Welcome to another 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 features plenty of gorgeous footage of anglers catching everything from big trout to huge bonefish to monster carp. But what you’ll be talking about are the two short videos of angling events you’ve never seen before. Whenever I discover something that I know will make you say “Wow!” I can’t wait to get it up on the blog. If you’ve ever experience a moment like the float-tube angler below, post your story in the comments section below. 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!
This blows me away. Bass fishermen have long used rattling lures—such as the Rat-L-Trap and the Rattlin’ Chug Bug—to attract fish. But here’s a guy who takes the rattle concept to another level, by fishing with a rattlesnake pattern and actually catching a huge trout. Creeks in western Washington are known to be a bit snaky, so it only makes sense that some would end up in the water. The pattern itself has pretty awesome action, too.
Northern Exposure pt II: Trout Latency from Jazz and Fly Fishing´s Jazzcam on Vimeo.
Here’s another great solo video from Jazz and Fly Fishing’s Håvard, who travels to the north country via planes, trains, and automobiles. There, he finds one fish unwilling to play and another that makes the trip worthwhile.
Itu’s Bones Trailer from Sol Duc Buck on Vimeo.
My friend Carl McNeil—whom I’ve known via phone, email, and Facebook for years, but whom I’ve never actually met in person—and his wife make some of the most gorgeous fly-fishing films out there. This trailer for an upcoming film about the bonefish of Aitutaki, part of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, demonstrates the couple’s great visual style, as well as their knack for narrative.
This video is mislabeled, since it’s not about fly fishing for steelhead at all. But it is a great montage of all kinds of action, from striped bass to brook trout and more.
Here’s a video about a man who seems to be addicted to carpahol. (Bonus points if you get “The Simpsons” reference there.) Actually, it’s a teaser for a longer piece about fly fishing for “golden bones.” The angler, Barry Reynolds, is already known as an authority on these supposed “trash fish” that will beat you, and your gear, to a pulp if you let them. My only quibble is that the man clearly needs a bigger net.
Here’s the second of this week’s “holy moly!” short videos. What would you do if the symbol of our great nation swooped in after a fish you were fighting from a float tube? This is just a great piece of astonishing video, capturing one of those moments you might not believe happened were it not for this evidence.
Chelo Time Lapse Fly Fishing Rio Limay from el chelo on Vimeo.
Here’s an entire guided day of fishing on Argentina’s Rio Limay compressed into just four minutes. It’s cool to see how much can get accomplished in one day on the water.
Frontside sunset from Stefan Ågren on Vimeo.
Finally, our friends from Sweden’s Frontside Fly change gears. Instead of their normal fare of goofy, fun-loving hijinks and camaraderie, they offer up this brief sunset scene of an angler on a glowing piece of flat water broken only by the noses of rising trout. Who wouldn’t want to end a day this way? Have a great weekend!