BY KAREN BOSSICK
Maxine McCormick was 9 when she started fly casting. In three short years, under the tutelage of casting coach Chris Korich, she had become a world fly casting champion.
Never mind that she was just 12 years old.
Maxine’s inspirational story is chronicled in a beautiful film titled “Poetry in Motion: The Maxine McCormick Story.” And the story of the young girl who has since won multiple other titles, will be one of 11 films shown at the 2020 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum.
The festival hosted by the Hemingway Chapter of Trout Unlimited will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, and will offer nearly two hours of fly-fishing adventures on the silver screen.
Did we note that there’ll be plenty of raffle prizes for attendees to reel in?
“We have some great raffle prizes lined up, including some great boxes of handtied flies and products donated by local fly shops, as well as the IF4 company,” said Trout Unlimited Hemingway Chapter Member Jill Clark.
Festival tickets are $20, with the money supporting Trout Unlimited’s fish rescues, river restoration projects, public access monitoring and student, veteran and adult programs in the Wood River Valley, said Patti Lousen, a board member of the Trout Unlimited Hemingway Chapter.
IF4 consists of short and feature-length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe that showcase the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly-fishing. The films were shot around the world. And they’re capturing the attention of anglers around the world.
The purpose of the screening is to increase awareness of the local Trout Unlimited chapter and the activities it’s doing locally, said Clark.
“We want to encourage people to join our chapter and participate in monthly meetings and conservation activities, restoration projects and education. This event is to be a fun activity that allows social time and information. Alan Richardson, our chapter president, will give a quick introduction before the movie,” she added.
The films to be screened include:
- “Particles and Droplets”—Gilbert Rowley’s look at the world from a different perspective with fly fishing as the catalyst.
- “Aurora Fontinalis”—An adventurous trip after giant brook trout in the far North where rodent-eating monster brook trout explode on surface flies as the northern lights color them shades of green and purple.
- “Iqaluk”—A fly-fishing adventure to Nunavik, the land of the Inuit and Nanuk the white bear in search of Arctic Char.
- “The Mend”—Broc Isabelle’s story of a father-son relationship complicated by career and responsibilities, all set to the backdrop of fly fishing.
- “Nine Foot Rod”—Dana Lattery’s story of fly-fishing guides from Calgary, Canada, who embark on a trip to Oman in search of giant trevalley and Indo-Pacific permit. But, wait, they run headfirst into a stigma that demonizes their destination, forcing them to search for a great understanding of the region and its people.
- “AK 30”--This film takes you to the Naknek river in Bristol Bay, Alaska, where 30-inch trout—the dream of a lifetime for most anglers—are caught every day during fall.
- “The Bull Run”—About looking for a bull trout north of the 49th parallel in the Rockies.
- “One Fish”--Takes an inside look at the fishery, guides and a prized permit in the small country of Belize.
- “Travels with Charlie”--Follows 11-year-old Charlie Moen as he travels into British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in search of Coho salmon.
Tickets are available at Silver Creek Outfitters, Lost River Outfitters and Sun Valley Outfitters in Ketchum. They’re also available at the Trout Unlimited office at 308 Main Street Hailey. Online tickets are available at www.hemingwaytu.org.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for socializing. Beverages will be available for purchase.
Trout Unlimited Hemingway Chapter meets from 5 to 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month in the upstairs conference room of Whiskey Jacques on Main Street Ketchum. Every month features a presentation featuring a wide range of topics from a look at the challenges Silver Creek is facing to fishing in Bhutan. Programs are free and open to the public.
Chapter members participate in such hands-on projects as restoring cold water fisheries in the mountains around Sun Valley and performing fish rescues when the water is turned off to canals in fall. Its members also advocate for the health of the local rivers and streams.