The 2025 Fly Fishing Film Tour is just around the corner! Before the films hit the screen, take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of each film in this year’s F3T Behind the Lens series. Plus, don’t forget to check out the 2025 tour dates HERE for the full schedule and to grab your tickets!
Next up in this year’s F3T Behind the Lens series is the Get After It feature with Captain Lacey Kelly and DECKED. Despite their packed schedules, we caught up with the DECKED creative team to dive into their latest film, which spotlights Lacey Kelly—a core ambassador for the brand—exploring her life as a Florida fishing guide and her passion for the water. Don’t miss the full interview with Ted Tsandes, Creative Director at DECKED, as he shares insights on the film, shot by RC Cone. Check it out below!
Flylords: What was the original inspiration behind this film:
Tsandes: So many films today in the outdoor and fly fishing space are very soulful and self-serious. And while we can appreciate that dramatic approach, we wanted to go the other way and do something with a lot more levity. Something that gave people a genuine peek at the unique (and often quirky) personalities of our ambassadors — and also something that fit with the “uncorporate” personality of the DECKED brand.
Flylords: Tell us a little more about why you chose to shoot in Florida.
Tsandes: Capt. Lacey has made her career and home in the Homosassa/Crystal River area. That’s a very different part of Florida than the stereotypical water of somewhere like the Keys. It’s old Florida. Some would say the real Florida. It fits because Lacey’s family goes back multiple generations in Florida before it became the circus that it can be today. That was definitely appealing to us, again, because we didn’t want to do something that felt like you’d seen it many times before.
Flylords: How long was the planning process for this trip/film?
Tsandes: A few months. Mostly to get schedules aligned. Whereas most fly fishing films are really focused on a specific time of year and/or conditions that provide the best possible shot at fish, we were really focused on documenting Lacey’s personality and accomplishments. So while you can never really say that the fishing was secondary, it wasn’t central to our planning.
Flylords: The name of this film is the “Get After it Series”, are there more films on the radar people should stay tuned for?
Tsandes: Yeah, that’s right. We approached this as a series with a similar storytelling structure for each film — focused on DECKED ambassadors who are highly accomplished in their given sports. Our hope is that it’s entertaining enough that people will want to see the film within their core interest (like fly fishing), but be intrigued enough to watch the other films in the series. By the end of this year, we’ll have completed 4 profile films in the series: Lacey Kelly, who you know. Alpinist (rock and ice climber) Jackson Marvell. Mountain Biker, Carson Storch. And hunting guide and US forces veteran, James Nash.
Flylords: How was the fishing? Were there any struggles for the species you were chasing?
Tsandes: While we were there during good tarpon timing, we didn’t really plan the trip specifically around fishing. The biggest issue that we encountered is really one that’s a hot topic these days — and that’s “hot-spotting” or exposing an already pressured fishing area through promotion. Too many people have learned some hard lessons by doing that. As fishermen and women, we all have a responsibility to protect areas from overuse. To Lacey’s credit, she just didn’t feel comfortable taking a film crew into the area she normally fishes for tarpon. That’s obviously for her greater good, as well as the greater good of her fellow guides and, ultimately, the fishery. In the end, while it would have been nice to put a poon in the air, the bigger picture responsibility was never something we’d buck against.
Flylords: Captain Lacey is the S***. Why was it important to include Lacey in this project?
Tsandes: Oddly, there are plenty of guides out there who aren’t exactly a lot of fun to spend the day with on an 18-foot boat. They might find the hell out of fish, but you can sometimes be left at the end of the day asking yourself “did I have any fun?” You never have that problem with Lacey. She can find the hell out of fish, for sure. She wouldn’t be one of the few women guiding saltwater if she couldn’t. But she combines that ability with a personality that instantly puts you at ease. She’s fun, funny, irreverent and unapologetically herself, which is a perfect fit for how we also see the DECKED brand.
Flylords: How were the filming conditions?
Tsandes: We had it all. Sun, rain, wind, clouds. But it was always pretty nice under the canopy at the Florida Cracker Monkey Bar.
Flylords: What’s next for you, any projects or trips on the books?
Tsandes: I can’t speak about other projects RC and Tributaries may be working on, but in terms of our collaboration together, we just finished shooting the profile of our ambassador James Nash at his family’s ranch in Eastern Oregon. We’ll be getting into post on that film shortly. We really appreciate RC’s approach to storytelling, so it’s been a real blast working with him and his crew on this series. And while we can’t talk too much about it right now, there’s definitely plans to do more together in 2025.
Flylords: What stood out as the most memorable moment during the film’s production? Is there a specific sequence that was particularly memorable?
Tsandes: It’s funny—I should probably be better about remembering the exact timeline of events during filming, but one moment that stands out happened after a long day on set. The crew, along with Billy and Lacey, decided to take a little side trip.
We headed up to Homosassa, where there are these stunningly clear springs that flow into the lagoons. If you’ve ever been there, you know how beautiful it is. Lacey took us into one of the springs, and we just parked the flats boat, jumped in, and went swimming. Billy was messing around, we had a couple of drinks, and it was such a fun break from the intensity of filming.
That moment really encapsulates Lacey—she’s all about “work hard, play hard.” We had spent so much energy capturing what we needed, but there was this perfect moment where everyone got to let loose and just enjoy being there.
Flylords: What message are you hoping to convey through this short film with Captain Lacey?
Tsandes: That’s a great question. I think the main idea we wanted to communicate is that, while these ambassadors—like Lacey or even someone like Jackson Marvell, a North Face athlete—can seem almost larger than life in their own circles, they’re still just people who genuinely love what they do.
Through this film, we aimed to show a lighter, more personal side of these individuals. It’s easy to see them through the lens of sponsorships or big media features and think of them in a reverential way. But behind the scenes, they’re having fun, goofing off, and just being themselves. We wanted to highlight that levity and authenticity, giving audiences a sense of their real personalities—not just the polished, serious image you might see in traditional media.
Especially with someone like Lacey, we wanted to break away from the usual narrative around fishing being overly challenging or grueling. Sure, there are tough days and early mornings, but at its core, fishing is supposed to be fun. That’s what we hope comes across—whether it’s through Lacey or our brand as a whole, the idea is to keep it about the joy of the experience.
Flylords: While RC & Ted were at the forefront of the production with Lacey, I’m sure there was a full team effort–care to highlight any others involved in the film?
Tsandes: We’ve worked hard to maintain our commitment to celebrating the people behind our success. Honestly, I can’t think of one person to single out—I’m just really proud of us as an organization for keeping that focus. I think it would be unfair to point to just one person, though. So many people contributed in their own ways–RC has been a huge part of that. He’s got strong opinions, he’s a great storyteller, and he’s pushed us to step up in new ways.
Thanks so much to RC Cone, Tributaries, Ted Tsandes, Captain Lacey Kelly, and the DECKED crew for taking the time to sit down with us. Be on the look out for more ‘Behind The Lens’ features and be sure to check out when the film tour is coming through your neck of the woods! Get info and tickets, BELOW.
Buy your Fly Fishing Film Tour Tickets HERE!
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