Bull trout are one of the most underappreciated and misunderstood native fish in the US. So much so that many anglers don’t even know what they are or where to find them. This member of the char family has declined widely across its native range over the last century as the cold water and wild places it needs continue to shrink. But one angler and artist, Martin Gerdin, sets out every summer in search of wild bull trout. Huk’s newest film, Where the Bulls Still Swim, follows Gerdin’s journey into the backcountry to find these elusive fish while documenting the ongoing fight to protect them. Recently, we sat down with the film’s director, Eric Braker, who, alongside his brother Andy, runs Braker Bros Productions. Follow along as we dive into what it took to bring this film to life, why coldwater conservation matters, and more in this Behind the Lens feature.
Flylords: The film centers around Martin Gerdin. Can you tell us how you came across Martin and his story?
Eric Braker: My brother and I had been aware of Martin and his incredible glass fish art that he posts on Instagram for years. But we actually learned about his bull trout journey at the Denver Fly Fishing Show. Martin approached us after seeing the historical films we posted about brook trout and greenback cutthroat trout. He’s a native fish fanatic and essentially pitched us on the spot about the bull trout piece because he’s so obsessed with chasing them every year.
Flylords: With a talented artist and angler like Martin, I’m sure there were a lot of angles you could have taken for this film. What drew you to the bull trout one?
Eric Braker: Bull trout, for us, like many fly anglers, have been at the top of our fishing bucket list for a long time. The stories we hear about chasing them, how cool they look, where they live, and how hard they are to find all played a big part in our fascination with them. When Martin pitched this project to us, it was easy to say yes.
Flylords: A large portion of the film focuses on bull trout conservation. Were there any big takeaways you found when working with these fish?
Eric Braker: Bull trout are a very interesting fish to learn about from the conservation side of things. I think one of the biggest takeaways for me was seeing how much these people care about this particular species. Many of the people we talked with were anglers themselves and obviously love chasing bull trout with a streamer, but now they respect this fish so much that just searching for it and seeing it is enough. Some even bring snorkeling gear and swim in pools just to observe their behavior, without even bringing a rod. The deep appreciation for bull trout and the places they live was definitely cool to see.
Flylords: Do you have a favorite shot or sequence captured in this film?
Eric Braker: One of my favorite shots involves Lasso, Martin’s dog and fishing partner, who is featured throughout the film. Going into the film, we weren’t really planning to involve him as much as we did, but after fishing, we realized how important he was to the trip and to Martin’s story. One shot in particular stands out: after Martin caught the biggest bull trout of the film and we made it back to camp. Lasso was lying on his bed, and it was a cold morning, so steam was coming off of him. The combination of that beautiful morning golden hour, the steam coming off Lasso, and the feeling after catching that fish all came together in this perfect shot and memory.
Flylords: What challenges did you face in bringing this film to life?
Eric Braker: My brain immediately goes to the logistical challenges of making a film like this in the backcountry. Making a film like this is tough enough when you’ve got a place to stay and a solid source of electricity, so doing it all off the grid was definitely challenging. We were camping in a tent essentially for eight nights. Thankfully, Martin built an incredible rig out of his Tacoma, and we could charge most of our gear with his solar-powered system. Aside from that, it was just a matter of setting aside time every day to be super organized with the gear and shot list.
Flylords: What would you say to people who might be worried that you’re bringing attention to an already threatened species through this film?
Eric Braker: We are true believers that it is essential to connect people to a resource in order for them to care about it, and a step further, bull trout specifically, there’s a lot of education that needs to happen. A lot of people don’t even know this species exists, and by their nature, they’re so aggressive that people catch them all the time, even when they’re fishing for other species.
Our goal was to create a film focused on the conservation and true story of the bull trout, in hopes of educating people who go out to chase them. We wanted to educate people on how to handle them better and make sure they’re fishing for them when the water’s colder, rather than making another bull trout hype film full of grip-and-grin shots.
Flylords: What message would you like anglers who see your film to take away from this?
Eric Braker: We really want anglers to take away just how much goes into protecting and managing the health of these fisheries for the future, and how they can get involved. No matter what you fish for, anglers are the ones who know the resources, wild places, and who care about them. I think the film was a good reminder to find and support local groups that are doing great work. There are a lot of cool volunteer opportunities out there, like saving juvenile bull trout at night, that add another layer of connection to you and the species you love so much. I hope this film inspires others to get out there and join local, conservation-focused groups, no matter what they fish for or where they are.
Flylords: Who are some of the people who made this film possible? Any ‘Thank yous’ or dedications you want to make?
Eric Braker: From a conservation perspective, we couldn’t have made this film without Mid-Columbia Fisheries, the Bull Trout Taskforce, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All these groups do incredible work and were pivotal in telling the ongoing story of bull trout conservation. I’d also like to thank the main characters, Martin, Amy, and Zac, for letting us into their world and sharing their stories with us. Lastly, I’d like to make a mention that this film is dedicated to D.D. Gerdin, Martin’s mother, who tragically passed away the morning we released the film. She was hugely influential in Martin’s life and taught him how to fish, so the film wouldn’t have been possible without her.
