Considering how attached “Deadliest Catch” fans become to their favorite fishing vessels and fishermen, one would think that eventually Discovery would put together a “Deadliest Catch” special where we could revisit crews from previous seasons and catch up on what they’re currently doing. Wouldn’t that be a treat?
Keeping up with the F/V Rollo however, is a little bit easier then some of the other crews and vessels, thanks to Corey Arnold and his growing photography career. As we speak (so to say), Corey should have just wrapped up an assignment in the Swiss Alps for a magazine.
(Photo courtesy of Corey Arnold)
According to his website, the larger then life “Deadliest Catch” images that New Yorkers will be feasting their eyes on shortly that are part of Discovery’s season 4 ad campaign, were taken by none other then himself! Hopefully those will make their way to the internet so that we may all enjoy them! For now, we can still view some of his photos on his website and on flickr as well.
Recently Corey was interviewed by Pingmag, where he shared details on his fishing and photography careers, his travels, and more of his beautiful pictures…
Corey Arnold: Adventures On The High Seas
First, of all possible jobs, how did you end up having a summer job on a fisherman’s boat? What was the thrill, or was it something like “The Old Man and the Sea…?”
Corey: It all started with my personality as a kid: I was crazy about exploring, travelling, and hanging out with animals. Well, killing and dissecting animals like birds, rabbits, squirrels, lizards, and especially sea creatures. I wanted to know how everything in the world looked on the inside and out, I was a curious and brutal little feller. Meanwhile my dad was a sport fishing addict. We would go fishing in the waters off of California nearly every weekend and I’d be surfing during the days in between. So in a way, I grew up on the sea.
After my first year of college in 1995, I drove to Alaska in search of a summer job. I’d always heard about the opportunities for fast money in the Alaskan fishing industry, so I set out to find out for myself. It wasn’t as if I went there just for the money, but the idea of making good money and doing something I love sounded too good to be true… And I quickly landed a job as a salmon fisherman: I think I made about $1,500 in six weeks. In retrospect, it wasn’t much money but I was getting paid for the biggest adventure of my life!Getting in touch with weird looking sea creatures, during crab fishing on the Bering Sea. © Corey Arnold
And why are you still so drawn to it for all these years?
Corey: I came back every summer for five years to salmon fish while I was going to college. Afterwards, I took a few years off to work as a photo assistant in San Francisco. It was quite brutal to get started there with little cash, so I decided to take off again for Alaska. This time, I set out for a riskier job that was more lucrative, and at the same time, something that I’d like to work on as a photography project. Then in 2002, I began working in the Bering Sea aboard the crab fishing boat “Rollo.”
It took a lot of time to gain the respect of the other fisherman and work my way into the position I have now.Also on the Bering Sea: “There is this feeling of accomplishment after surviving every 20-hour work day in huge seas,” says Corey. © Corey Arnold
Read the entire interview at Pingmag