The Flyfish Journal welcomes story, art and photo contributions. The Flyfish Journal will consider, but assumes no responsibility for, unsolicited proposals, manuscripts and photographs. All such materials not accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will not be returned. The Flyfish Journal is not responsible for unsolicited contributions or lost or damaged photo material. Funny Feelings, LLC. retains all reprint rights.

PHOTOS

The Flyfish Journal showcases the highest quality imagery—flyfishing’s greatest contemporary feats, as well as classic, timeless images that define every era of the culture. We welcome images of big name spots and guides, but are equally interested in publishing incredible images of fishing’s unheralded and unknown.

We seek images that speak to the soulful eccentricities of flyfishing, shots rich in context, character and feeling. Creative shots the others won’t run. We welcome experimentation. The Flyfish Journal is a creative vehicle to showcase your hard work.

Before submitting images please review a recent issue of The Flyfish Journal to become familiar with the style of images we run. Be selective with your submission—we have limited gallery space and need not look at thousands of images from a single photographer. Only send those that you see as a great fit for The Flyfish Journal.

How to submit:

1. The Flyfish Journal only accepts exclusive, previously unpublished submissions. If the same or similar images are currently under consideration or have been used by any other North American or globally-distributed entity, including but not limited to magazines, newspapers, books, outdoor companies, and websites, including social media use, do not send them to us.

2. All digital submissions MUST have all metadata fully embedded, including photographer name, contact info, caption, model and location info. We will NOT consider any digital submissions lacking metadata.

3. Initial submissions are accepted as JPEG previews, no larger than 1500 pixels on the long side at 72 dpi via our FTP server and web-based services such as Wetransfer.

4. If selected for consideration, a RAW file in the .DNG format with your adjustments embedded will be requested and required for printing. Please do not send a .JPEG or .TIFF file exported as a .DNG. We need full raw data in order to print your image at the best possible quality.

5. Please rename your images to include your last name and first initial in the filename of all submission and keep this naming structure throughout the entire process.

We will gladly accept positive film(slides), as well as B/W prints (8×12 and smaller) and cross-processed media. However, we will only accept originals, and we will NOT accept any Inkjet prints. ALL PHYSICAL SUBMISSIONS (Film, Prints, etc.) MUST BE FULLY LABELED AND CAPTIONED TO INCLUDE “MODEL”, LOCATION AND PHOTOGRAPHER.

All hardcopy submissions, including original slides, high-res CD’s, etc. should be sent via mail or shipping company to the respective addresses below.

SUBMISSIONS LACKING ALL THE ABOVE WILL BE IGNORED.

Words

The Flyfish Journal welcomes queries and/or completed manuscripts that showcase fly fishing’s people, places, and culture. Initial contact should be in the form of a query that includes the following:

• A brief description of the story: the angle, subjects, and location.
• Where the story would fit in The Flyfish Journal (e.g. Cutbank, Open Water, Adventure Feature, etc.).
• Reference to any photo resources for the story, especially with regard to Features queries.
• References to previously published work.
• All contact information.

Manuscripts should be exceptionally well-written and free of grammar and punctuation errors. Revise, revise, revise—and then revise some more. As Hemingway says, “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” Take the time and care to ensure your submission is as close to being ready for publication as you can make it. 

Please direct all queries to submit@theflyfishjournal.com or mail to the addresses below.

Editorial Needs—Departments

Cutbank: Short, focused pieces that take as their subject a specific person, place, thing, or event. Typically, these will be set in a particular moment in time, as well. 300-1000 words. 

Open Water: This is the place for narrative pieces that may–but don’t necessarily have to–include more inner dialogue, and less of a connection to a clearly defined, real-world subject. 300-1000 words. 

Artifact: A battered fly box; an old film reel; your grandpa or grandma’s dog-eared fishing diary—Artifacts tell the story of a thing, and highlight some deeper connection to it. 300-1000 words.

Confluence: Poetry, Prose poem, or very short fiction (less than 500 words).

Media: Review and/or discussion of a compelling piece of fly fishing related media. Extra points for thinking outside the box. We don’t just want to know what it is; we want to know why it matters. 300-1000 words.

Conservation: A compelling conservation story that identifies specific conservation concerns regarding a region or species. 500-1000 words. 

Editorial Needs—Features

Features can run anywhere from 1200-4000+ words. If you need 4000 words to tell your story, then by all means, do it. But if it can be told in 2000, then you can save yourself—and us—a lot of time by being as frugal as possible with the number of words you use. 

In addition, features should go beyond a simple story that takes us from point A to point B. They should go from point A to point D, visiting B and C along the way. The best features take a deeper dive into the history, culture, eccentricities, and/or conservation issues of a particular people and place. We want a beginning, middle, and end. We want characters who want something. We want pieces with movement. 

Features typically fall into one of the following categories:

Adventure: Off the beaten path; Unguided; Exploratory.

Travel: On the beaten path; Guided; well-established angling locations.

Locale: Having to do with a particular place and/or time.

Profile: Stories about people who have shaped the culture and sport of flyfishing.

Culture: Stories organized around a cultural nugget of the flyfishing world—likely less about people or place.

Essay: Work that takes place partly, or perhaps mostly, inside the author’s head. Note: In order to be considered, essays must be exceptional.  

Conservation: Pieces that take as their primary subject a clearly defined conservation issue, which requires more than 1500 words to adequately explore. 

Gallery: clearly focused on a specific collection of photos and/or artwork, whether a single artist or a thematic piece. Note: please see photo submission guidelines.

The best way to determine whether what you have might fit as a feature with The Flyfish Journal is to read the work featured in past issues. Think you can match the tone, breadth, and economy of language that made the cut in a past issue? Then we want to hear from you. 

Response Time and Inquiries

We read every submission, and we do our best to reply to all queries and submissions as promptly as possible. With that said, please allow at least 3 months before sending follow-up inquiries regarding your submission. As a quarterly publication, we are often making editorial decisions at least 3 months prior to a given issue’s publication date; more likely, pieces chosen for a given issue were selected 6-12 months in advance. Please keep this in mind when considering the seasonality of your submission. 

Format

Finally, please format all submissions as follows:

• 12 point font
• Times New Roman, Garamond, or similar serif font
• 1.5 or double spaced
• Single space after periods
• Include Author Name, Title, Submission Date, and Department/Feature in Header
• One submission per document, submitted as .docx file or similar. Include Author Name and Title in document name.

Submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be returned unread. 

SEND ALL SUBMISSIONS TO:

Via USPS/Canada Post:
Submissions
The Flyfish Journal
PO Box 2806
Bellingham, WA 98227

Via UPS or FEDEX:
Submissions
The Flyfish Journal
3620 Irongate Rd. Suite 122
Bellingham, WA 98226

Via Email: Submit@theflyfishjournal.com