Friday, February 8, 2013

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

Okay, now that I got that gear review thing out of my system I have something else to get off my mind.
Reading Pete McDonald's post about receiving the F3T promo package I felt just the slightest twinge of jealousy.  Not that they would send a package to a wingshooting blog (even though I did mention fly fishing once or twice although I can't seem to find it just now), but more that I'm now forced to face the reality that there is no bird porn.

The off season is long, at times excruciatingly long, and it wouldn't take much to draw me into the air conditioning for scenes of bird dogs sailing through lowcountry pines or views across miles of western grass. But it would take more than the videos and TV shows currently out there. How many times can you watch re-created shots and recycled bird hits? I appreciate the effort but where's the film-making talent?  Where's the story from a novel point of view?  For that matter, where's the novel story?

Back when Gray's dabbled in film they produced a 30 minute episode of Hungarian partridge hunting with Ben Williams that was pretty darn good.  Exceptional camera work, inspiring and apropos soundtrack, a piece that really put you there.  I have the thing on 8-track VHS. They did a decent grouse episode too but I never taped it. Those are as close as I've seen to what these fly rod Coppolas on the F3T are doing.

Could it be that wingshooters won't fill theaters all across the country to drink microbrews and gaze with lust and longing at someone else's adventures?  I guess that would be for the other porn.


2 comments:

  1. scott linden is still holding the fort down with a decent show...
    I think it all comes down to a combination of things: Upland bird hunting isn't easy to film. its not really a young persons sport like big game, turkey hunt, and waterfowl -which are also easier to film than upland. and last but not least I don't think there are enough uplanders out there to warrant many television shows, were a shrinking demographic. sure there are plenty of upland bird hunters, but the next the amount of big game and turkey hunters were a drop in the bucket. compared to fly fishers we barely exist.

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    1. Right on all counts. Our cottage sport is a mixed blessing.

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