1Who is Tim Romano?
I’m a middle-aged dude with two young daughters, a lovely wife, and an obnoxious interest in boats and all things watery who somehow melded my passion for photography and fishing into a career.
2Describe fly fishing in one sentence…
3What makes fly fishing so much better than spin fishing?
You’re not going to like this answer, but I’m not sure it is. I mean, I do both. A lot. It just depends on what I’m chasing species wise and what makes the most sense for the job. No discrimination here…
4Tell me a little bit about the Angling Trade.
Angling Trade (anglingtrade.com) is the only independent media group in the world specifically dedicated to covering the business of fly fishing in North America. It was started by myself and our editor and co-owner Kirk Deeter over a decade ago and is still going strong. We are proud to partner with other media, the industry trade organization, and the best writers and reporters in this business to create unique content with unequalled insight on the business of fly fishing.
5When was the first time you picked up a fly rod? First fish you caught?
Well, I think I was 14. My best friend got me into it here in Boulder, CO – where I grew up. My parents are divorced and remarried and out of two dads, two moms, two brothers and two sisters I’m the only one that fishes. They think I’m a little weird… First fish? I honestly can’t remember, but I know the first fish I REMEMBER catching was a rainbow up in Cheeseman canyon outside of Denver on Christmas day. This was probably like 27 or 28 years ago now…
6When was the first time you picked up a Camera?
Like for reals? Late in high school my buddy got me to take a class at our community college. I had been messing around with it for a while before that though.
7Would you rather catch a trophy fish, or shoot a photo of a trophy fish?
Oh man… Catch a trophy fish. Grip and grins as BORING.
8Tell me about your craziest fly fishing adventure...
A photo shoot I did in Guyana with Costa Del Mar, USAID, and Field & Stream. We were basically exploring a tarpon nursery way-way-way back in the jungle.
9Favorite Movie?
The Big Lebowski. It’s got it all. Amazing writing, acting, and hell even the cinematography is incredible. Who would have thought you could have made a bowling alley so damn gorgeous?
10Favorite Board Game?
Risk, I guess if it has to be an actual board game. If not I’m going with Yahtzee or Cards against Humanity.
11Do you have a favorite photo you have taken?
I do. It’s an old one and has nothing to do with fishing. It’s an old 2 1/4 negative shot of my wife lying on a couch with her grandmother writing letters. It’s got to be 15 years old and every time I look at it I see something new.
12Bucket list destination?
Man, there’s so many. Iceland, the Torgnats, Norway, tasmania, to name a few…
13In your opinion, how do you think social media has influenced the sport of fly fishing? Do you think the sport is growing?
Hum… tough question. I see it as a two sided coin. I think it’s powerful vehicle for influencing things like conservation and pushing business forward. On the other hand all the “look at me and all the big fish I’ve caught” thing gets old. There’s just a lot of juvenile stuff being made with no real thought to craft or quality of content. Everyone seems to tell the same story over and over. I dunno maybe I’m just a curmudgeon…
I do think the sport is growing. Slowly…
14If you could only bring one camera and one lens on an adventure what would they be?
At this point I’d bring the Fuji xt2 and the 35mm f/2 WR lens that matches it. It’s light, small a workhorse and is pretty darn close in quality to the big guns I have to lug around most of the time.
15What’s next in the world of Tim Romano?
I’ve got a few domestic shoots coming up. The Green in Utah for a chamber of commerce thing and a feature piece in F&S on the mullet run outside of West Palm Beach. The thing I’m most excited about though is I’m taking a class to build a rowing dory in Annapolis at the end of October. Now I just need to figure out a way to get it back to Colorado…
Make sure to check out Tims work on Instagram: @TimRomano
