An angler and his dog unload the flats skiff from the mothership rig. Once the sled is ready he checks the five selections in his box and decides to go with green. He waits for a take and soon connects with a massive creature. Then the problems start in this 9 minute animated film from Blur Studio called ROCKFISH.
I keep finding surprising stuff as I continue down the animation content wormhole. Here's a four and a half minute graduation film from The Animation Workshop (Viborg, Denmark) called Elk Hair Caddis. It's a movie about a "perfect day" and was created by Alice Holme, Anders Brogaard Jepsen, Magnus Igland Møller and Peter Smith. Visit elkhaircaddis.com for extra tid bits, additional links and more information about this story.
Elk Hair Caddis from Peter Smith on Vimeo.
Elk Hair Caddis illustration by El Pescador
Functional artistry from Yamazaki. This 5 piece "Gone Fishin" museum collection is made from stainless steel and claims to be designed with "perfect weight and balance." They also make a salad serving set and pastry server in the same style. This fish inspired flatware has angling wedding present written all over it.
This is a short 3 minute clip from "Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification" that highlights the science behind ocean acidification. Watch "Acid Test" in full at acidtestmovie.com
Acid Test: The Science of Ocean Acidification from EARTHNATIVE on Vimeo. A film produced by NRDC
The Fly Fishing Film Tour will soon be within striking distance for New England enthusiasts. First Light Anglers is hosting a show on Sunday March 7th at Chunky's Cinema Pub in Haverhill, MA. Doors open at 6pm. The show begins at 6:30pm. Contact First Light Anglers at 978.948.7004 for tickets and information or visit www.firstlightanglers.com.
A piscatorial consortium consisting of Fly Fishing in Maine, Flies and Fins, Coastal Fly Angler and Maine River Guides has secured the Frontier Cafe, Cinema and Gallery in Brunswick, ME for three showings of this years FFFT. The dates are March 11 and 12 with starting times at 7pm each night. There is an additional showing on the 12th at 8:45pm. Proceeds from these 3 Maine screenings will go to the FFIM Grassroots Grant fund. Visit FFIM for tickets. Follow the tour on the Tour Blog.
It is unacceptable that fish prey on each other.
For their comfort and safety, we will liberate them
into fishfarms with secure, durable boundaries
that exclude predators. Our care will provide
for their liberty, health, happiness, and nutrition.
Of course all creatures need to feel useful.
At maturity the fish will discover their purposes.
"We Bring Democracy To The Fish" is a poem by Donald Hall from his definitive lifetime work White Apples and the Taste of Stone. © Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
"How To Bring Democracy To The Fish" is an animated film by Drew Christie done in watercolor, based on the poem "We Bring Democracy To The Fish" by Donald Hall and inspired a little bit by "If Sharks Were Men" by Bertolt Brecht.
I've been a little enamored with video content as you can probably tell. My focus of interest lately has been toward animation, advertising and marketing that is fish or fishing related. Here's a commercial spot for GPS giant Garmin that is based on the journey of salmon. It's from the salmon's perspective. Take the one minute trip upstream and try to imagine what it would be like if instinct was your only road map.
Garmin Salmon from Darrin Hofmeyr on Vimeo.
Ricky Gervais will be back on television with a new animated series. You can catch the premiere on Friday, February 19 at 9pm. For more information, log onto HBO.com. Here's a 39 second promo spot where Ricky and his crew discuss the "big fish in a small pond" cliche as it relates to their show.
A few years ago, Vodafone (global telecommunications company) selected the mayfly as a marketing vehicle to help convey the firm's "Make the most of now" tagline, given that mayflies have such a short lifespan. My guess is that there was an angler or two on staff at the time to help the concept get off the drawing board. The result was some sophisticated animation built around a good message for us longer living creatures. Have a look at this one minute video of mayflies enjoying life. Note that there are a variety of other versions of this popular mayfly spot (including fish, frogs and fly swatters) in case you're interested.
Here is another Rhode Island classic. It's simply called Ray's Fly and with good cause, it was created by Ray Bondorew. This pattern first appeared in the Rhody Flyrodders newsletter back in 1990. Ken Abrams notes on his site Striper Moon that this pattern "is not a fly that has received any press nor had anyone praising it, yet, on it's merit alone it has become a mainstay, passed on from one angler to another as the cure for the right fly blues. The reason is simple- it outfishes every other silverside fly day in day out in all types of situations. The only people who don't know this as fact are those who haven't tried it or won't try it." Watch this seven and a half minute video and Capt. Corey Pietraszek will demonstrate how to tie this boldly simple and consistently effective silverside imitation.
Fly illustration by El Pescador
I found another relic recently, mixed in with some of my fly tying materials. It's a fly packaging card from Narragansett Bay Flies that I think I picked up years ago at The Saltwater Edge when it was on Thames St. in Newport, RI. I'm sure the fly associated with this particular packaging has long since been buried at sea but the card managed to survive. Now it serves as blog content. The late Bill Peabody is credited with being the creator of this productive pattern. Watch this 8 and 1/2 minute video and Capt. Corey Pietraszek will guide you through tying this Rhode Island classic.
Photos by Steve Stracqualursi
Fifty Minute Hour
Maine fly tyer Ed "Muzzy" Muzeroll's atlantic salmon fly patterns belong in a class of their own. Their beauty along with the fine motor skills and material knowledge required to produce them never ceases to amaze angler and nonangler alike. Here is a shot of Ed's pattern called Treasure Island taken by Maine photographer Chris Bolduc. Check out this SLIDESHOW to see Chris's photo collection of Ed's flies and visit Muzzy's Flies to learn more from the master.
Photo by Chris Bolduc
Here is a 43 second piece by Eighty Four Films. This animation uses artwork from Jeremy Fish's book "I'm with Stupid".
Bunny vs. Fish from Eighty Four Films on Vimeo.
Saltwater recreational fishermen have long expressed concerns about the data used to estimate the effects of recreational fishing on ocean resources and the nation’s economy. The National Saltwater Angler Registry, which launched on January 1st, is designed to help address that concern by providing a comprehensive list of the nation’s saltwater anglers that will be used to improve surveys of fishermen. These surveys are used by NOAA scientists to assess the health of fish stocks and to estimate the economic contributions of anglers. Many saltwater recreational fishermen will be required to register before fishing in 2010 but if you have a state saltwater fishing license, you may already be part of the registry.
Who Needs to Register?
Recreational saltwater fishermen will need to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 10 coastal states or territories which do not currently have comprehensive saltwater angler license or registration requirements—Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Fish for or are likely to catch anadromous species in tidal and salt waters; these are fish like river herring, shad, smelt and striped bass that live in the oceans but spawn in fresh water
• Fish in the federal waters more than three miles from the ocean shore or from the mouths of rivers or bays
Who Doesn’t Need to Register?
Some anglers don’t have to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 15 coastal states with comprehensive licensing or registration — Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington
• Are not required under state law in one of these 15 states to hold a fishing license as is sometimes the case with seniors or active-duty military
• Are under age 16
• Pay to fish on licensed charter, party or guide boats
• Hold a Highly Migratory Species Angling permit or subsistence fishing permit
• Fish commercially under a valid license
National Saltwater Angler registration is free in 2010. To register, anglers can visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov and click on the Angler Registry link, or call the toll-free registration line at 1-888-MRIP411 (1-888-674-7411) from 4:00 am to 12 midnight EST daily. Anglers are asked to provide their name, date of birth, address and telephone number, and receive a temporary registration number that will allow you to begin fishing immediately. You should receive a confirmation email within minutes and your official registration card by mail in about 30 days.
Steve Medeiros, executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association and a leading advocate for a saltwater fishing license in his state, said the registry is an important step. “While it’s true that some fishermen don’t like the idea of having to register to participate in a sport they’ve taken for granted their whole lives, anyone fishing today knows that increasing pressures on the ocean are having a real effect,” he said. “If we’re going to pass the sport down to our children and grandchildren, we’re going to need sound management based on good data.”
The registry will be used as the basis for conducting surveys of saltwater recreational fishermen to find out how often they fish. It will eventually replace the use of random-digit dialing to coastal households, a system NOAA has had in place since the 1970s. The goal is to improve survey efficiency and reduce bias by making calls only to homes where people fish, and reaching saltwater anglers who live outside coastal counties.
While the registry is among the most visible aspects of NOAA’s Marine Recreational Information Program, it is only one component of this rigorous multi-year, multi-phased overhaul of the system NOAA uses to collect and report recreational fishing data. Each piece of its design and implementation has been guided by close working relationships among NOAA personnel, fisheries managers, state partners, independent scientists and the recreational fishing community. NOAA press release 12/29/09
Photos by Steve Stracqualursi
It was almost a year ago when Way Upstream exhibited a series of snake photographs taken by angler, artist and fly designer Tim Borski. Since then Tim has sent me a small collection of elongate legless carnivorous reptile images to share with the blog community. Here are two of them (top: juvenile water moccasin, bottom: eastern diamond back rattler). Tim has been creating some paintings of snakes in addition to his fish, bird and butterfly subject matter. Visit Tim's website to see what he has been up to and check out his photo gallery for more pictures.
Photos by Tim Borski
This Androscoggin River segment is from the film ExNE, produced by Gray Ghost Productions LLC. It's an 8 minute piece which chronicles a river born pure that gets infected by industrialization and then is nurtured back to a healthy set of vital signs. There are back stories of trophy fish, angling mentors and heroes combined with the authentic character of Maine.
The 2010 Fly Fishing Film Tour officially kicks off Tuesday January 26th at the Patagonia store in Ventura, CA and will continue across the country throughout the year. Approximately 70 dates are locked and loaded. Tickets are available online now. Unfortunately the only East Coast stops on the schedule at this point are in S. Carolina and Florida. If there are any independent promoters out there in the online community looking to step up and sponsor a New England date please Rise.
I'm no photographer but I have fun taking pictures and making images. Here are a dozen highlight angling photos from 2009. Thanks to all of you for making this past year's fishing season so enjoyable. I'm looking forward to doing it all over again in 2010.
Music by Seahorse Track: All Over Again
The 7th Annual Freeze Up will be held on January 3rd, 2010 at the Mousam River in Kennebunk, ME. Fish Stalker Guide Service, maineflyfish.com and Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop host this event. The Freeze Up is a gathering of fly fisherfolk who get together to celebrate the new fishing year. Jim Bernstein and Kevin McKay will be there setting up. The coffee will be on and they'll be cooking breakfast sandwiches for anyone who wants one. Many of the other participants will be offering all types of delicious home cooked grub. There will be a casting competition and the lucky winner will bring home a Scott A2 fly Rod. The Mousam River is a stones throw away from the event pavilion and is full of brown trout and some fat rainbows. This event offers you the chance to catch your first trout of the new year. Bring your gear and some food to share or just show up and enjoy the festivities with this years tribe of participants.
Location - Rogers Pond in Kennebunk, just off Water Street.
Directions - Get off at the I95 Kennebunk exit (North or South) and go into Kennebunk. As you come into town, Water Street runs down the east side of the river. Rogers Pond is on the right just before the road ends. Visit maineflyfish.com for more details.
Photos courtesy of maineflyfish.com and Henry Barber
Avatar is a film that the Way Upstream community might find entertaining this holiday season. James Cameron and a talented team of humans developed an intricately detailed story that takes place on a planet called Pandora which is inhabited by the Navi. The Navi are humanoid with their own language, culture and they posses a deep connection to everything around them. In this story the Navi are being steam rolled by a huge mining operation from Earth that wants a "valuable" mineral deposit sitting right under the land that sustains them. Extraction of this mineral will devastate their way of life forever. Sound familiar? Have a look at this 4 minute film trailer focused on the planet Pandora. Maybe they'll work some of the fish on Pandora into the Avatar sequel.
Founded by conservation-minded anglers in 1973, the National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC) has been a catalyst for fishery policy change, from a narrow single-species focus on fisheries yields to an ecosystem-based approach that reflects their expanding circle of concern for all marine life. In their efforts to Bring Back the Big Fish, they have evolved their programs to include protecting the prey base. NCMC has just released a two part video series that highlights this predator and prey relationship. These two videos contain some amazing footage of top of the food chain ocean predators (swordfish, billfish, tuna and sharks). They also focus the spotlight on the other end of the food chain (menhaden, herring, sardine, mackerel, squid and krill). To learn more about NCMC visit www.savethefish.org or call (703) 777-0037.
Surf & Inshore Fishing 2009 - Part 1 by Peter Laurelli on Vimeo.
Peter Laurelli put together the surf and inshore fly fishing season into a three part series that I think you'll find entertaining. He portrays a host of facets that blend well into a good representation of the coastal fly fishing experience (birds, deer, rocks, docks, boat decks, marsh, flats, channel markers, wave sets and more). I found these short films to be well composed and well edited with a healthy dose of humor (short strikes, missed casts and lost footing). The underwater footage adds a dimension that you don't often see when it comes to inshore cold water fishing in the salt. Have a look Way Upstream community and share your reviews.Surf & Inshore Fishing 2009 - Part 2 by Peter Laurelli on Vimeo.
Surf & Inshore Fishing 2009 - Part 3 from Peter Laurelli on Vimeo.
Thank you for the years of inspiration Jack. Your creativity and unconventional, way upstream nature were unique. You did not follow the school. You found your own special path and opened many minds along the way. I wish you all the best on this next journey. Keep the line in the water and believe in every cast.
Words by El Pescador Photo by Dave Skok
