reviews

The Hatch

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

The Hatch, a DVD from www.feltsoulmedia.com. Available at many fly shops, or can be purchased at the publisher's website.

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he Hatch is another in the new breed of fly fishing videos; see Westfly's review for another video that I put in this group.

Produced by Feltsoul Media, this short movie focuses on the salmonfly hatch in Colorado's Black Canyon of Gunnison River.

It is an artfull creation. Its images of the spectacular canyon, big trout, and interviews with anglers and guides are sure to thrill any fly angler with a pulse. You get a clear sense of uniqueness of the canyon and why anglers are so passionate about the place and this hatch. You can also appreciate the old-timer's frustration about its discovery and having to share "their" river with newcomers.

Beyond the big bug/big fish/big canyon story line, there is a solid conservation message: rivers need friends. You can complain about the johnny-come-lately anglers who have hijacked your solitude and your secret hatch. But if you're the only one who knows about the river and its hatch, some soul-less industrial concern will turn your secret into their asset. And you and your ass(ets) will be fenced-out/submerged/bulldozed into oblivion. Eternal vigilence is the price of good fly fishing.

The video's producer, Felt Soul Media, is the creation of Travis Rummel and Ben Knight. They say of themselves, "We create avant-garde style documentaries with an aesthetic approach to capture the inherent beauty of fly fishing and the amazing confines that the sport takes place in." They've certainly succeeded with this video.

Bottom Line: Beautifully crafted video that captures the fly fishing soul at its most passionate. Reviewer Rating: 5

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 05/15/2006.

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