper, with the bonefish as the focal point. Additional details were included, such as the location, date, and fly on which the fish was caught. It gives me great joy to create pieces such as these that capture an angler’s special moment with their trophy fish.
How do you balance the patience required in fly fishing with the precision needed for your art?
Nearly every aspect of fly fishing can be related to creating a piece of art, the preparation, the precision, and especially the patience. Similar to how it may take an angler days, weeks, or even months of trial and error to finally land that trophy fish, creating a work of art is just the same. For example, my BiC series features pieces that are done strictly with a classic BiC ballpoint pen, a medium that requires immense patience and precision. The ballpoint pen poses a variety of challenges, such as being non-erasable and difficult to create a gradient with. Because of these challenges, I have to be extremely careful and precise when creating these pieces to not make a mistake. If a mistake is made, I have to work with it and alter the entire piece or start from scratch. Although challenging, working with the pen is extremely rewarding when I finally finish a piece. Similar to fly fishing, all of the time, effort, and patience put into a work always ends up being worth it in the end.
What advice would you give to someone who just started with fly fishing and is also interested in expressing it through art?
For anyone interested in blending their passion for fly fishing with art, I would say to just have fun with it and draw what you enjoy. Push the boundaries and experiment with different mediums until you find one that you love. Although my main two mediums are currently the pen and colored pencils, I enjoy trying others out for a good change of pace. I would also recommend being patient with it. Similar to fly fishing, creating art can be very frustrating, but through trial and error, anyone can succeed. If anyone has any specific questions regarding creating art, feel free to shoot me a direct message!
Instagram: @charleshicksart
Etsy/online shop: @CharlesHicksArt
