If some truly unfortunate calamity were to strike the fly-fishing filmmaking industry, and only one artist could soldier forward and make movies about our beloved pasttime, my secret hope is that that one artist would be Todd Moen.
Fly fishing, perhaps because many consider it an art in and of itself, lends itself to artistic endeavors. Some of its best-known practitioners are writers, like John Gierach, painters like Bob White or photographers like Tosh Brown. I’d put Todd Moen in that category for his own brand of artistry. And that brand is on display in the two films below, both focusing on the easy-on-the-eyes landscape of New Zealand.
I’ve never been, but the more I see of this enchanted place, the more I want to go. It’s stunning vistas, impossibly clear rivers and massive alien trout that have made themselves quite at home in this remote land tempt me to throw caution to the wind and make the journey, no matter how long it takes me to pay off the tab.
And a lot of that is thanks to Todd, who captures more than just Kiwi fish in 4k splendor—he captures the spirit of this angling destination. I hope to get there one day, but if I don’t, I have Todd to thank for showing me in moving pictures that such a place exists.
Enjoy.
— Chris Hunt