Chi Wulff’s People of Fly Fishing: 8 Questions with Photographer John Sherman

It’s my pleasure to present another interview in CW’s People of Fly Fishing Series with another one of my favorite fly fishing photographers – John Sherman.

John Sherman, a native of Visalia, California, caught the fly fishing bug at the tender age of eight. By sixteen he was taking photographs of his days on the river, and that passion that was kindled so young has now morphed into a career.

His images have been published throughout the outdoor industry, including Field & Stream, Fly Fisherman, the Drake, and California Fly Fisher. He graduated from California State University Chico in northern California with a degree in Business Administration – Marketing.

After graduating, John spent two months in British Columbia fishing the Steelhead Rivers. He has guided with Powell Fly Shop on the Feather and Sacramento Rivers in California and is currently a fly fishing sales rep for Simms.

He lives in Discovery Bay, California with his wife, two children, and the family dog.

You spend a lot of time on our rivers now; have you always been an outdoorsman? What got you into the “fish” mindset?

I have been fishing since I was 3 and fly fishing since I was 8. It’s been a passion of mine since a very young age. At the age of 8, my parents bought a cabin in the small town of Three Rivers, CA on the banks of the Kaweah River. At that time I began to fish consistently and explore the river daily..

Where did you first photograph fish?

Same place on the banks of the Kaweah River.

How has your photography evolved throughout the course of your career?

Around the year 2000 I took my photography from a “hobby” to a career by upgrading my equipment from point and shoot and basic SLR’s to a good semi pro SLR. And then begun shooting slide film vs. standard negative film. Then in 2005 I made the jump to digital which completely changed the game. In 2007 I purchased an underwater housing which allowed me to dive into water so to speak to add a new dimension to my photography. I would say early in my photo career, my subjects were all about the fish, now I try to encompass the entire fishing experience.

Favorite piece of gear that you won’t be caught without?

Polarizing Filter.. Critical piece of equipment for many of my lenses.

I know you work for Simms… what’s the latest and greatest gear we should know about?

Simms has many new exciting products coming on the horizon. One of the most exciting for boat anglers is our new Gore-Tex Pro Dry Suits. This is a bib and jacket combo, and if you fish from a boat a mandatory piece of equipment to keep you dry and comfortable from any wet element you may face, weather boat spray, rain, snow, wind etc. It’s a incredibly light so you can wear it in mildly warm to freezing cold climates. We also have 3 new styles of Gore-Tex shoes, which will keep your feet dry in boating and lifestyle situations. We also have 2 new styles of flip flops. Those are just some of the very exciting new products being introduced.

You live in Discovery Bay. How did you end up in the area? What do you like the most and the least about it?

My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) was living in the Bay Area and I was living in Truckee, Ca (Lake Tahoe area), and we were looking to move in together. I didn’t want to live in the Bay area, and she didn’t want to live too far from her work in San Jose. She actually stumbled upon it and said I would love it there. We met up one weekend and spent it checking out places to rent. After a year there we fell in love with the town and bought a home together in 2003.

Favorite river to photograph?

Any new river. I love exploring and photographing new places. I try to make a point of not going back to the same place too often. There are so many amazing rivers on this planet and I want to experience as many of them as I can.

One of my favorites is the Smith River in Northern California. It’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Beautiful mountains, giant Redwood trees and a undisturbed river flowing right through it all, and the biggest and most challenging steelhead in the state.

I also love the Skeena River System in British Columbia to the point I named both of my kids after 2 of its tributaries, Kalum and Kasix..

Favorite species to photograph?

Probably Steelhead. The places they live are spectacular and the lifecycle and migration patterns that they go through is nothing short of amazing.