I will be the first person to admit that I’m not impressed with the majority of fly fishing videos that I have seen. The instructional videos are boring and stiff, while the destination videos seem like hour-long infomercials for outfitters who more than likely paid the production company to film there. Needless to say I was skeptical when a copy of The Trout Bum Diaries arrived and the back cover claimed the film is “a new breed of fly fishing entertainment”. As the film opens up with one of the crew jumping from a fifty-foot cliff, plunging into the emerald green river below, I realized these guys just might be onto something unique. I only hoped that they were able to pull it off and it didn't turn into a major disappointment.
Have you ever dreamed of packing up your gear and heading on a five-month fly-fishing expedition to some remote destination with a group of your closest friends? Of course you have, but like almost every other fly-fisherman that is all it will ever be…a dream. The reality is we all have careers, families and responsibilities that we can only hope to escape from for a few weekends or if we are really lucky, a full week each year. Somehow God smiled upon this group of lucky anglers and they had the opportunity to live our dream. For an hour and forty minutes we are able to immerse ourselves into their experience.
The Trout Bum Diaries will neither teach you how to catch more trout nor give you a road map for your next fly-fishing vacation. Instead, this film is a documentary of their adventures; as anglers, they know what we want to see -- catching fish, big fish and lots of them, in some of the most beautiful waters on earth. The film is shot in Patagonia and the crew takes us along as they fish large rivers, spring creeks and lakes searching for monster brook, brown and rainbow trout. The movie is packed with footage of fish taking flies ranging from hoppers to streamers in crystal clear water, and each scene is flawlessly captured by some of the best fly-fishing videography work I have ever seen. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a monster fish just explode in the water as it aggressively smashes a fly, cart-wheeling into the air and then taking off on a screaming, drag-smoking run downstream. Oh, yeah -- it is exciting when you see it for the first time on the film. It is just as jaw dropping when you see it the last time and the hundreds of times in-between. I have heard the term “fish porn” thrown around a few times and that is, in its essence, what this film is all about.
The movie does offer more than just fishing, it also captures the journey of a group of friends enjoying the adventure of a lifetime. From their constant vehicle problems to just hanging out around the campfire enjoying some drinks, we get a glimpse that this was more than just a fishing trip for these guys, it was a life-changing journey that I am sure none of them will ever forget.
Would I recommend that everyone get a copy of The Trout Bum Diaries? Absolutely! I hope these guys have nothing but success, because fly-fisherman need films like this. We need something to get the adrenaline pumping when it is January and we are stuck indoors for the winter. We need to live our dreams even if it is through the enjoyment of watching others with that opportunity. Fly fishing, at times, can be exciting and The Trout Bum Diaries has captured that.
Hatches Magazine Subscription
Price: $6.95 for each issue
The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.
