Tim Cammisa on How to Build a Brand in Fly Fishing

Tim Cammisa has quietly become one of fly fishing's most influential content creators, though you'd never hear him brag about it.

The Pennsylvania-based fly tyer, teacher, and author of two bestselling books has built "Trout and Feather" into a trusted resource with over 500 YouTube videos with over 6.6 million views, and a following that spans from Sweden to Australia. But what sets Tim apart isn't just his technical skill—it's his strategic approach to content creation and community building.

With 25 years of classroom experience teaching 10 to 12-year-olds, Tim understands engagement in a way most content creators don't. He knows how little time you have before attention drifts. He knows visuals (usually, but not always) matter more than words. And he knows that giving away value for years creates the kind of trust that turns followers into customers when the time is right.

Tim has successfully monetized his passion while maintaining authenticity—a balance many aspire to but few achieve. His second book sold out three times. His Iceland trips book up months in advance. And he's done it all while keeping Wednesday evenings free to hit the lake with his wife and kids.

In this conversation, Tim shares the business strategies, content philosophies, and marketing insights that transformed his hobby into a thriving brand.

You've clearly built a business around content—marketing, monetization—but there's also your love for fly fishing and teaching. Do you ever find those two sides—business and passion—at odds with each other?

Not really. Fly fishing is the easy part because my wife wanted to learn it too—that's huge. She knew from day one that this was my lifestyle. And then she started seeing articles about mindfulness and fly fishing. She asked to try it, and she fell in love with it.

Now our family revolves around it. Our kids are into it. My 9-year-old and 5-year-old are already involved. We've taken them on trips since they were babies—our youngest was at the Outer Banks in her first month. It's just part of our lives. Tonight's a Wednesday—if we don't have soccer, we'll go to the lake for an hour.

That family balance lets me do everything else.

Is it challenging to break down a pattern for an online audience, or does that come naturally to you because of your teaching background?

I'd love to say it comes naturally, but I don't think so. I've been teaching for 25 years—this is my 25th year in the classroom. When you're trying to guide and motivate 10 to 12-year-olds, there's a routine and a structure that comes with it. That training helps, especially when I'm presenting, whether it's on YouTube, writing for a blog, doing an in-person demo, or writing for Fly Fisherman magazine. I always try to inform and entertain at the same time.

Funny story—my wife has a big presentation for a job interview tomorrow. She was showing me her PowerPoint, and I was like, "Each of these bullet points should be its own slide—with a picture!" That's my mindset. She was like, "Wait, what?" But I'm in the business of keeping people engaged. Her situation is different—she's trying to land a job in a formal setting. It reminded me just how different education styles can be.

Kids today? If we were on this kind of Zoom call, my class would tune out in six minutes. So when I create YouTube videos or write blogs, I try to keep that in mind: break it up, use bullet points, interlace video, include engaging visuals.

Let's talk about your second book. What did you learn from the first one that influenced your approach?

I even looked back at my first book, Fly Tying for Everyone. It had great flies, great photos—but from a customer perspective, it lacked visual variety. I saw a guy comparing Euro-nymphing books at a show. When he selected one book over another (which I thought was the wrong decision), I asked why. His reply stuck with me-because it had more pictures.

For my second book, there are a minimum of at least one or two photos per page. That's no accident. When customers pick it up at a fly shop or bookstore, they're blown away by the images. That decision alone contributed to it selling out three times.

There was a lot more that went into that second book, too. When I first pitched it, I wanted to focus on a dozen flies, keep it tight. But my publisher challenged me. He said, "You know everyone in this industry—talk to them. Bring them into the book."

So I did Zoom interviews with all kinds of anglers—Devin Olsen, Howard Croston, others. At the end of each call, I'd ask them, "Who else should I talk to?" That opened doors to even more people. But it became a massive project—writing early mornings, interviews in the afternoon, and macro photography on top of that.

And I'm not a macro photographer by trade—I'm a video guy—so I had to learn that. Then came image collection and licensing. I had to reach out to everyone for pictures, figure out who took what, and get sign-off. It was a beast.

The first proof I got from the publisher—I almost cried. It wasn't what I envisioned. I requested a meeting—they said no, just leave comments. I thought, "This is over." But I gave it everything, made a ton of notes, and three days later, they sent a new draft—it was almost perfect. They nailed it.

How did you approach marketing the second book differently?
For the first book, I didn't know what I didn't know. With the second, I understood more tools of the trade, like getting review copies out to influential people, making myself available to fly fishing podcasts, and using social media for something other than "big fish pics." That created a steady stream of exposure over months.

I also involved other creators—big names—and we partnered with shops like J. Stockard for exclusive editions. Autographed, numbered copies. That helped too. I've started to understand the content game within fly fishing. People say you can't make money in fly fishing—I completely disagree. You just have to treat it like a real business.

We're in a world of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram...

Do you think there's still space for the written word, macro photography, and print in fly fishing?

Absolutely. Fly Fisherman magazine is still going strong. That says something.

I push myself to post on social media frequently, yet that's turned into short videos to promote engagement. Personally, I find it relaxing to read a book, Fly Fisherman article, or online blog, taking my time with the piece. And I know I'm not alone.

But blogging is still effective to reach people. I launched a guest blogger series to spotlight up-and-comers. Recently, a young guide from North Carolina submitted a post. It wasn't perfect—guides have really busy lives during fishing season—but it had potential. I cleaned it up, added visuals, and promoted it. The engagement was amazing. His followers showed up, and it brought new eyes to my sit

Blogs have real SEO value too. I wrote one years ago comparing fly rods—especially questioning the 9-foot 5-weight as the "standard"—and it went viral organically. It hit the top of the search results without much promotion. That's powerful.

AI won't kill blogs—not good ones, anyway. And books? 

My second book went into its third printing. That doesn't happen unless there's still demand for the format.

Most of our business still comes from our mailing list. Social is important, but email is where the real value lies. What's your approach to social media?

Exactly. I don't chase likes anymore. I post and walk away. My content is either educational, entertaining, or strategic—like promoting a location I'm now hosting trips to, like Montana. That content becomes a long-term asset. Same with Iceland—I get five emails a day about Iceland trips. They're not all booking with me, it's impossible because my trips sell out. But it's important that I help others with the information I've learned traveling and fly fishing.

That kind of goodwill creates return. I've built trust by giving away valuable content for years. Now when I do offer a paid workshop or trip, people know it's worth it.

This has been super insightful and given great perspective on the 'business' side of it all, but, let's be honest, that's not what it's all about for you, correct?
At the end of the day, my goal is simple: to help shorten the learning curve of fly tying and fly fishing for others. When I think back to when I started over 35 years ago, it wasn’t easy. If I can make that journey a little smoother for someone else, that’s what it’s all about.