Welcome to first 2013 edition of the OrvisNews.com Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival, in which we scour the Web for the best fly-fishing footage available. This week’s collection offers a bunch of wrap-ups of the 2012 season and a whole heaping portion of chrome and steel. New Zealanders are starting to produce more and more videos, as their season progresses, and you’ll see plenty of brown trout worth flying 20 hours to catch. Salty lovers have plenty to cheer about here, as well, with great action for tarpon, bonefish, and redfish. Even the humble green sunfish gets some air time. And, finally, you’ll learn what Santa Claus does to relax after delivering presents to boys and girls around the world. 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!
We kick things off with some great stuff from New Zealand. I don’t know what I’d do if I saw two giant trout cruising a shallow flat like this one. I’d probably hyperventilate, and then proceed to spook both fish. This guy does a little better.
From Sweden comes this very well-made video with great visuals, a killer soundtrack, and some cool editing. Plenty of gorgeous salmon on display, as well. It gets a little weird at the end.
No Off-Season from Lucas Carroll on Vimeo.
This is a great video about a couple of young guys who love fly-fishing for Great Lakes steelhead, no matter what the conditions are.
365 Days in 365 Seconds from Ganesh Chatani on Vimeo.
I’m not sure who Ganesh Chatani is (although we’ve featured a bunch of his tarpon videos here before), but based on this video he’s got an awesome life. In 2012, he caught himself a bucketload of great fish.
The Hunt for Steelhead in October from chroniclesofcod on Vimeo.
C’mon, man: British Columbia steelhead with a Pink Floyd soundtrack? How could you go wrong? Plus, those wild fish are simply stunning.
Paddle Board Red from chase hancock on Vimeo.
It looks as if standup paddleboard fly fishing is becoming a real thing, especially for guys chasing redfish in marshes. Here’s Chase Hancock’s first fish from the new watercraft.
Here’s a cool story about a chance meeting that turns into a great angling friendship, one that involves lots of great tarpon fishing.
Seasons End ’12 from Luke Bannister on Vimeo.
We love everything that Luke Bannister shoots, as he seems to really capture the solitude and quiet that some anglers seek. It looks like one of his last fish of the season was a real doozy, as well.
This is a quick-and-dirty video about spotting, casting to, and catching a bonefish in the Bahamas. There’s no wasted time here, just the good stuff.
December Steel from Mike McNeese on Vimeo.
Hello, Cleveland! Many folks don’t think of the Forest City as a prime steelhead destination, but the Rocky River offers great runs of these potadromous Great Lakes fish. This video has a cool dreamy quality, certainly helped by the Icelandic soundtrack.
More New Zealnd goodness featuring—you guessed it!—big brown trout. It’s been way too long since my lone trip down there.
Last Minute Flyfishing Trip from flyloops.net on Vimeo.
More great stuff from the Southern Hemisphere, this time from South Africa. I’m not sure what all the species living in the Vaal River are, but I assume yellowfish and some kind of bass and carp. Regardless, it looks like a great fishery.
Chris Goes Fishing for Green Sunfish from Chris Beckstrom on Vimeo.
When you need the tug, you need the tug. So Chris Beckstrom headed down to his local river to cast for some wintertime green sunfish. Looks like a blast to me.
2012 Season // Happy Holidays ! from Etienne Marier on Vimeo.
Who knew Santa Claus was a swinger? Apparently St. Nick likes to fish for steelhead while listening to speed metal.
Summer’s Gone from Chris Cutler on Vimeo.
Yes, summer is gone, but luckily we have videos like this one to help us relive the magic.
Here’s some very chill footage of a guy fishing the evening rise. This will clear your head after listening to Santa’s musical choice above.
Summer-steelhead fishing on the Deschutes River in central Oregon certainly has its charms, from the starkly beautiful countryside to the bright-cheeked fish. Skip from 5:52 to 9:40, as there’s some dead space there.
A short clip from New Zealand Trout Adventures from New Zealand Trout Adventures on Vimeo.
Think you can be convinced to head to New Zealand in just :46 seconds? Watch this and see if it works.
There are some absolute SLOB dorado in this video from Argentina. Apparently, they’re so big, they make your shirt fly off or something. Have a great weekend!