Video spotlight

Video spotlight: "The Way of the Trout"

When it comes to trout- and fly fishing-related video content, the good old days really are now. A search of Web-based platforms will turn up anything and everything, from simple (but interesting and informative) “home” videos to incredible professional productions. The challenge is not finding content, it’s deciding what content to consume.

That said, there is something to be said for the days of yore, before the age of information overload. Especially for those of us who have been around a while, watching classic fishing movies can take us back to those simpler times.

TU’s 1969 movie “The Way of the Trout” is one of those timeless classics. It dates to 1969 and that era’s unique flavor impossible to miss, from the shooting style to the narration to the background music. But the way of the trout hasn’t changed. They still need clean, cold water to thrive. And we still love to fish for them.

Most of today’s Internet-based fishing movies are just a few minutes long. That suits modern society’s need for instant gratification. “The Way of the Trout” clocks in at just over 30 minutes. Don’t start watching it unless you’ve got those 30 minutes, because you may a hard time hitting the “stop” button.

By Mark Taylor. A native of rural southern Oregon, Mark Taylor has lived in Virginia since serving a stint as a ship-based naval officer in Norfolk. He joined the TU staff in 2014 after a 20-year run as a newspaper journalist, the final 16 as the outdoors editor of the Roanoke Times. A graduate of Northwestern University, he lives in Roanoke with his wife and, when they're home from college, his twin daughters.