Bonefish - A Fishing Odyssey
Brad Harris checks out a unique DVD offering.
The floodgates are open. With the increasing affordability of video gear it seems that there are new fly fishing videos coming out every couple of days. This is a good thing, as more and varied filmmakers throw their offerings to the public, we are exposed to an ever-growing range of styles to suit all tastes.
In times past, most fly fishing videos were simply instructional tools. They were almost all about casting or a particular technique, or were demonstrations of how to fish a certain location. The other sort, and the worst in my opinion, was ‘fish-porn’. A whole VHS tape full of people holding their rods and ya-hooing. Shots of vague shapes struggling under the surface for ten minutes until the fish finally came to hand, where the catcher then holds it out of the water for minutes as he tells the world how bloody good he is.
“Bonefish — a Fishing Odyssey” isn’t like that at all. In fact, it’s not really like any fly fishing film I’ve seen. I guess it’s sort of like A River Somewhere but without the scripted dialogue or pre-meditated jokes (don’t get me wrong, I loved the series).
Charles Rangeley-Wilson, who is apparently a TV presenter in his British homeland, embarks on a journey to the Bahamas to pursue his dream of catching a monster bonefish. Charles is an excellent presenter, and a likeable character. He unashamedly pours out his love of bonefish and the Bahamas, a condition I caught myself by the end of the movie.
The filming style is intimate—shots are often hand held self-portraits—and the general vibe of the film is too. You really get to feel as if you know this guy. His heartfelt and (typically British) understated accounts of his quest make you want him to catch his ‘reeeallly big bonefish’ too. He interacts with the local people, enjoys the local food, rides the streets on a borrowed push-bike and, rather than just visiting, really immerses himself in the place.The journey, for Charles, is just as important as the goal. Come to think of it, this film is mainly about the journey.
If you’re the sort of person who measures a ‘fishing day’ in kilos or centimetres, you should maybe dust off the old VHS, and watch some of that fish-porn I mentioned. If the ‘day’ is more important than the ‘fishing’, I think you will really enjoy this DVD.
Visit www.thefishingmovie.com to order.