“This is a place of extremes… the landscapes are powerful, the people are rough, and the fish are wild.” – Maddie Brennenman
Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely. In fact, for fly fishing enthusiast Maddie Brennenman, being alone and finding her backcountry solitude makes her feel more complete that she might be in a crowded nook elsewhere. The rough and tumble frontier that stretches across New Mexico is a place of extremes, and their do pose their obstacles, but that simply means accessing these great outdoors comes down to a willingness to get there — and Maddie is up the waders in a willingness to get there.
Six mile hike in? No problem.
For the young angler, her motivation is intrinsically tied to catching fish — it is what wakes her up in the morning.
Reeling the fish into her net on her own offers who not only an enormous sense of satisfaction, but furthermore provides a truly intensive engagement with the fish and her surroundings. So Maddie isn’t even alone; she is with herself and nature.
This is the face on one happy camper.
