So last week I shared numbers 6-10 of my favorite fly fishing videos and this week is all about the top five! In the top five you'll see some more focus on conservation, cinematography, and plot. I've also included one last fish porn type video as well. Again, feel free to comment and share the videos you love best!
#5 Bent
I've got to admit, I feel a little guilty about putting this one on the list, let alone in the top five. The guys from Montana Wild are getting a lot of bad press lately. They've be charged with over 50 counts of wildlife code violations for targeting bull trout and filming without permits. This video doesn't seem to violate those codes so I decided to keep it on the list. It's got some monster fish in one of my favorite places (Montana) and I was lucky enough to go on a guided trip with Rooster, the star of the video, two years ago.
#4 The Last Great Place
Octave Zangs and Jason Fitzgibbon did a great job with this video featuring the Clark Fork Watershed and the restoration work that's been going on there over the last few years. There's some great music, wonderful cinematography, and a strong focus on conservation. Any video featuring one of my favorite places always gets a nod and Montana ranks really high on that list. They're going to be putting out some more exciting work this year, so keep an eye out for Zangs Films.
#3 Liquid Gold
This is a fantastic video from California Trout, an organization doing some massively important conservation work here in California. Here, the subjects of the video head out on a trip through the Golden Trout Wilderness. This is one of my favorite places on earth. The fish are amazing, the wilderness is breathtaking, and there's some major solitude in this park. As fishermen, sometimes we get too wrapped up in big fish. Sometimes the little ones and the places they live are just as fun!
#2 Oh My God!
Another amazing location! I haven't been to New Zealand but would absolutely love to get there some day. This video has great music and a perfect plot line. There's huge fish, struggle, and victory. All things we encounter on most fishing trips. It's really nice to see a video share some of the reality with fishing, rather than massive fish after massive fish. I'm not sure about you, but that's not what it's like when I'm on the river. This one is an absolute must see.
#1 Low and Clear
If you haven't seen it, stop reading and go watch this. It's pretty cheap online and well worth it. The first week I bought it, I watched it a dozen times. Again, great plot, strong music, and a majestic setting. This one appeals to me on a personal level because I can identify with both main characters. The intensity and competitiveness I feel on the river brings out the worst in me sometimes and the zen aspects of flowing water and nature bring out the best. This is the best fly fishing movie out there, hands down.