Welcome to the first 2012 edition of the OrvisNews.com Friday Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing footage available. This week’s collection is one of our most internationally diverse ever, with entries from Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, France, Denmark, Greenland, and the good ol’ U.S. of A.
If you love tarpon, there are two spectacular films focused on “eats” and leaps, with some of the best footage we’ve seen. But, as usual, it’s mostly trout, trout, and more trout. Check out the New Zealand angler who must overcome some serious obstacles if he wants to land a big brown, and the group of Southern fly fishers who seem just as intent on having a good time as they do on catching fish. Remember, we surf so you don’t have to. But if you do stumble upon something great that you think is worthy of inclusion in a future FFF, please post it in the comments below. See you next week with a fresh set of films!
Here’s a gorgeous film by Stephen Pritchard of Wales, featuring the spectacular scenery and trout of Snowdonia. Seems you can’t swing a cat around there without hitting a lovely waterfall or a series of classic trout pools. Another place for the Bucket List.
Watching a huge fish eat a fly has got to be one of the most exciting moments of any sporting pursuit. This video has tons of great “eats,” leaps, and shots of schools of tarpon closing in on the boat. Very few films have captured the presentation-strip-eat sequence as well as this one.
Impossible catch of big brown trout in New Zealand from best flyfishing on Vimeo.
So you’ve spotted a big brown in a ridiculously difficult lie—even if you can get the fly to it, a break-off seems a foregone conclusion with all that wood around—so what do you do? This New Zealand angler has the patience and a plan to pull off a very tough cast and a fight fraught with danger. When you see the trout, you’ll understand why he had to try.
Here’s a great series of clips from various locations in what looks to be the Southeast, as well as some of the most dangerous wading and walking you’ll ever see. Enjoy watching the video, but do not try this at home. No matter how goofy things get, these guys seem to have a lot of fun.
Year 2011 in waders from Inwaders Media on Vimeo.
Another compilation of clips, this time from Denmark and Greenland, offers a less silly view of fly fishing, focusing instead on beautiful shots of anglers and fish.
Twigging For Redfin from Ben Hohnke on Vimeo.
This is not the best video, when it comes to quality, but I always enjoy discovering a new fly-rod quarry. In this case, a couple of Aussie anglers target redfin (Perca fluviatilis), also known as English perch. It looks a lot like our own yellow perch, but it seems to strike and fight a little better.
I got skunked on my only trip to Argentina’s Chimehuin River, so I enjoy seeing these guys hook and land some nice fish. I guess the trout really like that seam below the bushes, eh?
teaser PECHE64 from Alain MORIZOT on Vimeo.
From Argentina, we head to France, in the country’s northern Pyrenees, for some fantastic trout action. You don’t often think of France as a trophy destination, but this fly fisherman lands some absolute dandies.
Soar “A Time With Tarpon” from Suplee Outdoor Films on Vimeo.
This long film will eat up half your lunch hour, but it’s worth it: 22 minutes of slashing, leaping silver from the west coast of Florida. A group of anglers headed to these waters to see if they had been adversely affected by the BP oil spill. Based on what we see here, it seems the fish came through pretty well. Have a great weekend!