Master Fly

Announcing Master Fly.

Central Oregon’s not-to-be missed fly tying event of the year. Great fun, fantastic prizes, and some good-old fashioned bragging rights.

Are you the Mario Batali of bobbins?

Are you on first name basis at the arts and crafts store? Does your cat have mysterious missing patches of fur? And does that cat’s fur mimic the blue wing olive hatches on the local trout stream? Roadkill gets a second look. Possum did not smell as bad as you thought. You can spell schlappen. You leave work an hour early on the day you expect the Wapsi catalog to show up in the mail. Your favorite colors are chartreuse, cherise and kingfisher blue.

Fishing trips end up no further than the fly shop to talk about zonker strips and CDC. The guys there thought you were a little nuts when you spilled out that you accidentally made a whip finish with your dental floss. When the girl working at the Dairy Queen wore the Whiting feathers in her hair you got visibly upset. No more Oreo Blizzards.

If any of this sounds familiar, put the glass beads down, rush out of JoAnn fabrics and head to your favorite central Oregon fly shop now.

Stand tall, your time has finally arrived.

photos of Reed, Jeff, Tye and Dave courtesy of Arian Stevens Photography: http://www.flyfishingphotographer.com

event details at: http://www.facebook.com/centraloregonmasterfly and dates and times are on http://www.lineandleader.com/

1. Sky High Salmonfly

Sky High Salmonfly by Todd Moen and Catch Magazine is my favorite flyfishing video of 2013. If this doesn’t get you pumped to fish this year, I don’t know what will.

Whether you chase carp, bass, trout, steelhead, salmon, saltwater species, or even whitefish I wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year filled with laughter, friendship, family, and fun. Take the time to show others the beauty of our passion. Give a fly or three to a newcomer. Take somebody fishing that does not regularly go. Fish with people from different backgrounds. Donate lightly used gear. Listen to others tell their story of the big one or the one that got away. Have patience. Find your calling and live every day like its your last. Don’t brag or showboat. Handle wild fish with care. Don’t take fishing so seriously. Definitely don’t count. Underestimate the size of your catch. Learn a new technique. Watch the guy with duct tape on his pants/waders casting straight downstream for steelhead. He is a boss. Book a trip to Alaska. Fish a 3 wt. on the local stream you drive by all the time. Look at your surroundings and listen to the birds. Protect your homewaters. Eat a big sandwich, wash it down with a cold brew, take a nap under the willow tree. Leave a good tip for the waitress at the roadside diner with the great apple pie. Smile and laugh on the drive home.

We are blessed to be able to do what we love.

Subscribe to Catch Magazine: http://www.catchmagazine.net or even better, get a subscription for someone else.

Thank you for watching the Top 20 countdown and supporting the makers of all of these great films.

2. forget me knot

Named after the beautiful state flower of Alaska, “forget me knot”, is one of the most authentic, well thought out videos I have had the pleasure to watch. Filmed, edited and narrated by Camille Egdorf, the piece is an incredibly endearing look at daily life at her family’s legendary rustic camp on the Nushagak River. The unparalleled beauty of Alaska and its wild fish are an important part of the video, but I most enjoyed the view of a family that embodies the Alaskan spirit and their efforts to make a home away from home for their guests for a week. Filmed with a GoPro, no fancy equipment or editing suites can replace hard work, a great idea and the execution of that idea.
https://vimeo.com/67006011
Camille, you represent Alaska wonderfully and your film is from the heart. Amazing work!
We move back to the banks of the Deschutes River tomorrow. 40 minutes from the door of my home.

3. Frank Moore: Mending the Line

Mending the Line is an overdue tribute to one of the most important figures in steelhead fishing and conservation. Frank Moore is a true American hero that transcends the insular world of flyfishing. This film was made to help raise funding for Portland’s Uncage the Soul to tell Frank’s amazing story which will be released in entirety in 2014. In a world full of self-promotion, works like this help counterbalance all of the BS. The camera and editing work is perfect, the shots of the North Umpqua are stunning and the emotion from Frank is real. Frank’s legendary casting skills are also on display. The word “soul” (and epic) is used too often in fly fishing media. This man has soul. We are blessed to call Frank one of us as flyfishers, now we need to live our life’s in a manner that will make others proud of us like we are of Frank. Included is the original Mending the Line video and the trailer for the IF4 feature that will be shown in theaters soon.

The eagerly awaited preview to the final cut:

Uncage the Soul…you are in full swing to hit a homerun on this very worthy and overdue project. Thank You.
2 left. One from Alaska and one from Oregon. You will not be disappointed.

4. Vermillion

Vermillion from Kitchen Sink Studios is a remarkable film shot on the sun drenched Colorado River. With perfect narration, spotless color grading and tremendous camera work and editing, this work raises the bar for aspiring film makers. Although fly fishing is an important part of the film, the stunning setting rightfully takes center stage. I love the look of Vermillion. The lighting and color grading give a cinematic experience that is just not seen in ordinary fly fishing videos. The use of aerial shots is done tastefully and not in excess. At the end of the film you yearn for more of the abundant beauty that fills the screen. It is reassuring to know such places still exist.

Wow! That’s all I need to say Kitchen Sink Studios.
Nearing the end of the countdown, number 3 is outstanding.

5. Native Brook Trout

3 scenes, 1 pretty but not particularly large trout, no dialogue or interviews, 1 tripod mounted camera. A single well-executed idea. One fantastic fly fishing video.
More than any video I can remember, Derek Philippon’s Native Brook Trout captures a solitary moment in a magical way that is memorable and entertaining. As anglers, we seek to capture moments that will resonate and give us vivid memories and experiences that we can look back on. Often it is a big fish, or a first fish, sometimes a beautiful setting, or a high five from a fishing buddy. In this great piece, Derek captures the connectivity between himself, a native fish, and a perfectly composed setting. This is Derek’s first fishing video that I am aware of and I hope to see more in the New Year.

Wow Derek, you accomplished what many have failed to do. You captured the essence of a moment in time. Thank you for sharing.
Number 4 is already upon us. Another beauty.

6. Casting a Voice

A fantastic follow-up to yesterdays video on the Skeena, this film is an eye opener to how fragile Steelhead Paradise is. Extremely well done this 35 minute film is worth your time. The interviews, editing and cinematography are all top notch. Dimitri Gammer put a ton of heart and soul into this complex subject matter. We need more films like this. You can really feel the difference where the film maker takes the time to not only present great footage but to tell a story with care.

Superb film making Dimitri.
Number 5 is a true darkhorse tomorrow.

7. Skeena: The Biggest and Meanest Steelhead in the World!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and hope you got a trip to B.C. to fish steelhead underneath the tree.
When a large chrome steelhead rips line off the reel at an incredible pace and the arbor knot becomes visible you feel helpless to something so wild that words cannot describe. Feeling the power of fish of this caliber is something I would sign up for any day of the year. Captured with skill by Columbus Leth and the Salmon Junkies this film is a non-stop action fest of trophy steelhead with a good measure of reverence for the power of these beasts. The sound of their reels screaming will stick with you for sometime. There is no particular story or message with the film, and that is OK with me. Sometimes its just fun to live vicariously through others having a grand time, and for a week in BC, these two gentlemen had a grand time and captured the moment on video wonderfully.

Amazing shots of beautiful wild steelhead guys. Great work on other projects as well this year!
Already down to #6. North of the border we will remain.

8. Clearly B.C. (Part 1 Bull Trout)

Anyone that follows Outside Bend Productions will know that I am a big fan of bull trout. Although they don’t run and jump as much as some fish, they are an essential part of well-functioning river systems. But of course, over the years we have eliminated an important part of the machine not knowing how important a role that part plays. If you are catching bull trout you are more than likely in a beautiful setting with minimal human disruptions. Clearly BC, by Todd Moen from Catch Magazine and featuring guide Beckie Clarke, showcases the wonderful fishing for these incredibly beautiful char in stunning British Columbia. The film is well-told with great action and scenery, edited perfectly, and features some absolutely amazing bulls. Fly fishing film making at the highest level.

I’m a huge fan of Catch Magazine as their level of consistent excellence in Fly Fishing media is second to none. I encourage you to subsribe for only $12 bucks a year. http://www.catchmagazine.net/Magazine/cmdec2013
Lucky #7 tomorrow will be a real shiny present.

9. Dry Fly Fishing With Stoneflies and Salmonflies

Fishing the golden stone and salmonfly hatches on the Deschutes River is one of the most exciting times for trout anglers in the west. Although this hatch is notoriously difficult to hit on the right day, if you are lucky enough to be there when its “going off” you are in for a real treat. This short video from RA Beattie is just fantastic. The close-up and slow motion shots are some of the best I’ve seen and are extremely difficult to capture in the rugged environment of the Deschutes. Great bow and arrow casts from Jake Dodd and the narration is accurate and well-presented. I enjoy this type of fishing as much or more than any other and this video shows why.

Stellar work on this film gentlemen.
Tomorrow…No. 8 you will appreciate. That’s no bull.