Zack and Travis Boughton are two brothers with a talented eye behind a camera. You may know them better as Montana Wild, a name that is garnered a lot of attention in hunting and fly fishing circles. And for good reason. They have been cranking out some really good short fly fishing and hunting videos over the past few years. They were gracious enough to take some time out of their busy schedule to answer a 10 questions interview for us.
If you want more info on Montana Wild, you can check out their website here, their Facebook page here, and their Vimeo account here. It’s all worth a look.
You guys have been putting out some good videos for a couple years now. When you first started, were you doing it just for fun, or did you want to grow it into something more than just a hobby?
Zack: In the beginning we were just shooting videos for fun. We had come from a skiing background where we had done a very small amount of filming and so coming into fishing was a natural transition. We were pretty bummed with the quality of good videos documenting the experience as compared to the snow sports world and we just wanted to capture our trips and see how it looked at the end of the day. In reality the first two years were entirely for fun and to see what we might be capable of. To this day it’s still fun but it’s become something bigger than just some guys with a camera over the last year.
Travis: At first it was just for fun, and it still is for fun. There was a certain point where it all clicked and I thought, outdoor TV really sucks, lets do something unique, different, and creative with cinematography and see where it goes.
What is your favorite species to fish for and why?
Zack: Man that’s a tough one. I’m definitely being pulled between cutthroat and brown trout but simply based off of fun I’d have to say cutties. Nothing beats a summer day back in the wilds of Montana throwing a big dry fly to hungry cutthroat. They live in the most beautiful places, aren’t too difficult to catch and are one of the sexiest fish around.
Travis: Brown trout. Their aggression towards streamers and unique physical attributes really captures my attention. I don’t think I’ve seen an ugly brown trout.
Working with family… Do you guys ever butt heads working on projects?
Zack: Ya we butt heads. It’s not too often but when we do it’s pretty heated. I’d say we are a lot more open than many people. If we’ve got an issue we’ll tell you. For many people they just can’t seem to handle confrontation of any kind despite the intent. For Travis and I it’s just good communication. There’s no bullshit or holding stuff in. Lay it out there and move on. 95% of the time though we get along like brothers should.
Travis: Oh we definitely butt heads, but being brothers and best friends we get over things quickly. It has been a big part of our success. We both can take and/or give criticism that in the end results in a better product. There’s not many people you can say, “hey you’ve been kinda sucking lately, step it up” and have them take it the right way.
When you are working on a film, do you go into it with every shot planned out, or just shoot from the hip as events unfold?
Zack: A lot of the time it’s run and gun. Obviously it’s not ideal in a lot of scenarios, but I think it’s been a defining factor in our style over the years. It’s really just a documentation of our adventures. Any time your filming there will be stuff that is set up as far as shots, but we rarely have a shot list or real specific idea in mind when we shoot. The downfall, editing is a major pain in the ass. Having an idea ahead of time can be a huge help. Sometimes that all falls apart when you start shooting as it’s hard to script the fish’s day so being able to adapt is huge.
Travis: We like to plan as much as possible, but with lots of our projects, nothing is planned other than we know we are going to have a hell of an adventure and have the right gear to capture the experience. I always try to have shots in mind that I want to capture, but putting together the story is always the hardest part.
It’s fall. The weather is cooler, the big browns are hungry, but the elk are bugling their heads off in the mountains. You’ve got to make a choice. Is it hard to decide if you want to fish or hunt?
Zack: Ha, no it’s a very easy decision. Hunting wins by far. If I could elk hunt every day I’d probably rarely pick up a fly rod. With fishing you know what’s going to happen. The fish live in the river, you know where they are, and you can look up what they are eating on your damn phone if you don’t know. Fishing is more about the escape from society. Hunting is about the escape, but exploration and the challenge are the huge draws for me. You can look at hundreds of square miles of forest and not know where the elk are, not know what their thought process is and you have to work your ass off to get one if you’re lucky. For me hunting separates a lot of people. I know a lot of guys who fish that just are too lazy and unmotivated to actually hunt. It’s sad how little drive people have today but it’s good for the amount of hunters in the field. With that said you can definitely hunt fish but the feeling isn’t the same. There’s something about arrowing an 800+ pound bull that connects you with thousands of years of heritage that is engrained in your DNA. And they’re tasty.
Travis: Bowhunting elk is the ultimate experience. Hands down. I would take the best day elk hunting over the best day fly fishing. The things you encounter out bowhunting elk literally will change your life. You never know what to expect and there is also always the loom of danger involved.
BEARBACK RIDER from Montana Wild on Vimeo.
Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the interview.
