Catch the full 2024 Fly Fishing Film Tour On Demand plus 7 bonus films here.
Next up in our 2024 F3T Behind the Lens series, we connected with angler and guide Danielle Davidson, wildlife artist and angler Mary-Beth Meeks and filmmaker Ben Meadows to chat about their latest film Triple Trouble, which focuses on friendship, joy and fly fishing for the infamously tricky tripletail. Flylords was lucky enough to catch up with these three to learn more about what went into the making of this film. Check out the full interview below.
Flylords: Danielle, how did you get connected with Ben and George and how did filming for Triple Trouble transpire?
Danielle: Back in May, a group of friends attended the FFI’s Gulf Coast Classic at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores AL. It was one of the best fly fishing events I’ve ever attended. The event wrapped with a 2023 F3T Film Tour viewing party. George and Ben had a film called The Holy Well that really caught my attention because they were feeding tarpon on top waters. Ben and George seemed down to earth and approachable so when I got home, I sent them a message on Instagram telling them about our event and asking if they might be interested in possibly doing a film on the Tripletail Classic.
I felt like what we had created with The Tripletail Classic was something unique and I wanted to document it so that we could share our community, cause, and fishery with the rest of the fly-fishing community.
I knew I didn’t have the story telling or camera skills needed to create what I had envisioned. I knew I was going to need help and needed to find the right people who would recognize how special it all was! Ben and George did just that and teamed up with my friend Sam Sumlin, a local photographer and fly-fishing guru, and the rest is history.
Flylords: Can you tell us a little about the Tripletail Classic?
Danielle: The concept started back in 2020 as a small event for our local fly fishing club, the Eastern Shore Fly Fishers. My husband, Noble and I were both on the board for ESFF and were looking for ways to connect local fly anglers and support conservation efforts. We thought, what better way to do that than a tournament! The format and cause have really resonated with people and has turned into something we’re extremely proud of! Although Noble and I started the tournament, it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the tournament committee.
There are so many components of the tournament that I love! We have fun categories which include first fish, largest fish, and most total inches. We also started a marine debris category with help from our sponsors 4 Ocean, Costa and Ethan Estess to help bring awareness to the marine debris issues that come along with FAD fishing for tripletail.
Our tournament committee has taken the conservation efforts to the next level by growing our Conservation Corner into the Conservation Causeway. Where we showcase up to 10 environmental organizations.
Flylords: If you could give one piece of advice to any female anglers wanting to get into the guiding industry, what piece of advice would you give?
Danielle: The advice I would give to a female angler wanting to get into guiding is first off, make the jump! We need more lady guides! Secondly, get to know your equipment. Do your own service maintenance, change the tires, know your wiring. Be ready for when things break, because they will break.
Flylords: Ben, what made you want to make this film?
Ben: This year, George and I attempted to focus on stories that centered around joy. Whether it was an F3T production or a personal cut dropped on YouTube, we wanted joy to be the key resonance. As folks will see in the film, MB and Danielle bring passion, talent, and bring boat fulls of joy.
Flylords: What was the most challenging part of this project?
Ben: Understanding the fishery on a moment’s notice. Everyone knows that fishing a new area/species is exceedingly difficult. Documenting that is a whole different game – it’s like multiplying two low-probability things together. This (and most saltwater projects) is wildly different than filming trout. Trout are spatially constrained by a river bank, and river depth, which means you can set up, prepare, and predict their behavior. If you miss a rise or an eat, patience will pay off! They’re likely to repeat the same behavior.
Saltwater…isn’t like that at all. If you blow a shot (typically the holy grail– filming an eat shot) there’s no second chances. There’s no do overs. The moment is gone. The fish is swimming miles away. So for this project– documenting MB’s first saltwater fish– created an intense level of pressure. If you fail on the moment it all comes together? There’s no reshooting that.
Flylords: MB, what does your artistic process look like?
MB: I start by sketching the image onto the block. Then I use carving tools to create the image in the block. After the carving is complete I paint the block using block printing ink and then press it onto paper. I just recently started working on life size commissions of Permit and Tarpon. I think my favorite I’ve made so far is a 68in Tarpon.
Flylords: Was this was your first time saltwater fly fishing? If so, how frustrating and rewarding was the experience?
MB: I had done some surf fishing before with little to no luck but nothing like this. I wet wade all the time, so being on a skiff was a bit different. I told Danielle it almost felt like hunting because you’re constantly looking for signs on/in the water. It was so rewarding having everything come together.
Flylords: Favorite/funniest memories while filming?
Danielle: MB catching her tripletail (first saltwater fish) and asking, “What do I do?” when the fish took drag.
Ben: When Danielle said “MB, this is going to be it.” We all listened – and man. That paid in spades! Funniest memory is when we thoroughly enjoyed Danielle’s magic trick for making folks cast farther…
MB: My favorite thing was being able to catch a tripletail with Danielle. I think people from 5mi away heard our excitement. I also was able to tag the one I caught which was such a neat process. It was amazing to share a boat with such a bad ass woman. Danielle is knowledgeable, passionate and eager to teach. Getting first hand knowledge from her and seeing her in her element was my favorite…that and landing a fish also!
The funniest part had to be the “last cast.” We were just about to throw in the towel because it was midday and the heat was becoming unbearable. Danielle switched up a fly for me, I threw a Hail Mary as the last cast of the day and the most beautiful tripletail appeared.
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