Sports announcer Greg Heister is producing a new show about fly fishing the U.S. northwest. It airs Sunday mornings on Fox Sports Northwest, and features Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. "Heister has filmed 15 shows - 10 of which include [Gonzaga coach Mark] Few in the cast - and plans to produce about 20 a year to be rotated weekly on Fox Sports Northwest. The shows include rainbow fishing on Montana's Bighorn River, steelheading on the Grande Ronde River, cutthroat fishing on British Columbia's Elk and Wigwam rivers and various salmon, trout and steelhead adventures in Alaska." Rich Landers on TheNewsTribune.com. You can get more info at www.seasonsonthefly.com.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been a long time in the making, but Felt Soul Media's documentary on Alaska's Pebble Mine controversy is finally going to be unveiled at Telluride's Mountainfilm, the outdoor adventure film festival that this year runs from May 23 to 26. Felt Soul hopes to have Red Gold on DVD in late June, and a limited edition Blu-Ray DVD later in the summer. Both should be available at www.feltsoulmedia.com.

Apparently it is still not to late to support the "Red Gold" project. As Travis Rummel noted, "We are wrapping up the credit list in the next week and we could still use any support you can contribute to the effort. All donations are tax deductible and if you donate over $500 your name will appear in the credits of Red Gold, but please hurry as we are almost all wrapped up."

If you haven't yet seen the Red Gold trailer, you can watch it on MidCurrent.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As one astute observer of presidential campaign tactics recently said, "It's so incredible, it's almost hard to believe."

Word has it that several top fly fishing blogs have outlawed the use of foul language in their posts and even forbid their commenters' use of what they are now calling "inflammatory" language. Our sources say that the plan was hatched during a clandestine meeting of the bloggers at a remote mountain enclave that caters to those who enjoy the "glamping" lifestyle.

According to a waiter who served aperitifs to the hooded figures, someone observed after a day of short nature walks punctuated by Thai massage and readings from Commerce and the Outdoors, "This irreverence thing is getting pretty tired." "Think about it," another said, "constant derision is really the hallmark of the fly shop misanthrope, who has contributed nothing to the sport." While there were immediate protests ("Greg, you neo-bourgeois lunkhead, your uxorious sniveling has gone too far"), accusations ("Dude, you live for schwag!"), and denials ("These molded butter patties ain't workin' for me") most at the table seemed overcome by the dizzying indulgence of the high-end-retreat experience, according to our sources.

But why, we wondered, the sudden turn? We asked some of the original beacons of the "Smash the State" movement in fly fishing media. "I invented snarky in fly fishing blogs," said one. "My mistake was not seeking a patent. Now everyone is doing it." Another blurted, "My free subscription to Fly Fisherman was about to expire." But the sentiment whispered by our last source was perhaps the most revealing: "Have you ever napped on merino/cashmere-blend sheets in an air-conditioned yurt before?"

(Editor's Note: We actually have friends in the snarky blog business. Diversity is good. Especially in journalism.)

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It's good to see Trout Unlimited keeping pace with the excitement surrounding the "new" fly fishing filmmaking. They've managed to get Frank Smethurst (of "Running Down the Man" fame) involved in going around the country fishing some of the more at-risk and important resources and turn it all into a TV series called "On the Rise." You can watch the trailer now on MidCurrent.

The Outdoor Channel is the spot to see "On the Rise," and from the looks of the trailer Barrett Productions has done a very polished job of putting this series together. Here's the full schedule of initial airings:

April - June
Friday 8:00 PM
Saturday 2:00 PM
Sunday 7:30 AM

July - September
Friday 8:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM
Sunday 7:30 AM

For more info on the new show, visit the "On the Rise" page of the TU Web site.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This week Thomas McGuane joins the editorial board of MidCurrent. He brings literary acumen, of course, as well as a unique sensitivity to fly fishing literature and art as a whole. Nick Lyons recently said: "Among all the great fly fishing writers writing today, I would include Tom McGuane at the very top." In an age of increasing political correctness in both art and sport, McGuane chose to loosen the reins. His suggestion, "If the trout are lost, smash the state," gave trout bums a mantra of their own and sent a wake up call to anglers who had ignored the connection between bad government and the loss of fish habitat.

McGuane is perhaps best known among fly fishers for his novel Ninety Two in the Shade, which was nominated for a National Book Award for Fiction in 1974, and for The Longest Silence, a collection of angling essays. His novel The Bushwhacked Piano received the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award for a Work of Fiction in 1971. Some of his other books include The Sporting Club and The Cadence of Grass, and, most recently, Gallatin Canyon.

Tom joins Bruce Richards, Chico Fernandez and John Merwin in helping to guide MidCurrent forward, and we are very happy to have him.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jamie Howard, the filmmaker behind the award-winning tarpon film series "Chasing Silver," will be in Islamorada, Florida at Worldwide Sportsman (Bass Pro) on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Howard will be sharing the highlights and travails of making the series as well as his experiences creating Location X and other films. HowardFilms DVDs will be on hand as well.

Watch the trailer for "Chasing Silver" on MidCurrent.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"'It's like the early snowboarding and surfing films. We've just never tapped into it with fly-fishing before,' said Travis Rummel, a Denver resident whose Felt Soul Media production company dances on the cutting edge of a movement that takes center stage in Colorado next week." Charlie Meyers quotes fly fishing film phenom Travis Rummel in a Denver Post article on the Fly Fishing Film Tour. Rummel and Ben Knight will screen their latest work, "Red Gold," on May 23 at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival, but you can watch a clip from it now on MidCurrent.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Sometimes the best ideas come when the trout aren't biting," says Intel engineer Kevin Bross in this Intel marketing video that honestly gave me nightmares about guiding. Not that I don't enjoy listening to monologues, but this was eerily reminiscent of days when we spent too much time talking and not enough fishing.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Angling Exploration Group just announced that they are adding Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Calgary and eight more stops to their already long list of places they will screen new fly fishing films this year. More info is available on the AEG Web site.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bonnier corporation announced on Friday that Mike Mazur, who had been managing editor of Sport Fishing magazine, will be the new editor of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters. Ted Lund, the former FFS editor, will be given the role of editor at Salt Water Sportsman.

Read the extended entry for the full press release.

Continue reading "Mike Mazur to Edit Fly Fishing in Saltwaters" »

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whether you think their take on fly fishing is clever and refreshing or excessive and trendy, you have to admit that the folks who put together the free online pub This Is Fly put a lot of energy into their content. The latest issue has everything from the story of a girl whose fascination with helicopters leads her to take up fly fishing to a comparatively sedate story about headhunting big trout on the "world's largest spring creek" (Montana's upper Missouri). But the hippest writer in this issue is original wild man Brian O'Keefe having an Alaska flashback.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we noted back in November, Versus will soon begin airing a new series called "Dollar Wise Fly," hosted by Conway Bowman (see "Versus Plans to Show Fly Fishing on the Cheap"). The crew was down in southwest Florida this week filming, and the local paper published some nice stills from the redfishing action in and around Matlacha.

Who was it that said waders weren't made for Florida fishing?

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to Bill Thompson, fly fishing bulletin boards are victim to the same "Cult of the Amateur" that infects much information on the web. "The web provides the opportunity for those who post the ability to remain anonymous. It is now possible to slander someone or something without fear of reprisal. Asking a question about a certain piece of gear and you are certain to get a dozen replies almost immediately. Some of the replies may be legit, however anyone with an ax to grind will surely do so." Caveat Emptor indeed. In the Conway Daily Sun.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We got our latest issue of American Angler on Saturday and noted that all the changes promised for 2008 are right there in the year's first issue. The magazine has a crisp, clean new look, an entirely new 16-page saltwater section (thanks in part to the redirection of resources from the now defunct Saltwater Fly Fishing), and a new editorial vibrancy. AA's illustrators (e.g. Jonathan Milo and Bill Tipton) and photographers are the best in the business, in our opinion. Even the cover breaks from the currently popular practice of putting a smiling 20-something-year-old female fly fisher on the cover: no babe, no fish, not even a grinning face, just a guy sitting on a rock doing what we actually do when we fish -- examining a fly. Kudos to Phil Monahan and his team for putting freshness back into the publication and having the courage to deliver a solid package that is not just another rehash of last year's lineup. If you are still looking for a stocking stuffer, an American Angler subscription will set you back less than $20. A pretty good deal if the January/February issue is any indication.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Several female artists, including Tanya Donelly, Britta Phillips, Lori McKenna, Jill Sobule, and Kristin Hersh are part of a new album covering Neil Young classics that will be released in February to benefit Casting for Recovery. Casting for Recovery enhances the lives of breast cancer survivors by offering no-cost fly-fishing retreats tailored to promote and support mental and physical healing.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you're not familiar with This Is Fly yet and you enjoy a non-traditional take on fly fishing and fly fishing culture, check out the latest issue, which just came online this morning, complete with a snowboarder flying across the cover (gee, I wonder what these guys do when it's cold?). Starting off with an article on how to hold fish for pictures (learn "the missionary position of hand holds"), moving to an interview with the star of the new video Fish Tales, and continuing with a piece on float-tubing for tarpon, there's a surprising amount of entertainment here.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to Josh Mcauliffe of the Scranton, Pennsylvania Times-Tribune, Donald Trump Jr. will co-host a new fly fishing show airing on Versus this coming spring. Another show will feature Joe Humphreys. Interestingly, the shows that feature Humphreys are scheduled to focus on night-time fishing for trout.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The new series, planned for spring 2008, will feature Conway Bowman and has the working title "Dollar Wise Fly." It will follow "host Conway Bowman (In Search of Fly Water) to destinations near and far as he shows viewers how to experience world-class fishing for a fraction of the cost."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trout Unlimited recently completed a smart redesign of their Web site, which already stood as one of the best conservation information Web sites out there. Kudos to their team for managing to present all of their resources in a logical, clearly organized package. If you go to the site, be sure to let the opening Flash animation complete so that you can take the "Protect/Reconnect/Restore/Sustain" tour.

Also, check out the way TU is facilitating public comment on issues like off-road vehicle use in the headwaters of the Tellico. It's a great example of how folks who care about our resources are using technology to turn up the volume.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's hard to miss Britney Spears these days, especially if you are aiming critical barbs in her direction. So we take exception to the comment from Entertainment Weekly reporter who claimed this week that "I've seen sexier pole work during an afternoon of fly-fishing." Our reply: Surely you can think of something harsher to say.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 5:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was hard to miss the troop of videographers and editors from American Angler and other Morris magazines bounding from one vendor to the next at the Fly Fishing Retailer show in Denver last week. There was barely time to simply converse with each product manufacturer this year; I can't imagine trying to get the stage set for video. Fortunately they managed to get 17 interview clips, and they even managed to get them all online in only a few days. Editor Phil Monahan and others got the scoop on a variety of new products and even the efforts of Casting for Recovery. If you've ever had a hankering to see Joan Wulff or Tim Rajeff or Simms's K.C. Walsh talk about new product, here's your chance.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the second year in a row at the Fly Fishing Retailer show The Drake magazine and other sponsors presented an award to the top short film shown in the overcrowded ballroom of Denver's Oxford Hotel. As usual, the entries were eclectic, copyright-agnostic (at least when it came to music), and great fun. The beer, we are sad to report, was in short supply and a bit sour. But at least the air conditioner was working.

Travis Rummel and his team at Felt Soul Media once again got top honors. Last year it was for an abbreviated segment of "Running Down the Man." This year they produced a trailer from their recent carefully crafted film work on the controversy surrounding the planned Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. It contains brief interviews with some of the protagonists in the drama, including Bruce Jenkins, COO of Northern Dynasty Minerals, Tim Bristol of Trout Unlimited Alaska, and Brian Kraft, proprietor of Alaska Sportsman's Lodge, who like many others is asking the question "Why screw this up?"

You can see the trailer here. (Note: We were unable to get the trailer to play in Internet Explorer; you may need to use a Mozilla-based browser like Firefox to view the Quicktime movie.)

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Morris Communications, which publishes both American Angler and Saltwater Fly Fishing magazines, announced yesterday that they will cease publication of their bi-monthly saltwater print magazine and reintroduce that content in new forms. Plans are in the works for an annual publication for saltwater fly fishers, along with an entirely new Web site under the domain SaltwaterFlyFishing.com. Additionally, American Angler will expand its coverage of saltwater fly fishing.

Steve Walburn, who has served as editor of Saltwater Fly Fishing and who is now general manager of Morris's sporting group, spoke to us yesterday and sees great opportunity in changing the way saltwater content is presented: "It gives us a repository for 12-13 years of print publishing history, plus searchable archives, a chance to be more video-intensive, and a new channel for expert bloggers, contributors and guides. The saltwater Web site will change dramatically and become much more than just a reflection of a print product, while the annual will give us a chance to address the needs of the dedicated saltwater fly fisher. And of course I'm also excited about the redesign of American Angler in January 2008."

Read the extended entry for the full press release.

Continue reading "Morris Ceases Publication of Saltwater Bi-Monthly, Announces New Print and Online Publications" »

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Long-time Fly Rod & Reel editor Paul Guernsey resigned from his position as editor and associate publisher recently, according to a letter we received from the magazine staff this week. It seems former editor Jim Butler and associate editor Jim Reilly have assumed editorial duties.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Travis Rummel and Ben Knight recently wrapped up 60 days of couch surfing and bushwhacking to begin several months of editing on their upcoming film on the impact of the proposed Alaskan Bristol Bay mine project. "Starting in June, the two and their project coordinator, Trout Unlimited's Lauren Oakes, camped at the Peter Pan salmon cannery in Dillingham and in villagers' houses. They spent days with fishermen -- in their boats and homes. They floated next to belugas feeding on salmon near Nushagak Point, and two months later, hundreds of miles upstream, they stared down in amazement at tens of thousands of spawning sockeye." Elizabeth Bluemink in the Anchorage Daily News.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tom Chandler proved that you could write about anything even slightly related to fly fishing -- including slaw dogs and the buffalo in Yellowstone National Park-- and make it interesting. Now one of his regular commenters has jumped in the river of good words with Ripefish. "I am going to wade stupid repeatedly, and the bigger the fish - the more likely I will wade agressively," he says in his evaluation of fly fishing vest alternatives. "I will get wet, I need the vest to drain quickly. Extra lining means additional drying time…no issue in August, but a big issue in January."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A fellow fly fishing blogger shared the URL to Field & Stream's new fly fishing blog, Fflogger, this past week, and we we spent enough time there this weekend to identify what is easily our favorite part so far: the "Motorcyle Reel Tests." Using such subtle measurements as "wiggliness" and "hotness," Kirk Deeter and Tim Romano film the testing of several fly reels' drag performances by attaching a leader to the back of a Harley Davidson and letting rip. Fun stuff. Let's hope they can live up to their self-described status as "The Ultimate Fly Fishing Blog."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since Patagonia released their first fishing vest. But we noticed Thursday that fly fishing is getting a bit more attention on the Patagonia Web site now, starting with a fly-removal-from-lip opening photo on the homepage. They also revamped their fly fishing category page (Sports We Do > Fly Fishing) so that products are easier to find. Plus they're hosting the now-famous "Running Down the Man" video about surf fishing for roosterfish in Baja (watch this if you haven't already; it's a slicker version of what they premiered at last year's Fly Fishing Retailer show).

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pro snowboarder Mike Wier became a movie maker when he realized that fly fishing didn't have films that approached the quality and excitement that snowboarding movies did. Scott Thomas Anderson profiles Wier and notes that there is more to Wier's movitivation than simply trying to make cool videos. "'I only do catch-and-release fishing, both in my movies and as a tour guide. There's an incredible diversity of life in these remote places, which is being threatened now, and over-fishing in general is going to be a factor that affects the world in the coming decades.'" In the Amador, California Ledger-Dispatch.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we first noted last month, a new magazine out of Charleston, South Carolina aims to provide a new style of Southern haute couture for U.S. readers. Published by the local Manigault family and run by John Wilson and former New Yorker publisher Rebecca Darwin, the premier issue features a story about trout fishing on the Soquee River with George Black (who is decidedly not from the South) and bamboo rod maker William Oyster. Fern Siegel reviews it in Magazine Rack. "If G&G were around in, say 1860, it would grace the drawing room of Tara. Though whether Ashley Wilkes or John Grisham would consider the South, per the editor's note, running from the Mississippi River east to the Atlantic and from the Virginias to Venezuela is anybody's guess. Hugo Chavez doesn't spell bluegrass and cotillion charm to me."

You can read an excerpt of George Black's Casting a Spell on MidCurrent. For more information on William Oyster's rods, visit his Web site.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

New York Times writer David Carr delivers a short profile of Sid Evans, who at age 36 is both editorial director of Salt Water Sportsman and editor of Field & Stream -- a magazine reappearing on the list of nominees for national media recognition this year. " Mr. Evans, who is a bit reticent about the display (he is more given to the quiet glories of fly fishing), is on another hunt, this time for Ellies, the elephant-shaped sculptures that represent a kill in the National Magazine Awards."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

18 cities through its national tour, the Fly Fishing Film Tour rolls into two Florida locations this coming week. The first is in Tampa, at Bill Jackson's Outdoors, 9501 19 North Pinellas Park on April 10 at 7:30 PM. Then the show to the IGFA in Dania Beach (300 Gulf Stream Way) at 7:30 on the 12th. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or from a local fly fishing retailer. Sponsors, including Patagonia, Costa Del Mar, Sage and Reel Pure, are giving away some cool stuff at the shows.

Films included in the show are Jamie Howard's "Chasing Silver," the rollicking "Run Down the Man" from Felt Sole Media, and the Angling Exploration Group's latest, "Trout Bum Diaries: Volume II." We've seen them all, and if you haven't had a taste of what "new media" is doing for fly fishing, this is worth a drive. More information can be found on the Tour's Web site.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patagonia announced the launch of their new Weblog, The Cleanest Line, last week, and in an alignment of marketing stars Yvon Chouinard, the company's founder, landed on the cover of Fortune magazine's April edition.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Having been born and partially raised in Charleston, South Carolina, I am not surprised by this story, but you may be. Pierre Manigault, chairman of the local newspaper publishing company, recently announced plans to launch a new magazine called Garden and Gun. "Based on some of the prototypes, Garden & Gun assumes more the feel of Town & Country than Mother Jones. The emphasis is on sports -- the southern staples like duck and quail hunting, but also activities that don't require a rifle, such as fly-fishing -- and there are stories about architecture and natural habitats of the South." Jennifer Saba in Editor and Publisher.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 5:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you missed the first airing of HowardFilms's "Location X," a film about fishing a red-hot secret tarpon spot, you can catch it again this Wednesday night at 9PM on Versus. Here's what the new press release says about the film:

"CHASING SILVER: LOCATION X on the Versus Network, March 21, 2007 at 9pm EST

How do you follow up the award-winning mini-series that's garnered popularity at home and abroad? Well, we weren't sure ourselves. So, we spent many months researching the world's fisheries for a sequel.
Chasing Silver: Location X (a one-hour film) is the culmination of that work. 'LX' as we've come to call it, was an angling expedition that involved some faith on the angler's part (Where am I going and why?) and some faith on our part (Where are we going and why?!) We selected three anglers from the southernmost, easternmost and westernmost points in North America and flew them to our tarpon grounds. And we all hoped this tarpon Shangri-la would really have tarpon that ate close and often. (They did!) And as always, when fly rod and tarpon meet -- it was pure mayhem."

By the way, you can now place an advance order for the "Location X" DVD, which is due to go on sale in June, over on the HowardFilms Web site.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The long-time outdoors columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Joe Doggett, retires after today's column. Doggett's writing has entertained and informed readers for 35 years, but he says it's time to travel, write a couple of books, and go surfing. For those familiar with what is happening in the newspaper industry these days, it is tempting to read between the lines and guess that classic journalism is struggling to keep its place at the Chronicle. "Tremendous changes both at the desk and in the field occurred during my run. When the Chronicle's late outdoors editor, Bob Brister, plucked me off the street in 1972, the big paper still used manual typewriters."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Depending on whom you believe, the just-released movie "Catch and Release" is either one of the worst movies ever made or, as New York Times reviewer Steven Holden suggests, a pleasant chick flick: "There is great fly-fishing nearby (the title refers to that sport), and the scenery is to die for. The movie is so conscious of being on a Rocky Mountain high that one character remarks suspiciously that people in Boulder seem 'unnaturally' happy." Joe Louis of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is less mincing with his metaphors: "As every fisherman knows, when there's a jerk at the end of your line, you're about to reel in something that stinks."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is it a sign of the times or high time for periodicals to stop trying to make outdoor sports terminally hip? Men's Vogue, which began publication with their January/February issue, marries, in a very non-hook-and-bullet fashion, helicopter snowboarding and shopping for shoes. (Funny, when I was assistant publisher of Polo magazine, we wouldn't have thought of articles on how to test a pair of bench-made shoes.) Henry Miller gives a pretty hilarious take on the whole thing in the Salem, Oregon Statesman-Journal: "Sports properly break down into two categories, outdoor and indoor, with three major activities in each. Outdoor sports consist of fishing and hunting. And hiking -- when absolutely necessary -- to get to the fishing and hunting."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Belcher reviews the BBC's new fly fishing series "The Accidental Angler," starring Charles Rangeley-Wilson, and likens it to tepid soup, though clearly the producers had something different in mind. "Knowing this, you can see what the Beeb bosses were thinking: 'An informed show for anglers -- of whom there are millions -- which also has something for those multi-millions of non-anglers who like looking at foreign scenery while someone comments on it in a wryly-amusing fashion! Michael Palin meets Thomas McGuane -- it's a ratings winner.'" In the U.K.'s The Herald.

Meanwhile a passage from Charles Rangeley-Wilson himself appears in the U.K.'s The Independent: "I was lucky enough to get commissions that took me, like Farson, to some far-flung corners. Those 10 years have taken me to every continent -- except the polar ones -- on the trail of all sorts of weird and wonderful fish, in awe-inspiring landscapes."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Jamie Howard, the filmmaker behind "In Search of a Rising Tide" and "Chasing Silver," is finishing up work on his new film about fly fishing for tarpon. "Location X" airs on Versus (formerly OLN) on November 16 at 7 PM. All we know about the film so far is that it features a secret location where a couple of lucky anglers fish for a large population of aggressive tarpon. Should be worth putting this one on the calendar.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of the new films at the 2006 Vancouver International Film Festival, which started Wednesday, is a romantic comedy set in Scottish fly fishing country. In Shel Piercy’s latest film, "Almost Heaven," a Canadian television director is hired to salvage an international fly fishing show. But his ex-wife is the host of the show, and his love interest is a female Scottish ghillie.

All very believable, of course.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Unsurprisingly, news that the four white men left the body in the water, tethered to a tree branch while they spent a few days fly-fishing, and then returned home unrepentant causes uproar among their wives and girlfriends, the Jindabyne locals and, most violently, the Aboriginal community." "Jindabyne" stars Gabriel Byrne as the fly fishing ringleader whose choices cause a cultural uproar. From the U.K.'s The Herald.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the past year-and-a-half fly fishing blogs have been hatching so fast they are starting to clog the windshield wipers. As with any blogworthy topic, most authors get by with intense navel-staring (lint flies) and self-chumming, but once in a while folks deliver something unique, as in the case with Tom Chandler's Trout Underground. What's good about Chandler's site? Writing, mostly. Tom is a wordsmith by trade and by all appearances an intense angler. Mostly he spins thought and humor around recent trips to the wild, but lately he's been taking time to parse other fly fishing blogs for worthwhile content.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Personally I'm guessing it won't be long before we can watch a television show about fly fishing for silver salmon in Alaska, press the "Buy" button after noticing a particularly clever vest configuration or fetching conehead pattern, and have the show pause while we place our bids on EBay. (A mini-window will allow us to monitor bids while we watch the rest of the show.) According to Joyzelle Davis in the Rocky Mountain News, Ted Turner has been thinking along those lines for quite some time. "Dish also carries all eight of Turner's interactive-TV channels, which meld product placements and original programming. Viewers watch shows like adventure fishing program Wild on the Fly that don't seem like ads, but viewers can click their remote to find out more about the fishing rods and gear."

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the show is anywhere near as good as the advanced billing, it will keep a lot of anglers home on Sundays this spring. Here's what Brendan McCarthy, one of the featured guides sent us: "Created by Capt. Brendan McCarthy and Jason Puris, the series chronicles the day to day life of 5 fly-fishing guides, living under the same roof, during the 'Fall Run' off Montauk Point. Besides great fishing for Striped Bass, Bluefish and False Albacore with their clients, the guides also sit down with some well-known fly tyers, cook with some famous chefs, chat and fish with people like Ted Jurasik of Tibor reels and even participate in a RedBone Tournament. The Chefs include the likes of Tom Collicio of Bravo's Top Chef, Kerry Heffernan of 11 Madison Park-NYC and Colin Ambrose of Estia's Little Kitchen-Sag Harbor NY. Fly Tyers like Tim Borski and Dave Skok participate and Howell Raines and Peter Kaminsky, writer of The Moon Pulled up an Acre of Bass, come and fish as well. Gretta Gaines, Snowboarder, Singer/Songwriter and ESPN personality even sings a few songs for the cast back at the 'Guide House.'"

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can't start your day without a bowl of bamboo? Visions of split cane keeping you awake at night? Check out the Split Bamboo blog at www.split-bamboo.com. Author David Rogers digs up a variety of literary snippets, science notes and conservation calls on his blog for bamboo fly rod enthusiasts.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AskAboutFlyFishing.com joins FlyFishRadio.com in betting that fly fishers want to hear expert advice from the source. The new "live" broadcasts from Ask About Fly Fishing (Fly Fish Radio audio is presented in downloadable podcast format) are happening every two to three weeks at 7PM Mountain Time (U.S.) and start with interviews of notable anglers Mike Lawson and Barry Reynolds.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Skip Morris, a host of Outdoor Life Network's "Fly-Fish Television Magazine," had a lot of things going against him as he strove to become a fly fisher, including a lousy start in fly tying and a problem with learning. Somehow it all worked out. "'It's a strange gift,' he says, 'to be inept.'" Scott Sandsberry in the Yakima (Washington) Herald-Republic.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It turns out that OLN will also be airing "In Search of a Rising Tide," a video we recently reviewed on MidCurrent, this Friday at 8:30 AM. As "Chasing Silver" promises to do, "In Search of a Rising Tide" demonstrates Howard's "keen eye and ear for the essence of the local" experience, said reviewer David Dalu.

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If you're an IGFA member, your 2006 copy of their book of world records will arrive shortly. Gene Miller of The Washington Times thinks it's the cat's meow. "The 2006 edition, published by the nonprofit IGFA, delivers on its promise to be the most reliable and complete source of international fishing records and fishing-related reference materials."

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When Andy Warhol said 'In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes,' I can almost guarantee he wasn't prompted to the thought by images of fly fishers having Eureka moments at the tying vise. But it might be true that one or two lucky fly fishers get their 15 minutes and more next year — starring in a new IMAX movie on fly fishing.

Producers Gene Quinn and Stephen Samuels are looking for the cast for the movie right now. As they told MidCurrent, "Though Fly Fisher has no shortage of candidates for this film, we are trying to reach people that the producers may not have otherwise known about. Aside from being an experienced and personable angler, these candidates must be able to travel to far away places to fish. Candidates don't need to be 'professionals,' but do need to cast like one."

Interested? Fill out the contact form at the Fly Fisher web site.

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Even though The Movie has been available on DVD since 1999, Columbia Tristar Home Video is releasing a "Deluxe Edition" of "A River Runs Through It" on November 29. It's not quite clear from Amazon's listing what is new in the upcoming release, but you can read FilmCritic.com's new review ("Redford's second-best movie") here.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to a press release from World Publications, Ted Lund has taken the top editorial spot at Fly Fishing in Saltwaters magazine. Read the full press release in the extended entry.

Continue reading "Ted Lund Named Editor of Fly Fishing in Saltwaters Magazine" »

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Heard and confirmed: editor Scott Leon is gone from Flyfishing in Saltwaters magazine.

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Sounds vaguely alien -- and it is, but even the Star Trek references tickled the fancy of this reviewer of the recent Boston Legal episode featuring William Shatner and sea lice. Chris Schults in Grist magazine.

Posted by Marshall Cutchin at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight on the television show "Boston Legal," William Shatner takes on the threat fish-farm-generated sea lice present to the native salmon population. No kidding. "Nimmo Bay Resort plays a lead visual role in the episode that sees Emmy-winning actors William Shatner and James Spader, who play Boston lawyers, arrive at the remote fishing hole for a weekend of male bonding, but end up getting tangled in a local issue that involves the politics of fish farming versus wild fish." Dirk Meissner on Macleans.ca.

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VirtualFlycasting.com hosts a bunch of good content — including video — on casting, starting with this introduction called the Five Essentials. These folks are all Fly Fishing Federation certified instructors and know their stuff. (Thanks to reader Zach Mathews for this link.)

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Looks like Tom Bie and his crew have put together another issue of The Drake, a magazine with a brilliant irreverence for stodgy angling journalism. They've also launched a redesigned Web site, complete with a bulletin board, at www.drakemag.com. Looks like the new issue will satisfy readers hungry for non-standard fare: "PAGE SIX CHICKS - 2 flyfishers, 2 photographers" and "LIVE TROUT FISHING" are featured articles.

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