Editor’s Note: Last week was the second anniversary of this amazing video from our colleague Simon Perkins. I’ve been seeing the video a lot on Facebook, and rarely does the person who posted it give credit where it is due. So I figured I’d remind everyone. “Damels in Distress” is now the second-most-watched fly-fishing video of all time on vimeo, with 459,000 plays.
Our colleague Simon Perkins honeymooned in New Zealand with his wife, Els, and he captured this amazing footage. Here’s how he explains it:
My wife and I were fishing with friend/guide Dean Whaanga in New Zealand when a combination of bad weather and good timing resulted in a fish giving us the experience of a lifetime. I crawled on my stomach with my camera to the water’s edge, hit record, and watched what was one of the coolest moments I have ever witnessed.
I won’t ruin it by describing the action, but take my word for it: you must watch this in HD and at full screen.

that is pretty cool
so why I ask, have them swallow a hook??
This is an oldie but a goodie. I saw this a couple years ago. This is what dreams are made of.
Awesome video of predatory trout behavior. Makes me want to go fishing.
Simply magnificent; both vision and sound.
I now use the soundtrack as a ring-tone – each time I hear it, it takes me immediately back to the scenes in my mind’s eye.
Thank you for bringing it to us.
Forgot to mention . . . .
Credit where credit is due indeed.
The music is by an obviously talented and also young Kiwi composer by the name of Tim McMorris. The piece is entitled ‘Translation’.
Bill