By Steve Hubrecht
Temperatures have been well below zero in the Columbia Valley; not exactly the best time to cast a fly rod. But if you’re an avid angler, you can indulge your passion this weekend at Canal Flats’ screening of the International Fly Fishing Festival.
It’s the premier movie festival in the world for fly fishing, and this year is the second time it’s coming to Canal Flats. Last year organizer Marty Smith hoped that about 70 to 100 people would turn up. He was surprised and delighted when more than 140 people came.
“It was a huge success,” Smith told the Pioneer, outlining that “there is a pretty big fly fishing community” in the Columbia Valley, and nearby places such as Wasa and Skookumchuk.”
Smith works as a fly fishing guide as well as manager of the Village Social cafe, which is right next to the Ponderosa Arts and Events Centre, where the festival will be shown. Even if well-attended the festival won’t make much profit, but that’s fine by Smith, whose aim is to promote the sport.
“The films do a really good job of opening people’s eyes to the diversity it (fly fishing) can be. You say ‘fly fishing’ and people immediately think of some older or middle age white man in hip waders somewhere in North America,” he said. “But there’s so much more to it than that. One film, for instance, is set on Christmas Island (in the Indian Ocean). A lot of people don’t seem to realize you can fly fish for salt water species as well as fresh water species.”
The festival runs for about two hours and includes seven films. This year’s films include ‘Native Range’, ‘Fishing Diaries’, ‘Silent Spotter’, ‘Time Will Tell’, ’Above the Clouds’, ‘New Beginnings’, and ‘Legacy’.
Smith grew up in Tasmania, where fly fishing is popular. “Everyone thinks it’s quite complicated. And I suppose it is, to a degree. But that entails a need to focus,” he said. That focus means that when Smith is fly fishing the thousands of other thoughts and concerns normally flashing through his mind fade away. “Time just slips away,” he said. “I find peace in it.”
Lately Smith has noticed an uptick in the popularity of fly fishing.
“There’s a lot of young people interested and there’s a lot of people starting to realize that fly fishing is not just a pursuit for the wealthy and the elderly. It’s actually relatively accessible. You can just pack a rod on your pack the next time you go to the lake,” he said.
The Columbia Valley is rife with excellent fly fishing spots, according to Smith. Whiteswan Lake and Whitetail Lake are two of his favourites. But the very best? Some of the valley’s hidden, high alpine lakes (exactly which ones are a secret).
“The farther I can get away the better,” said Smith. “It’s amazing — some of the best fishing and some of the best scenery anywhere in the world.”
The International Fly Fishing Festival takes place at the Ponderosa Arts and Events Centre on Friday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at Flyfest.com or at the Village Social cafe in Canal Flats.
If interest is there, in the future Smith hopes to start a kayaking and whitewater rafting film festival or a trout-specific film festival.
