Cutthroat, brook trout, and brown trout tattoos by AJ McGuire. Images: AJ McGuire
By: Rick Mikesell, MidCurrent Gear Guru
Fly fishing is a sport outlined by ardour. Anglers dive in deep and never solely immerse themselves in water in pursuit of fish, but in addition within the tradition and way of life that encompass the game. We are able to spot a fellow angler by the Howler Brothers cap or the trout sticker on their again window, however for some, the fervour runs pores and skin deep . . . actually. They have a good time their love for fish and the game by having them completely tattooed. Since opening Dead Drift Tattoo in Denver, Colorado in 2015, AJ McGuire has change into the go-to artist for anglers who need their ardour inked into pores and skin. His fame rests on unmatched accuracy, vivid coloration, and an obsession with the craft and cult of fly fishing that reveals in each trout and fly that leaves his store.
AJ reveals off a tailwater brown trout.
AJ started tattooing in 2008, and in 2013 he discovered the subject material that will outline his profession. A single trout piece sparked his pivot into fly-fishing themed tattoos, particularly trout, and inside two years Lifeless Drift Tattoo was born. During the last 5 years, he has transitioned to virtually solely doing fly-fishing tattoos, with purchasers touring from throughout the nation to sit down in his chair. His specialties are trout and fishing flies, the place his intimate data as each an angler and a fly tier comes by. His trout work is acknowledged for lifelike accuracy, proper all the way down to the refined shades and recognizing patterns that make every fish distinctive. AJ can be a genuinely good man, and after a lot of time getting poked by a needle at his command, I can say that the ache is much less noticeable whenever you get to speak fishing with somebody as passionate as you might be.
AJ tattoos a carp on the creator.
When requested about his favourite species to tattoo, AJ doesn’t hesitate. Brown trout are his favourite topic, with their wealthy golden flanks and crimson spots. Probably the most difficult fish to tattoo is the brook trout, with its advanced vermiculation and expansive palette, however he enjoys the problem. Through the years he has tattooed all the things from tarpon and bonefish to bluegill and carp. One species he nonetheless hopes to deal with is the sturgeon. The strangest request he has ever accepted was an outline of internet personality Hasbulla holding a tiger muskie.
Hasbulla Magomedov with a tiger musky, amongst different designs.
AJ doesn’t simply draw and tattoo fish; he’s additionally a devoted fly angler and an obsessive fly tier. The identical consideration to element that drives his fly patterns informs the accuracy of his tattoos. Each Tuesday, he disappears into the Colorado excessive nation, typically climbing above treeline to chase his favourite goal, native cutthroat trout. That keenness for water and fish is what units his work aside.
AJ’s specialties are trout and different sport fish.
Due to his rising fame it may be troublesome to safe a reserving. His appointment books open solely briefly home windows and fill rapidly. For these keen to take an opportunity, his flash occasions on First Friday artwork walks and on Friday the thirteenth, in his present house within the Denver Arts District on Santa Fe Drive, are first come, first served, and infrequently characteristic one-of-a-kind fish tattoos. If AJ just isn’t obtainable, his group at Lifeless Drift is made up of artists who can all create fishing tattoos with ability, even when they don’t seem to be as fanatical about angling as their boss.
T-shirt artwork from the store.
Lifeless Drift has shifted areas 3 times over time, a mirrored image of the altering economics of Denver’s neighborhoods. This fall, the store will settle right into a everlasting house inside a constructing AJ lately bought, aptly named The Seam, a brand new multi-use house that may also home coworking areas and an occasion corridor. For anglers who wish to carry their ardour past the river and into artwork that lasts a lifetime, AJ McGuire and Lifeless Drift Tattoo have change into the usual.
Trending Merchandise
