The 2025 Fly Fishing Film Tour is almost underway, but before you see the films, get an inside look into what went into making each film in this year’s “F3T Behind the Lens” series. Also, be sure to check out the 2025 Film Tour Dates HERE to see the schedule and get tickets!
Next in this year’s F3T Behind the Lens series is Iconic Rises, a film by Anthony (A.J) Swentosky that highlights the resilience of the Snake River and its native cutthroat trout. We spoke with Anthony to learn more about the challenges this river faces and the uncertain future of its native fish. From dry fly fishing heaven to picture-perfect backdrops in the Grand Tetons, this is a film you won’t want to miss. Check out the full interview below.
Flylords: What an amazing story of resilience for native cutthroat trout in the West. My first question for you, Anthony, is: What was the motive or inspiration for creating this film, and is there a connection you have to the Teton region?
Anthony: “I lived in the Jackson, WY/Teton Region for over 10 years until recently moving to Bend, OR. The trout fishing in that area is truly amazing, and I’m forever grateful I was able to spend so much time exploring the local rivers, streams, and stillwaters. As water demands, climate change, fishing pressure, invasive species, and other factors compromise and threaten many of our fisheries across the West, the US, and the world, we have the Snake River Headwaters and Fine Spotted Snake River Cutthroat trout that are doing relatively well. That being said, it’s imperative not to take this fisheries’ health for granted, especially as water demands and climate change continue to worsen. As we move forward, it’s important for us to invest in the health of fisheries that are currently doing relatively well or even thriving, as threats and challenges are only likely to grow. This Snake River fishery is in a very favorable geographical region, but we also have a lot of great work and advocacy going on at the government, non-profit, and local community levels that will need to continue.”
Flylords: This film features many individuals from Trout Unlimited to guides and even the Science Branch Chief of Grand Teton NP. What was the most memorable part of working/filming with this cast and crew?
Anthony: “There were a lot of great times and experiences throughout filming and even the post production process, but I’d say that the opportunities to spend quality time with so many different people who care deeply about this resource are probably most memorable. Some of these people work in the fly fishing industry, some work in the conservation and non-profit world, some from government organizations, and others are simply recreators who appreciate this environment and fishery. It was rewarding to spend time with people across different professions and walks of life who are all truly passionate about this river and fishery. There were also two truly epic fishing days I had with some of the anglers (one day with Scott Smith and one brief 4-hour session with Josh Gallivan) that I’ll never forget.”
Flylords: On the flip side, what was the most challenging part of the film?
Anthony: “I’d have to say that the list of challenges could be worse, which is great to say at this point! Sure, we had tough weather at times, we had some significant wildfire smoke in the summer that we had to work around, runoff and outflows were too high on a scheduled day of filming with Boots Allen and his daughter, the fish didn’t always cooperate on cue, etc. That being said, we did the filming over 3-4 different windows of time, so we had the luxury of being flexible and adjusting to conditions. Many thanks to the talent and filming crew as well for being flexible throughout! Perhaps the most notable challenge, which is certainly not unique to this film, was trying to ensure all parties involved felt like their perspectives were adequately represented. There’s so much to unpack related to the concepts of climate change, fishing pressure, water management, etc. that any one of these topics warrants their own film to adequately and most accurately tell the story.”
Flylords: This film encompasses issues regarding climate change, water diversion, and flow regimes. Was there a point in the creation of this film when you observed the effects of these ongoing issues?
Anthony: “Sure, almost two years ago, there was a proposal to temporarily reduce the Snake River outflow to 80 cfs, which, as we discussed in the film, would be extremely detrimental to the cutthroat trout and other species. This issue, as well as how the community positively responded, advocated, and collaborated, helped further inspire us to commit to doing the film in the first place. During our summer filming sessions, we had wildfires in the area that reduced visibility and air quality. We also had some high water temperatures on some Snake River tributaries relatively early in the summer season, which caused us to adjust our specific filming locations. That being said, at the end of our filming window, we were able to get some footage of TU removing a diversion dam on Lava Creek (a tributary of the Snake). This footage didn’t make it into the film as we were already pretty far through the edit, but it was great to still get some footage and overlap with this work.”
Flylords: What a great dry fly fishery! What was it like experiencing the liveliness of this ecosystem despite its recent hardships?
Anthony: “As I mentioned, I’ve been fortunate enough to live there for 10 years and experience much of the dry fly fishing this area is so well known for. It’s amazing. Every winter, I think and dream about all of the rising fish and dry fly opportunities from years past and, hopefully, ones to experience in the future. The backdrop, scenery, and diversity in fishing opportunities are truly remarkable. It’s easy to understand why so many people are committed to the health of this region.”
Flylords: Anthony, did you get a chance to catch a native snake river fine-spotted cutthroat?
Anthony: Those who fish and/or film with me know that I definitely prioritize the camera over the rod these days. This absolutely was not always the case, but time and again, I’ve missed memorable moments shortly after putting the camera down. Nowadays, I tend to be a bit rigid; I’m either filming or fishing, but doing both ends up being distracting for me. For this project, I would occasionally get a free day, or filming plans would change, leaving me with some personal time to go out and chase the exact trout that were the focus of the film. Although I’m no longer in Jackson, I still like to travel back there a good bit and always find a way to get some personal fishing in.
Flylords: What advice, if any, would you give to someone looking to travel out west for a chance at one of these native fish?
Anthony: “For one, it’s probably going to be a good time. While the weather is constantly changing, you’re usually able to find productive fishing if you know where to look. Great people run the fly shops in the area, and you’ll likely be pointed in the right direction. While you are a short drive to other subspecies of cutthroat trout, this area is home to both the Fine Spotted Snake River Cutthroat and Yellowstone Cutthroat. It can be fun to move throughout the watershed and different concentrations of each.
While we tend to immediately think of dry fly fishing when targeting cutthroat, these trout can provide some great streamer fishing and stillwater fishing, too. I personally don’t love throwing large double-hooked articulated streamers for these specific fish, as we’ve noticed they can cause some serious damage a little too frequently, and they tend to prefer smaller streamers anyway. While the fishing is truly amazing, it’s not just about catching a bunch of fish. As Scott Smith alludes to in the film, if you’re able to spend time here and be present, you can make a connection to a special place.”
Flylords: Although this film’s message regarding the protection of our native species, watersheds, and flow regimes is pretty clear, what would you want the audience to take away from “Iconic Rises”?
Anthony: “There are a few things that come to mind here. One hopeful takeaway is the idea of investing in and protecting watersheds that currently may be “okay” at the moment. We obviously must respond to rivers and streams when they’re in an emergency state due to water temps, water quality, development, drought, etc., but sometimes prevention can be much more effective than intervention. I really think the collaborative work going on in this Teton Region across government agencies, non-profits, the fly-fishing industry, and local stakeholders can serve as a helpful model for fisheries in other regions.
The other key message is just for all anglers to be stewards of their waters so, as an angling community, we can do our part in preserving our fisheries as much as possible. The Friends of the Bridger Teton National Forest, the presenter of this film, has a community-wide motto of Responsible Recreation, which, among other things, locally promotes low-impact fishing practices (e.g., barbless hooks, keeping fish wet, minding water temperatures, etc.), avoiding the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), and simply being good stewards of the river by respecting other recreators. As climate change increases and fishing pressure grows, the need for anglers and recreators to engage in low-impact fishing practices isn’t really a luxury but has evolved into a necessity. As fly fishing continues to grow, more experienced anglers, guides, and fly shop owners can play a pivotal role in providing modeling, support, and education for those either new to fly fishing or who are more casual anglers.”
