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Tight wraps of soft lead wire add weight beneath the bead head, helping the Pheasant Tail Nymph sink quickly and track near the bottom. #Fishing #Flytying #BeadHeadNymph

Bead size controls sink rate, depth, and silhouette. Matching weight to water speed and trout depth keeps the nymph natural. #Fishing #FlyFishing #TungstenBead

Beginning the Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph starts with collecting the necessary materials, each component supports a natural subsurface drift. #Fishing #FlyFishing #PheasantTailNymph

These portfolio pieces showcase a range of branding, editorial, and promotional design work rooted in outdoor recreation, conservation, and place based storytelling. The collection includes web design, branding, publication layouts, environmental graphics, and social media campaigns. Several pieces have been developed beyond flat layouts into contextual mockups to demonstrate real world application, while others will be expanded to show product or environmental use. The Off R

This editorial spread was created to complement my portfolio. This year we are celebrating 50 years since the designation of the Middle Fork of the Flathead as a Wild & Scenic River. I designed the layout to balance bold typography with immersive photography, placing a rushing river image inside the “Middle Fork” title to visually connect the name to its landscape. The serif subheading adds movement and contrast, while a soft image fade across the gutter creates continuity be

This past week centered around tying and finishing an Elk Hair Caddis. Working through the steps, from selecting deer hair and blending dubbing to choosing hackle and adding tinsel, was a reminder of how much intention lives in each material choice. A dry fly depends on proportion and buoyancy, and small adjustments in density, taper, and placement all affect how the fly will sit and drift on the surface. The goal wasn’t just to complete the pattern, but to understand how eac

The Elk Hair Caddis comes together in balanced layers; A size 14 hook, hackle, dubbing, tinsel, and wild hair. Who wants to go fishing?! #Fishing #FlyTying #CaddisFly

Before a fly ever touches water, moments like this shape the intention behind each material choice, delicate wrap, and precise proportion. #Fishing #FlyFishing #Intention

Fine tinsel ribbing adds subtle flash to the Elk Hair Caddis body, echoing the iridescence of natural caddis and improving visibility. #Fishing #FlyTying #RibbingTinsel

Soft, webby hackle creates lifelike movement and traps air, giving caddis patterns a buggy pulse that can trigger trout to feed. #Fishing #FlyFishing #HackleHatchBundle

Blending natural dubbing onto waxed thread builds the caddis body. A subtle taper and texture help the fly sit low and drift naturally. #Fishing #FlyTying #HarelineDubbin

Before tying begins, studying texture and density in natural wild game hair helps determine how a caddis will sit and drift on the surface. #Fishing #FlyTying #CaddisFly

As part of expanding my portfolio, I chose to digitize one of my hand-drawn illustrated numbers inspired by the markings of a Westslope Cutthroat Trout. I selected the number four because of its strong vertical structure and dynamic cross stroke, which allowed me to integrate the organic form of the fish. The process requires translating hand rendered texture, gradient transitions, and detailed spotting into clean vector shapes while maintaining an organic feel. This project

For my personal branding assignment I explored a wide range of ideas, from bold serif monograms to circular badge concepts and handwritten script variations. At this stage, I wasn’t focused on perfection, I was focused on discovering energy. Some concepts leaned structured and editorial, while others felt softer and more expressive. I experimented with balance, hierarchy, and how my initials could stand alone as a recognizable mark. Sketching allowed me to explore movement, w

This second week of the 40 Day Challenge was focused entirely on building a single fly from the ground up. I chose to tie a Purple Chubby Chernobyl, not because it is complicated, but because it demands attention to proportion, balance, and detail. Every step matters. From starting the thread with intention to cutting foam precisely to size, the process reinforced that strong outcomes are built on small, controlled decisions. What stood out most this week was how much happens

Every step at the vise connects back to moments like this—quiet water, native wild fish, and the reason intention matters. #Fishing #FlyFishing #WestslopeCutthroat

My name is Karie Helms, my work blends creative design, innovative marketing, and immersive outdoor experiences. As a Freelance Graphic Designer, Marketing Director, and professional Fly Fishing Guide, I help brands and people create meaningful, intentional experiences rooted in authenticity, connection, and place.

Starting the thread with space behind the eye and clean rearward wraps sets alignment and control before the fly begins to take shape. #Fishing #FlyFishing #MustadHook

A light layer of chenille adds a flash of color and helps keep the foam from rolling. Small adjustments like this make the tying process cleaner and more controlled. #Fishing #FlyTying #PolarChenille

Cutting foam to size is about restraint and proportion. Small adjustments determine how the Purple Chubby will sit and float. #FlyFishing #FlyTying #ChubbyChernobyl