My friend Mark Melnyk travels the world hosting episodes of The New Fly Fisher, an old-school fly-fishing program that’s adapting to its web-only format quite nicely. Every time I watch an episode, I’m transported back to those lazy Saturday mornings in the 1990s and early 2000s, when hosts like Jose Wejebe and Flip Pallot would walk us through some great saltwater angling and Henry Waschuk and Italo Labignan would take across the north country in the program, “Fishin’ Canada.”
Mark brings some new elements to The New Fly Fisher, though. He’s got a good eye for the little things, and he’s equal parts instructor and wide-eyed adventurer. I really enjoy watching the shows he puts together.
Above, Mark takes us deep into the Amazon jungle of Brazil, where he’s after peacock bass and gently preaching sustainability as a fly-fishing business model in the wilds of South America. I’m envious of the great fishing he got to experience, but I’m less and less envious of the hours-long plane rides he had to endure to get them. For now, I’ll live vicariously through him.
— Chris Hunt