If you’ve been reading this blog for longer than a week, you’ve figured out that we love fly-fishing videos. But we especially love the good ones. The sad fact is that there is an amazing number of sub-par videos online: shaky, vertical iPhone videos with terrible sound, 12-minute long GoPro views of a single fish fight, boring slideshows masquerading as videos, etc. We’ve always taken it upon ourselves to save you the trouble of wading through all the dross by showing you only the best productions from around the world. That’s why the motto of our Friday Fly-Fishing Film Festival has always been: “We surf so you don’t have to.”
The problem with the blog, though, is that when great videos move off the front page, they can be hard to find again. Plus, there are plenty of great videos that just don’t fit on the blog because they’re too long or we have other videos on the same subject. What we really needed was an archive: a place where any viewer could find exactly what they wanted when they wanted to watch it. That’s why we completely re-imagined and redesigned The Tug, the Orvis fly-fishing video theater.
We launched The Tug a couple years ago as a place to host the videos that we made or sponsored, and it served its purpose well. But now we want it to do a lot more. Now every video that goes on the Fly Fishing blog will be archived at The Tug, and there will be more great videos added to The Tug, as well–that were made online before we launched the Fly Fishing blog, others that we simply missed at the time. The goal is to make The Tug the single most comprehensive collection of great fly-fishing videos anywhere, uncluttered by bad or even simply ordinary productions.
When you visit The Tug, the first thing you’ll see is the featured video (above), which will change every week. This is our chance to showcase one incredible production from the archive.
Below the featured video are cool, sliding collections of videos by category, which will allow you to quickly scroll through the content to find exactly what you’re looking for. Or, you can simply click on one of the headings (Freshwater, Saltwater, Warmwater, etc.) to see a full-page view of what’s available.
When you decide on a video to watch, it opens in a new window, where you can either watch it at 800 pixels wide or blow it up to full screen for maximum effect. You can comment on the video and give it a rating out of five stars. Plus, each video is “tagged” with relevant terms. Click on one of the tags at the bottom of the frame, and you’ll be taken to other videos about, say, Belize, bonefish, or tarpon.
We are launching The Tug with 136 videos, but that number will increase quickly. In addition to posting videos from the Fly Fishing blog every week, we’ll be working through the history of the blog to get as many videos from the past up, as well.
So click over to The Tug, kick the tires a bit, and let us know what you think. The days of wading through bad videos to get to the good ones are over!
That’s great, now how about an app for my ROKU
Just a thought … how about producing a series of videos that detail how to make a better than average fishing video?
I have watched a number of really well done videos recently focused on fish preservation and environmental protection, such as Wild Reverence (steelhead) and Salmon Confidential. Videos on Pebble Mine would also be in this category. Would be great to have those types of videos in their own category.
the new interface is great guys… now lets keep the content flowin so i have something to do at work!
Thanks for the access to great quality videos. I especially appreciate the tying and warm water videos.
Tug? I don’t think you could have named this ‘showcase’ any better! Here I sit, in my darkened room staring into my monitor, crying, laughing, sighing, longing and dreaming, while each video ‘tugs’ at my heartstrings, thinking this should be me in one of these amazing settings.
Time to get my feet wet!
Great video quality. Much better site.
out—-standing!!!!
Enjoyed the new
Tug.
Thanks for the nice site, I would’ve never thought the world would see a fly fishing theater in its existence.
Well done Orvis 🙂
Really like the new layout ! I especially love the fly tying section!
I’m a beginning fly fisher and have totally got the bug! If I’m not fishing I’m thinking about it or practicing my casting. I love my Orvis gear and hope to get more! Your videos are great I learn so much from them. They make me excited for the next trip. I am currently borrowing a rod from a friend but hoops to get my own soon! I live in Idaho and just recently fished the Henrys Fork. It was a blast! I’m looking forward to my next adventure! Your videos on steelhead fishing really get my blood pumping! Come spring I will be going after steelhead for the first. Keep the videos coming! I love them!
Amazing new site. Thanks Orvis for feeding my fly fishing addiction!
I am thankful that Orvis provides the quality and precision for all of their items
Great. And there goes my morning!
GREAT IDEA !! Hope to see more Rooster’s from Baja. Thanks guys.
Right Stuff !!!
You should add some of the videos from muskyonfly’s youtube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUkPTapNdWlL2-8RsXrsxxg