reviews

The Dead Drift

Reviewed by Scott Richmond

The Dead Drift, subtitled "An In-Depth Analysis to Fly Fishing New Zealand," a DVD from Steve Couper of Stealth Films, Ltd. Available from the publisher (www.stealthfilms.co.nz) for $24.95. Trailer available on publisher's website.

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here's nothing like getting into the mind of an expert angler. You can talk all you want about fly patterns and casting and how to find fish. But you'll have trouble putting it all together until you get into the head of someone who knows what they're doing.

That's the value of this video from New Zealand. It gives you some mental ammunition to use when you chase big fish in crystal clear streams.

What You'll See

You may have seen videos of people sight-fishing for big browns and rainbows in the improbably clear and beautiful streams of the south island. It looks like fun--until you stop to think about how difficult it all is.

The tricky part is setting up your presentation so your targeted fish will eat your fly with confidence. As guide Dean Bell says about New Zealand fly fishing, 80 percent of the work happens before your first cast. It's a mental game of figuring out how to present your fly in a way that maximizes the odds of a take.

Bell is the "talent" in The Dead Drift, a 65-minute video from Stealth Films. The camera follows him along a stream in the Wilderness Waters of Fiordland on the New Zealand's south island. Bell talks about each fishing situation and goes through the reasoning behind his presentation--why he's standing where he is, where he's planning to cast and why, and what some of the problems are. Sometimes there's a slow-mo replay with voice-over commentary offering additional explanations.

Overall, the videography in The Dead Drift is excellent, the audio is clear, and the concept is a good one.

Bottom Line

New Zealand is high on my list of future fishing trips, and I have no delusions of the difficulty of some of the fishing. But I know this for sure: if I were going to spend thousands of dollars on a trip to New Zealand, I'd be foolish not to spend an additional $25 for a video that might help me double the number of fish I'll catch.

Preparation is everything. Before I make my first trip there, I will watch this video a few more times, take careful notes, and practice my stealthy presentations. If you're planning a trip to that part of world, you might want to do the same.

Bottom Line: Must-see if you're planning your first trip to the south island. Reviewer Rating: 4

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 05/17/2010.

User Reviews

5=tops  3=average  1=low

Rated as 5 by 16pmd on 05/14/2010

Comments: An excellent primer on the how-to's of NZ sight fishing presented in an entertaining way. Though it WAS shot on a single river, the lessons definitely apply pretty much anywhere in NZ. I've fished with Dean and know he chose the particular river because the currents and conditions (backcast restrictions, rocks interrupting the drift, etc.) presented all the problems an angler is likely to encounter. That river also has lots of fish and fairly eager ones, so the viewer shouldn't take away the impression that NZ fishing is as easy as Dean makes it look. Anyone going to NZ for the first time should definitely watch this video, preferably more than once.

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DVD Cover

Dean Bell describes the tractics for taking a trout he has spotted in a New Zealand stream