OK, I'll admit it. I was slightly geeked-up after reviewing The Trout Bum Diaries and I remain excited about the remote possibility that the fly-fishing industry might actually produce some films worth watching. Encouraged by the feedback from my first review, I decided to embark on a noble quest to scour the earth in search of the rare fly-fishing film worth the DVD it is burned into. Somehow, after a few hours of searching, I stumbled upon In Search of a Rising Tide and what little information I could find told me this film deserved a look.
The film takes place on Andros Island, Bahamas, and is focused on two world-renowned bonefish guides, Andy Smith and Charlie Neymour as they search for the world-record bonefish. Never experiencing fly-fishing for bonefish myself I was immediately captivated by the beautiful water they were fishing. At times it appeared they were floating in mid-air as they silently poled along, searching for these elusive ghosts in the amazingly gin-clear water. Every few minutes the guide would catch a glimpse of a fish and the angler would immediately throw an effortless 100 ft. cast with deadly accuracy. The guide, perched on the poling platform would give the angler precise instructions; “strip…..pause...strip- strip- strip fast!…… stop!" I found myself holding my breath as I witnessed this dance between hunter and prey. As the angler finally hooked a bonefish it was a battle unlike anything I have ever experienced or witnessed. The lightning-fast speed and raw power of these torpedoes peeled off an entire length of fly line in a split second. After several minutes of a tackle busting and muscle burning battle, the fish was subdued. My jaw dropped as he lifted the fish from the water and said “Oh, this one is just a baby, maybe 5 lbs.”
Here's an example of the exchange between Andy and Charlie:
“What you got?” “It’s a small one” the fish is brought boatside. “Eight-pound fish. And this fish is a minnow compared to those fish that we were casting at out there...”
What makes this film unique is the focus on the Bahamian “Bonefish Culture." Sure, the fishing scenes are spectacular but it was refreshing to see this film capture a glimpse of the native people who call Andros Island home. The film has several segments that dig into the culture of these people and their fish. It touches on the history, folklore, myths, legends, respect and passion for bonefish that the people on the island have. The anglers of Andros have a deep knowledge about bonefish and, through this film, we catch a glimpse of a place where a fish is very tightly woven into the fabric of their culture.
In closing, I personally felt the film was extremely well done. It breathtakingly captured the essence of fishing for these magnificent creatures on the absolutely beautiful coastline of Andros Island. In addition, the film's focus on the culture of the Bahamian people is something that I found truly fascinating.
The only negative aspect of this film is that it is only twenty-two minutes and thirty-seconds in length, and definitely leaves you wanting more.
If that happens to you, do what I did- watch it twice!
In addition to In Search of a Rising Tide, Jamie Howard, the film's producer, told me about his new film Chasing Silver that will be showing soon on OLN.
Here is an excerpt from their website:
HowardFilms proudly presents the second film in our Grand Slam Series: Chasing Silver. What is this obsession? What is this fish? It will be our mission to find out. We will show tarpon fishing at its highest level and do it with the best images to date.
Chasing Silver airs on The Outdoor Life Network February 2006: Sundays at Noon (EST) and Fridays at 8:30 am (EST)
Sun Feb 5 12:00 EST Sun Feb 12 12:00 EST Sun Feb 19 12:00 EST Sun Feb 26 12:00 EST
Fri Feb 10 8:30 am EST Fri Feb 17 8:30 am EST Fri Feb 24 8:30 am EST
Chasing Silver Special Edition DVD Reserve your copy of the Chasing Silver DVD with special features, behind scenes footage and extended footage. Send an email to: dvdorders@howardfilms.com to reserve your copy. (You will only receive emails from HowardFilms when DVD is available) DVD scheduled for release late Spring 2006.
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