Jazz and Fly Fishing trailer from Jazz and Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Jazz & Fly Fishing TEASER from Jazz and Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

“The Angler’s Life List” is a one-stop website for all things dealing with native fish. There is a place for learning about native fish  (“The Fish”) that is an excellent resource, forums for discussing all things dealing with natives, feeds from several blogs that deal with fishing for natives (full disclosure, I’m one of them), links to other native resources, and a place for registered users to write about their fishing experiences (“My Journal”) which actually revolves around the original impetus of Anders vision for the site, to start/maintain a native fish life list, much like birders do.

More about the site in Anders’ own words:

This site was established as a hub for the growing community of anglers who are focused on catching native fish. The central tenet: that this movement benefits both those with the rod in their hand and those with the hook in their mouth.

For people, filling out a fish life list provides new inspiration and even an excuse (if one is needed) to visit beautiful and remote places. And for the fish, it creates a constituency that can have a profound impact on fishery management priorities.

I’m really intrigued by the concept that the more a person enjoys fishing for natives, the more he/she will become an advocate for natives. It’s kind of a back door approach, but I like it. In private conversations with Anders, he mentioned something along the lines that the more people were clamoring to a local chamber of commerce that they were looking for  X native species in the local river, possibly that locale would start looking at stopping the stocking of nonnatives and help the natives reestablish and flourish in the local waters instead.

Head on over to The Angler’s Life List, browse around, set up an account and get involved in the wonderful world of natives.

You’ll notice the question mark in the title of this post. That’s because I’m not actually reviewing the DVD, but rather the promotional efforts of the website that produced and markets the DVD.

Steve Couper’s Stealth Films is mainly a producer of hunting trips: your hunt will be recorded then can be turned into a documentary or promotional for clients or just enjoyed by an individual. They have two commercial DVDs, the first being a hunting DVD.

Stealth Films’ latest video, “The Dead Drift,” is now available (about $23 US). (The link also has a link to a trailer of the DVD.) The brief blurb on the site states the following:

Join Dean Bell – one of New Zealand’s best Fly Fishing Guides – as he fishes the wilderness waters of Fiordland and gives an in depth analysis to the fly fishing techniques he uses. Filmed in the the rugged Fiordland mountains we experience the best wilderness fishing waters that New Zealand has to offer.Stunning scenery, beautiful footage and spectacular fishing.

A little poking around on the site brought up this additional blurb:

Stunning scenery, beautiful footage and spectacular fishing with many ‘gems of wisdom’ from one of New Zealand’s top fishing guides. The result is a film that any fly fisherman – young or old, inexperienced or a veteran – will gain knowledge from.

That’s all I can find on the website concerning this DVD.

A blurb should entice the buyer to want to purchase the DVD for a particular reason. In this case, it sounds as if the DVD will have “in depth analysis,” “gems of wisdom” and something to “gain knowledge from”—in other words, an informational/instructional DVD.

A trailer should also entice the buyer to purchase for a particular reason. This brief (about 1 minute) trailer shows fishing in some crystal clear water (which could actually be about anywhere in the world that has clear water—for those of you who have been to the fiords of New Zealand, you’ll know this is some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet, and it would be nice to see a hint of some identifiable geography in the trailer). If it is just an eye candy DVD, then this trailer might be enough to convince those who like eye candy to purchase it.

But the promotional words used leads me to believe the DVD contains more than just eye candy, it also has some instruction. I believe there should be a match between a trailer and written promotional descriptions. So I want to know how the “analysis” is given: in voice-overs, sit down interviews, talking through the actual fishing, etc.? I’m sure putting together a trailer is not the easiest thing in the world, but this problem between words and trailer could be resolved if there was a ten second snippet within the trailer of these “analysis” portions to give the buyer an idea. I’m also curious what the ratio of  “stunning scenery, beautiful footage and spectacular fishing” to technical information is? In other words, when I read “in depth analysis,” I’m under the impression that there is quite a bit of technical information. Is that the case?

Other, smaller issues deal with the length of the DVD (I can’t find it listed anywhere)  and if the instruction is valuable only to fly fishing New Zealand, or is it general instruction that I could use in Montana as well? I’m not sure the DVD is even intended for an international audience in the first place. If so, what would someone from outside NZ get from it: Eye candy? Instruction? PR to get me to fish in NZ?

My major concern about the promotion of the DVD: the trailer and words should match and compliment each other.

As I said before, Fiordland is a beautiful place. From the trailer, the filming and post-production looks to be of great quality. I’m sure the DVD is top-notch. And although $23 US is not a lot of money, I’m hesitant to pay for something that I have questions about. I have left an email with Steve Couper of Stealth Films asking if he would like to reply to this review and/or provide any additional information concerning the DVD which I will pass on to you.

Steve Couper kindly replied to my email. Here is his reply:

This is not an instructional DVD but one for the more experienced angler that would like to enhance their skills – reading water, types of casts needed, obstacles in the river are some of the points mentioned. Methods are universal in their application.

Analysis is given throughout, as voice over where needed to get a point across, and during the fishing sequences as well.

Technical insight is given throughout the movies 1 hr and 10 min length. There are more than 25 fish landed – both Rainbows and Browns taken with dry fly and nymph.

The scenery is stunning and you will just have to purchase the film to see it all !!! Filmed with a High Definition camera it should be viewed on a 42 inch plasma TV to get the best from the footage. As mentioned this has to be one of the best fishing locations on the planet.

The DVD is intended for an international audience and I believe it will be enjoyed by all that view it. It has something in it for all fisherman.

Regards Steve

Eccles is an entomologist at Penn State University. One of the things I enjoy about his posts is that he brings his scientist’s mind to angling issues. Meaning curiosity and reasoning direct much of his writing. He uses these traits to tackle serious concerns as well as the whimsical side of angling. He uses his own angling experiences in Pennsylvania to segue into the realm of conjecture, possiblity and reality.

But he also brings his English wit (he bills himself “An English exile”). In his latest post, when he said, in reference to a fish that was eager to take and not be put down, “It would have eaten my grandmother’s wig,” I couldn’t help but laughing aloud as I pictured my own mother’s wig from the 60′s. (Keith B, if you’re reading this, could you whip something up—this seems to be your department. You already seem to have the grandmotherly colors in your arsenal: blues, purples and pinks.)

His posts are frequently peppered with obscure references to literature, fruit, current US policies, art, etc. For example, his latest post includes references to both Tralfamadorian and Durian. Luckily he often includes links to these references. It’s nice to get a little culture along with our angling, yet Eccles does not beat you over the head with it in a stuffy, didactic way.

If you would like a break from the typical fishing blog post, and stretch your mind a bit, head over to Turning Over Small Stones. (I strongly urge you to look through his back posts as well.)

PS Don’t expect to whip through a post in a minute or two, Eccles has a penchant for slightly longer posts. And you’ll have to excuse some of his “unusual” spelling and idioms (it’s a British thing we’ll forgive him for).