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The Fly Fishing Channel brings you the best fly fishing action from around the world. Whether you’re a beginner looking for advice or a more experienced fly angler looking for inspiration, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

Fly fishing is enjoyed by millions of anglers around the world today in numerous countries and for an ever expanding list of species. The advancements in tackle development have seen anglers pushing the boundaries with what is possible to catch and anglers have travelled to all corners of the globe to find the next big fly fishing adventure.

The sport actually dates back thousands of years, its origins being traced back to the Macedonians in the 2nd Century,  but it was in England in the 15th Century that fly fishing really took off. Thereafter followed Isaac Walton’s world famous book, The Compleat Angler which in its 5th edition featured 12 chapters from Charles Cotton entitled “Instructions How to Angle for Trout and Grayling in a Clear Stream”

Since then thousands of books have been written  about fly fishing and in more recent times, dedicated magazines published. The video age has brought us dedicated fly fishing TV shows and films and The Fly Fishing Channel is a home to some of the best ones of these.

What’s on the Channel

The Fly Fishing Channel covers a wide variety of programs and films covering all aspects of the sport including adventure films, documentaries, tuition, fly tying and more. Most content is English spoken however there are some excellent programs too in native language which carry English subtitles.

Trout

Trout are probably the most widely sought after species with a fly rod. The development and popularisation of the sport took place in England as described in our film Chalk. The Victorian’s love of trout fishing, saw them take trout around the world colonising them into New Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Afghanistan and Argentina. Brown trout were also taken to the US to live alongside the native rainbow and cutthroat and brook trout. Trout make the perfect species to target with fly fishing as they live on a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects and small fish which can all be imitated by carefully tied fly patterns. Typically, trout fly patterns can be broken down into 4 distinct groups, dry flies, nymphs, streamers and wet flies.

Trout are voracious and opportunistic feeders but can also be picky and they are incredibly wary of anglers so much be approached with stealth. For these reasons, they represent a fantastic challenge for the fly angler.

Salmon

The Atlantic and Pacific Salmon are the ultimate freshwater quarry for fly anglers. After being born in the river, both Atlantic and Pacific species migrate to sea and put on significant weight and muscle before returning to the rivers in subsequent years and it is then that anglers target them. The Pacific Salmon covers 5 distinct species, Chinook, Coho, Chum, Sockeye and Pink. Salmon do not feed at all once enterring freshwater, their only instinct to reach the spawning grounds so its still not fully clear why they take an artificial fly at all but its believed to trigger a memory of what they ate in saltwater. Salmon flies commonly therefore represent shrimp or bait fish rather than anything that actually lives in the river.

Fly fishing for salmon often involves the use of large double handed rods which are needed to cover the large rivers that salmon migrate up. This involves a completely different casting style to that of trout rods and the ‘Spey’ cast was developed on the River Spey in Scotland a fantastic river that can be seen in Blue Charm.

The plight of salmon in recent years has been of great concern to anglers and conservationists alike as numbers of returning Atlantic Salmon have dropped significantly in recent years. Films like Salmon Confidential and Atlantic Salmon Lost at Sea highlight some of the many issues involved.

Saltwater

Saltwater fly fishing has exploded in recent years and anglers are still discovering new and exciting species to target on a fly rod. Traditionally, bonefish, tarpon and permit were known as the main saltwater flats species to target. Rods and lines with heavier weights are used to catch these hard fighting flats species with artificial flies imitating shrimp, crabs or small fish.

Fly fishing for offshore species such as sharks and bluefin tuna can also  provide some spectacular results and game fish such as marlin or sailfish can also be targeted by fly rods once brought within casting distance of the boat using teasers.

In the southern states of the US, redfish, snook and sea trout are also common species to target with fly rods in lagoons and inshore fisheries whilst in the UK, more and more anglers are taking up saltwater fly fishing and trying for bass and pollack.

In tropical regions, like Alphonse in the Indian Ocean, Giant Trevally have become one of the most sought after fly caught species. Growing to prodigious sizes, aggressive and powerful, they represent one of the ultimate challenges for the saltwater fly angler.

Tuition

Fly fishing is possibly the most technically difficult discipline in fishing. Learning fly casting generally requires one to one instruction and a lot of practice. For consistent success fly anglers need to be good casters to present their flies accurately and delicately and the ability to cast at distance can be an advantage in some situations. Once the basics have been learned, then watching videos like Casting That Fly can help develop your skills further.

For the trout and grayling angler a good grasp of entomology certainly helps when identifying insect hatches and being able to match the hatch with the right pattern.

Fly Tying

Many fly anglers derive a great deal of pleasure from tying their own flies and using these rather than shop bought imitations. There’s just a little more satisfaction deceiving a fish on one of your own creations! Tying your own also enables the fly angler to develop his own patterns or variations of established patterns. Some anglers may be a little intimidated when starting fly tying so video series like Fly Tying Secrets could help you get started. The channel has specific series on salmon, trout, pike and saltwater fly patterns so go hit the bench!

New in Fly Fishing

video
In this season premiere episode of Untamed Anglers, James Stokoe, Ripon Khalique, and Hywel Morgan venture to the legendary Grafham...
series
In this season of Buccaneers and Bones, fly fishing legends and celebrities alike chase big Bonefish on Grand Bahama Island....
video
This feature length cut of "Night of the Hex" offers a rare glimpse of fishing this rarely filmed event. As...

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New Zealand Fly Fishing

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Season 5 of Pure Fly New Zealand is better than ever, exploring the pinnacle of fly fishing with the best...
series
Pure Fly New Zealand is back for another season, and the fishing is better than ever in the promised land...
video
Only the River Knows is a fly fishing film exploring the often thin line between fact and fiction in the...

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Top 10 Fly Fishing Movies

video
The Test, The Itchen, Broadlands, Mottisfont, Halford, Skues and Sawyer are all names associated with the chalkstreams of England and...
video
Live the Stream
(4)
1:32:10
Live The Stream tells the heart warming story of Joe Humphreys and his lifelong passion for fly fishing. Heralding from...
series
The backcountry of New Zealand holds a special place in the heart of all Kiwis. "Going bush" is a national...

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Fishing in Iceland

series
As soon as you start watching the Fishing Cabin, you know that you're in for a different kind of fishing...
series
This season of Icelandic Tails sees guests from the UK fishing on some of Iceland's top rivers for Atlantic Salmon...
video
Iceland - volcanoes, glaciers, amazing trout and salmon fishing, and... surfing?! Ja (pron. "Yow") is Icelandic for "Yes",...

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Fly Fishing Adventures

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Season 5 of Pure Fly New Zealand is better than ever, exploring the pinnacle of fly fishing with the best...
series
In season two of Hooké, Charles Cloutier and Alexis Pageau travel the wilds of Canada enjoying the best fly fishing...
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The Selfish Generation explores the exhilaration and fragility of Atlantic Salmon fishing during the trip of a lifetime, as a...

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The Hooked Collection

series
Paul Young's final series, Fishing Road Trip USA hits all the marks as he embarks on an epic east coast...
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In this the final season of Hooked on Fishing, Paul enjoys plenty of trips around the British Isles with few...
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Paul brings us another fantastic season of Hooked on Fishing with action from all over the world and covering many...

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Fly Fish USA

video
This feature length cut of "Night of the Hex" offers a rare glimpse of fishing this rarely filmed event. As...
video
Live the Stream
(4)
1:32:10
Live The Stream tells the heart warming story of Joe Humphreys and his lifelong passion for fly fishing. Heralding from...
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Renowned independent filmmaker, Robert Thompson, brings us this fascinating follow up to his hit fly fishing film, Musky Country. Filmed...

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Fly Tying Videos

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Lefty Kreh and Bob Clouser are on the fly tying bench together and showing us some deadly saltwater and freshwater...
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Bob Popovics is a renowned fly angler, fly tier and fly fishing writer. He is best known for his revolutionary...
series
Jo Stephenson, who reached the semifinals of the BBC's "The Big Fish" has created a selection of great looking predator...

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Discover Tenkara

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A short film looking at the process of building a traditional tenkara fishing rod from bamboo, from the cutting and...
series
If you've ever fancied tying your own fly but were put off by tricky knots and thread whipping skills, this...
series
Learn the techniques and subtleties of Kebari, Tenkara fly-tying. Tenkara is similar to western fly fishing in many respects, in...

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The Robert Thompson Collection

series
Renowned independent filmmaker, Robert Thompson, brings us this fascinating follow up to his hit fly fishing film, Musky Country. Filmed...
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Reverb tells the story of three musicians who were part of the late 80's, early 90's post-punk scene in Chicago....
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In Spey Daze, award winning film maker Robert Thompson takes on the story of Steelhead in America's Great Lakes. He...

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Learn Fly Fishing

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In this final episode from the Sea Trout Secrets series, Claus Eriksen and Thomas Hansen fish for Sea Trout and...
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In this episode of Reservoir Masterclass, Tom Bird bags up in difficult conditions fishing dry flies at Eyebrook reservoir for...
series
Renowned independent filmmaker, Robert Thompson, brings us this fascinating follow up to his hit fly fishing film, Musky Country. Filmed...

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Brown Trout Heaven

video
This feature length cut of "Night of the Hex" offers a rare glimpse of fishing this rarely filmed event. As...
video
The Test, The Itchen, Broadlands, Mottisfont, Halford, Skues and Sawyer are all names associated with the chalkstreams of England and...
video
As June arrives in the American Midwest it ushers in the emergence of the Michigan mayfly, Hexagenia Limbata. This prolific...

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Saltwater Fly Fishing – Top 10 Videos

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Tidewater
25:50
Following a near-fatal rock-climbing fall, Art Webb was looking for something to help him recreate the adrenaline highs that climbing...
video
Alphonse
40:34
The Indian Ocean - a vast expanse of blue, studded with tiny island chains. One of the best known is...
video
Rise, the follow up to Drift takes us to 6 stunning new fly fishing locations in search of fly...

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Flats Fishing on the Fly

series
In this season of Buccaneers and Bones, fly fishing legends and celebrities alike chase big Bonefish on Grand Bahama Island....
series
In this star-studded fishing adventure, novice and professional fly anglers alike explore the remote flats of South Andros Island in...
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Scorpion
29:22
Remote reefs. Tropical fish. Crashing in a hammock. Wild boat rides. Lucha libre masks. Eight- to twelve-pound Bonefish. Sound...

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Scotland the Brave

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In this episode of the Game Fisher's Diary, Rae is salmon fishing on the River Deveron in north east...
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A group of passionate fly fishers from around the world – Ken Packie from the USA, Clare Carter from England,...
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Blue Charm is brought to you by Ian Gordon, a former world champion Spey Caster and very experienced salmon fisherman....

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Big Fish on the Fly

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Renowned independent filmmaker, Robert Thompson, brings us this fascinating follow up to his hit fly fishing film, Musky Country. Filmed...
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For humankind, water is a source of eternal wonder, so too the creatures that dwell within this mysterious realm. The...
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There are Tarpon fishing films, and then there are tarpon fishing films. This is definitely the latter. Two guys -...

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Fly Fishing for Carp

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In this unique episode of The New Fly Fisher, host Colin Mckeown joins guide Glen Hales in Lake Ontario’s Bay...
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Rich and Trev brush up on their fly fishing skills for Rainbow Trout, something a little alien to them. They...
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Carpland
20:17
Carpland is a documentary-style adventure film about the history of carp in the United States. This non-native invasive species was...

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Top US Movies

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Land of Little Rivers is the story of the birthplace of American fly fishing. The Catskills area of New York...
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Where the Yellowstone Goes follows a 30-day drift boat journey down the longest un-dammed river in the contiguous United States....
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Journey On
(3)
54:27
We’ve all dreamed of quitting our jobs, packing our fishing kit and heading out into the wilderness to do nothing...

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