Behind the Lens: Nick Shirghio

A Twelve Weight Ambassador who has spent a lot of his time behind the scenes, Nick Shirghio, has interviewed with us to give us a little background on his life behind the camera, and even more so when he’s not behind the camera.

Nick first discovered fly fishing at the young age of 9. Water sports have been no stranger to him, as he has been an avid Kiteboarder and Paddleboarder, but something about fly fishing posed to be more of a challenge. The sport required an almost scientific approach with significantly more thought into each move made on the water. Because fly fishing is such an art, with many components, he says he still hasn’t mastered it even after all these years.

"You have to have self discipline to bring your camera out on the water and get the photos you want. There's so much going on at times. I've had moments where a Tarpon splashed the boat, water getting all over my case."

While kiteboarding usually took the front seat when it came to choosing an outdoor activity, Nick began to get into fly fishing more heavily when his nephew, Patrick Rhey developed an interest. The two would go out on the water often, trialing different techniques and scoping out prime spots to fish. His favorite spot to fish is the Everglades, with mostly muddy waters and lower visibility, with Biscayne Bay, a little further south, as an alternative with its clearer water, allowing for different fishing techniques and posing challenges of its own.

Pairing a successful day on the water with capturing great photos sounds like a challenging task, but Nick manages to achieve both fueled by his passion for the outdoors and his keen eye for the perfect moment. Nick received his first camera from his father when he was a sophomore in high school. Ever since then, he began a path to photograph professionally, studying it in college and perfecting his shot ever since. Like many of us, our day job keeps us indoors with our hobbies allowing us to refuel outdoors.

"If you don't take care of the environment and give back, there won't be anything left. A lot of time I fish for sports for conservation purposes, so I can go back and do it again or someone else can enjoy it as well."

Nick is no stranger to the day grind, with his main job is shooting interiors for mansions in Port Royale and Naples, Florida. To stay true to his art, Nick shoots for a number of brands, in addition to Twelve Weight, he recently put a book together that can be found in Yeti stores nationwide.

As an ambassador for Twelve Weight, Nick has his go-tos when he's out on the water. From our heritage collection, Nick often sports some of our original designs like the Black Long Sleeve Tarpon Shirt. In addition to clothing, he also frequently uses our accessories. Our gloves are key for poling because of the thickness and comfort, and the mask is needed for additional coverage. 

 "I don't wear sunblock, so staying covered it especially important for me. Twelve Weight keeps me protected."