Rivers and Fly Fishing

We consider ourselves most fortunate to live within a short drive of some of the most renowned rivers in the world.

Within a few hours (or less) run the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Missouri, Boulder, Stillwater, Paradise Valley’s Spring Creeks, Henry’s Fork, Jefferson, Smith, Shields, and the Big Horn to name a few. The amazing waters of Yellowstone are “just around the corner” – the Firehole, Madison, Gibbon, Nez Perce, Gardner, Soda Butte, Slough, Lamar, Yellowstone, Snake, Bechler and Fall, plus countless other smaller, “hidden” gems and lakes. Add another hour heading west and Rock Creek, the Bitterroot, the Big and Little Blackfoot, Clark’s Fork and others beckon.

We dearly love the rivers of southwest Montana, Yellowstone, and the neighboring environs, and we have several ways to share them with you.

Our Rivers in Motion film series brings these iconic western rivers to you - wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, and whenever you need to see and hear the soothing power of these great waters.

Our Dry Fly Media Shorts are just for fun – a collection of fly fishing related short clips – you’ve probably seen them around the web.

Special Projects highlights new projects we’re working on (without tipping our hand too far).

Rivers in Motion

The vision for the Rivers in Motion series had its genesis over thirty years ago when one of our team (the old guy) spent many of his summer days wandering the southern Rockies in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado photographing freestone streams and mountain lakes. Still photography of moving water can be engaging and beautiful (we still do quite a bit and are working on several interesting still projects even now), though some of the magic in the water’s dance is lost, and memories of the moment fade with time.

The power of moving water and the music it makes is best appreciated by standing in that very water, listening to its burbles and gurgles, steadying yourself against the flow, feeling your way across the stone-lined bottom, and hearing the aggressive rise of a rainbow plucking emergers before they escape. Part of the power of the river experience is knowing that even though you can’t be there every day, the river still flows day and night, summer and winter, and it’s waiting for you to come back.

For years we’ve dreamed of a way to run back to the river on a moment’s notice.

Ever feel that way? We do almost every day – if you’re like us, some days you simply miss the river-world and need to reassure yourself it’s still there, still flowing, still beckoning. Some days the press of real life simply squeezes the joy out of living, and can make the river world seem a distant, forgotten memory.

The dream of being able to run back to the river is now a reality.

In our Rivers in Motion series we’ve captured the essence of some of the great rivers in the west on very high quality video along with a carefully rendered recording of the sounds of the river. Captured and processed with a 24 frame-per-second technique the videos have a feel of 16 mm film about them.

The Rivers in Motion series is somewhat unique in the river and fly fishing video world these days in that the intended star of the show is the river itself. Our goal is to capture the essence of these great rivers without any embellishment or potentially distracting human presence – allowing you to almost immerse yourself in river. Hey, we like the videos of the super-human guides catching giant rainbows too, but sometimes letting the river do the talking is even better.

Each Rivers in Motion DVD includes anywhere from eight to twelve different river scenes lasting from five to fifteen minutes each. The scenes have all been shot from the perspective of a fisherman – many have been taken literally “standing in the river”, some from critical bank side vantage points you would stand on to scout the river before fishing. The shots have been taken at different times throughout the day, emphasizing unique riverbank features and the great vistas that Montana offers.

We’ve been surprised the different ways our “river junkie” friends have been enjoying the DVDs. Besides simply watching the river run and transporting yourself to the riverbank, we’ve heard stories of the DVDs playing in the background during dinner with family and friends, in the background at parties, unwinding after work, as background on work station computers, commuting laptops, and in the classroom. One friend claims he flies with them and judges flight length by how many rivers he can doze to on the plane. Amazingly we’ve had a very strong demand from the yoga and fitness crowd, as well as in the health care field.

Currently we’re offering the following rivers in our initial Rivers in Motion Fall Series –

The Yellowstone – Paradise Valley, Point of Rocks to Just Below Livingston
The Madison – Hebgen to Bear Trap
The Gallatin – YNP Boundary to Manhattan
The Henry’s Fork – Big Springs to Lower Mesa Falls
The Missouri – Gates of the Mountains to Cascade

The Rivers in Motion series will expand greatly over the next year, with new rivers and different seasons to be added. At this point in time (November 2008) we’re preparing to shoot a winter series that will be gorgeous.

Here are some sample cuts from the series.

Gallatin River Demo from Dry Fly Media on Vimeo.

Missouri Demo from Dry Fly Media on Vimeo.

Madison Demo from Dry Fly Media on Vimeo.

Yellowstone Demo from Dry Fly Media on Vimeo.

Henry's Fork of the Snake Demo from Dry Fly Media on Vimeo.

The Rivers in Motion DVDs are available as single river DVDs or in combination sets. Click here to see our full product page.

Wondering what other people have said about the Rivers in Motion DVDs? Read reviews on our What Folks Are Saying page.

Special Projects

The Dry Fly Media team has several special projects underway –

Winter Rivers in Motion Series – Most fly fishermen enjoy the grandeur of the Montana and Yellowstone area rivers during the more hospitable seasons of late Spring, Summer, and Fall. The rivers of the region never sleep – even during winter – and most offer winter fishing for the hardy and incredible, often stark, beauty that is rarely appreciated.

Approaching some of these great waters safely during winter can be quite an adventure, and the technical requirements of winter videography are a bit more demanding.

You’ll be amazed at how different your favorite waters look under a mantle of snow!

Rivers in Motion Future Features – Where there’s trout-containing river water, there’s beauty – and it’s probably on our list for next year. Have a river you’d like to see in the series or a great vista / river feature that you’d like to have recorded? Suggestions are very much welcomed!

Several Yellowstone Projects – Yellowstone holds a magical attraction for fisherfolk and non-fisherfolk from around the world; all of us at Dry Fly Media count ourselves among that very large family. We have several projects in the works related to Yellowstone waters; we’re not going to tip our hand just yet to what we’re working on.....

Other Special Projects – We have several projects in the works now related to specific conservation and species issues. As details are firmed up we’ll be providing updates here and in our blog.

Still Photography Projects – For many who ply the great rivers of Montana and the West, memories of fish caught and waters fished tend to meld together with time. We have a couple of still photography projects underway (book and other formats) recording some of the most attractive and memorable river features in the region, along with some local history and color.

Your Special Project – Have a special project idea or request? We’d love to talk to you about your project idea or need, and work out the details with you. We believe great things happen when innovative minds work together to solve creative challenges. Email the Dry Fly Media team now.