There are a LOT of fishing videos on the internet.  Most of them are terrible.  A few are not.  And a very few of those are true gems – clips that provide a glimpse into the magical essence of fishing.  Below are a few that I have sifted from the rubble.

1.  Gangsters of The Flats  With its wonderfully colorful title,  Gangsters serves up the most adrenalized, violent fly fishing action I have ever seen.  There aren’t many giant trevally on the flats in Hawaii (anymore) but there are still some big fish out there. This video should tell a lot about why I brave some nasty conditions to chase jacks.  This is one of several great video trailers by FlyCastaway.
2. Carp Fly Fishing Korea  Putting a fishing video to the soundtrack of Legends of the Fall is almost as bad as using the theme from A River Runs Through it, and it should be a guaranteed cliche, but this heartfelt and enigmatic film pulls it off with a unique and charming grace.  This film is not just about carp, it’s really an ode to the beauty of fly fishing in it’s purest form – pretty casts, tranquil drifts and fish gently sipping dry flies off the surface.
3. Forever a Boy  Jack Gartside is not just a fishing hero, he is everyone’s hero.  An extraordinary person, Jack had the courage to honestly follow his heart for his entire life.  It led him on a fantastic journey that inspired many and left a lasting legacy.  This short piece from PBS gives a little bit of Jack’s story.  Many more stories are still available on his website.
4. Morning Tide Fishing  Morning Tide Fishing is a group of Australians who have dialed in on the art of catching pelagic fish from shore on lures. It’s not so much what they’re doing as how they are doing it – with absolute fanaticism, well-made videos, and a sense of humor. UPDATE: a few years back these boys sort of went their separate ways, but the early vids, from 7 or 8 years ago are still available, and still the best.
5. Fly Fishing for Bonefish  I recently spent some time looking at a bunch of bonefishing videos.  (All in the name of education, of course.)  This one stood out.  As someone who has contemplated the reality of making a good fishing video, I can only imagine the incredible amount of patience, dedication and planning that must have gone into these six and half minutes.  This video is what all of those shaky, vicarious, self-narrated GoPro vids are trying to be – the complete experience of catching bonefish on the fly, captured on film.

Honorable Mentions

• Sexyloops  Silly videos by goofy fly fishermen who also happen to be some of the best fly casters in the world.  *A NOTE: Paul Arden, the Head Honcho of Sexyloops relocated from Europe to the jungles of Malaysia to focus on catching snakehead and giant gourami. He has also really raised the quality of his videos over time. The “5 Minutes of Fly Fishing” videos are especially fun and inspiring.
• Costa Del Mar Videos Costa has some high quality and entertaining fishing videos on their YouTube channel, but sometimes the best ones inexplicably disappear. Go figure.
• Bass Life  I’m not really into bass fishing, and I’m certainly not interested in competitive fishing, but I am shamefully fascinated by the Bass Pro craze.  This 40 minute film follows Jason Quinn through one fishing season for a look at the life of a bass fishing professional.

* Please send us an email at fishingdojo@outlook.com if you find any broken links or missing videos!