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 of nineteen (19!) videos is pretty trout-and-steelhead-heavy, so I hope you’re a salmonid fan. We’ve got steel from both the Northwest and the Midwest, and three separate videos shot in New Zealand. Saltwater folks will be treated to some baby tarpon, bonefish, redfish, and even surf-fishing for stripers in the Northeast. If you’re more of a warmwater fan, we’ve got some bass and carp for you. This is a fantastic selection, but I’d feel remiss if I didn’t link to yesterday’s astonishing video from Dave and Amelia Jensen. If you missed it, do yourself a favor and check it out. One commenter said, “This may be the best video you have ever posted.” 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!
RA Beattie’s “Off the Grid” features footage shot from around North America. This cut is focused on Midwest steelheading with a couple of hardcore anglers, including Jim Lampros, who is now the fishing manager of Orvis Cleveland. Great stuff.
Beetles & Mayflies from Troutification on Vimeo.
Our new favorite Swedes, the guys from Troutification, are back with more cool dry-fly action. This time, they are casting beetles when most anglers are focused on the annual mayfly hatch. And they catch some gorgeous brown trout for their efforts.
Here’s some fantastic footage from a solo mission filmed over four days deep in the heart of the Central North Island of New Zealand. Bevan Percival claims the trip was so demanding that he couldn’t convince anyone else to join him. Check out what these lazy anglers missed.
Jungle POON from Scott Crippen on Vimeo.
Far from the nearshore flats where the big boys are found, in the mangrove-lined channels of southern Florida, baby tarpon greedily inhale flies. It’s cool to watch the take and see these little rockets launch into the air.
of fly rods and freedom. from WY Fly media on Vimeo.
Here’s another angler, Morgan Ford, who likes to travel solo (but with dogs), this time in the wilds of Wyoming.
Time for a little warmwater action. Collier Anderson heads to his local creek on a warm evening for some topwater Texas bass and panfish. Nothing big, but there’s a good, light vibe to this video.
We don’t get much Northeastern striper video, and even less wading stuff, but this short look at an angler in the surf is pretty cool. I especially like how the wave at the beginning looks like it’s going to devour him.
tribute to bonefish from Matthieu GWADAFLY on Vimeo.
Ah, the sound of an outgoing click. Who doesn’t love that? The underwater footage of bonefish here is well done.
Missouri River Driftin’ from Quinn LeSage on Vimeo.
Shot on Montana’s Missouri River between Craig and Wolf Creek, this video offers plenty of great fish and some lovely “golden hour” light.
Shift from D Loop Media on Vimeo.
Some videos are great at capturing the feel of a particular day on the river, and this is one of those. It really captures the grayness, slanting light, and pewter water of some fall days spent stripping streamers.
Autumn Red – Cutting Room Floor from LC Journal (Doug Roland) on Vimeo.
Here’s a trailer for a new film called “Autumn Red,” that looks to be shot in the South Carolina Low Country marshes. It ends with an experience we’ve all suffered through.
On the dry from Gisle Helgesen on Vimeo.
A single cast produces a 6-pound brown trout. Where else but New Zealand? I like the way this one follows the whole process from spot to stalk to cast to fish in hand.
Fly Away – Kiritimati (official trailer) from SIP-films on Vimeo.
Here’s a trailer for the upcoming “Fly Away-Kiritimati,” a place also known as Christmas Island. This video has a strange, slow-mo vibe that you don’t find with most saltwater productions, which are often fast-paced with pumping beats. It’s a nice change of pace.
2012 GoPro Fly Fishing for cutties and bulls from stein on Vimeo.
Bull trout are simply mean-looking fish, and these anglers find some bruisers. The pink spots on the one fish are stunning.
Fishing the Valleys from My Leaky Waders on Vimeo.
Blog regulars know that I love me some native brook trout, and there are plenty of fine specimens from western Virginia on display here. The brown at the end ain’t bad for such small water, too. On another note, it seems that The Head and the Heart may be overtaking The Tallest Man on Earth as the soundtrack of fly-fishing video.
It’s a two-man carp-off! Fish illustrator Joe Tomelleri and his buddy have a contest to see who can catch the biggest biglips, but the really cool stuff here is the underwater footage and the psychedelic effects.
We originally saw this trailer a couple years ago, but it’s reprised here because the complete documentary “The Water of Greenstone” will be shown on Outside Television next Tuesday, October 30th at 8 and 11 pm EST. Check your local listings.
Oregon Chrome Part 1 from Salmon Junkies on Vimeo.
We end with a two-part video on fly-fishing for steelhead in Oregon. A couple of Danes, Kåre & Steffen, sample the best that the state has to offer, traveling to the Sandy, Clackamas, John Day, Nehalem, and Trask Rivers. Tons of great fishing, camaraderie, philosophy, and scenery on display here. Warning: A bit of off-color guy banter at the beginning.
Oregon Chrome part 2 from columbus leth on Vimeo.
Have a great weekend!