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Jonathan Lee Wright

Writing and Photojournalism regarding the natural world

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A calendar image for Fly Fisherman Magazine, shot in Rocky Mountain National Park with equipment that included a Gorillapod. RMNP is unique in that pristine alpine environments are easily accessible to a large population of people living in the Colorado Front Range, not to mention tourists from all over the world. Visitation numbers for RMNP have exceeded projections for a number of years, however, with both NPS managers and those from the nearby town of Estes Park struggling to limit impacts while maintaining access to public lands. #flyfishing #flyfishermanmagazine #rockymountainnationalpark #rmnp #estespark #colorado #wilderness #nikon #gorillapod

The Greenback Cutthroat has been cited as the second rarest trout in North America, ranked below a subspecie of Rainbow that lives in a single stream in the mountains of northern Baja. I was privileged to work as a professional fly fishing guide in Rocky Mountain National Park for thirteen years, with the latter part of the summers being focused on taking discerning anglers out to try and catch one of these fish. Fortunately, RMNP is loaded with them -- if you know where to look -- but the genetic purity of the majority of these fish is in question after decades of mismanagement, and a probable contribution through bucket biology by privateers. Unintended interbreeding with wild rainbow and Colorado River strain Cutthroat has produced thousands of "Cuttbow" and what are called "B-Strain Greenbacks" in the park. However, it is my understanding that a population of pure "A-Strain Greenbacks" lives in an isolated canyon above a twelve foot tall barrier waterfall that prevents upstream migration of corrupting species, and that fish from this stock have been used as the basis for state rearing efforts in the privately managed Duck Lake on Guanella Pass. This fish was caught and released above the falls in that remote canyon, and probably represents a good example of what an A-strain, stream dwelling Greenback looks like. #flyfishing #rockymountainnationalpark #greenbackcutthroat #trout #conservation #nativetrout

Pollo con Palo de Rueda. I generally eat from street vendors when I travel, for a couple of reasons. First, it's always ridiculously cheap, and you usually get to have a conversation with the cook so you can practice your language skills. Second, you can see exactly how your meal is being prepared, which doesn't happen in a restaurant, and I've never gotten sick eating off the street. Let me tell you something, I've worked in food service, and what goes on behind those swinging doors would make your stomach churn -- and it sometimes does. There is a reason there are health inspectors in the US, but they are stretched pretty thin, and the best practices of those employed in commercial kitchens across the country are pretty much what you'd expect from a workforce living on the edge of society. Tony Bourdain documented this in his first book, Kitchen Confidential, and the guy knew what he was talking about. I'm going to miss him. #costarica #adventuretravel #nikon #anthonybourdain #streetfood #thirdworldcuisine

Held during Festival in January, which starts with cannonfire at dawn every morning for week, Costa Rican bullfights are not what you'd expect. While the manufactured conflict of the traditional Spanish pageantry has a predictable outcome for the animal, the Central American version is less machismo and a little more mano a mano. Here, multiple "fighters" are allowed in the ring with young bulls that are skinny and fast, and everyone is acting more like a rodeo clown rather than a costumed assassin. The unarmed participants harass the bull, pulling it's tail, grabbing it's untrimmed horns and even jumping on and off it's back, but they are not trying to kill the beast. In the end, competitors are judged soley on their bravery and inventiveness, but this is not to discount the potential danger -- there is a real possibility of getting your ass stomped or gored in front of your neighbors. Prizes are given in the form of food and drink, and the bull gets to go back to his penned existence, irritated but none the worse for wear. #costarica #adventuretravel #nikon #bullfighting

Surfboard repair in the Guanacaste. While most Costa Rican surf breaks are sandy beaches, the hotdogs pushing things do manage to take the occasional core shot off a coral head, and this requires someone skilled with fiberglass and foam. Fabricio grew up surfing in Samara, and taught himself excellent English by watching Sesame Street on television broadcast from the US. Catch as catch can is required in the brutal capitalist economy, however, and Fabricio made himself available to the owner of the property I was caretaking as a facilitator for domestic problems in addition to his work as a surfboard mechanic. As his uncle was employed with the town's administration, and central american bureaucracies are notoriously opaque for even simple issues, this was extremely useful in getting things done, like having electric service turned on or permits for construction. #adventuretravel #nikon #costarica #surfing #latinamerica #saltwaterflyfishing

The Guanacaste Penninsula of Costa Rica is a very wild place if you get off the road and away from what small towns there are. I once had an opportunity to take care of a property there for a winter in the surf town of Samara, and experienced the most difficult salt water fly fishing I've ever had, chasing Roosterfish on wind blasted beaches only a few kilometers from civilization. At Buena Vista beach, north of Samara, I had to wade across a small river coming out of the jungle to get to the good water. I crossed when the stream was clear and only shin deep. One time I stayed overlong, however, and when I returned, the tide had brought in brown water that was now over my head. As the sun was going down, I decided to go for it, and swam the river holding my rod above me. Midstream, I became aware that there were subtle commotions happening in the water around me and near the shore. I pressed on and reached the other side without incident. When I got back to town, I related my story to a neighbor, who told me in no uncertain terms to never, ever do that again, as there was a crocodile living there. I figured she was referring to the little central american caimens, which are only a couple feet long and pose no problem. When I asked how big her crocodile was, she said, "Well, last year he ate a pony...". I've since learned that salt water crocodiles in the region can grow to 17 feet long and weigh over 1,000lbs. #costarica #saltwaterflyfishing #nikon #adventuretravel #holycrap #dontbeanidiot

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