YETI Presents a Film About Wild Atlantic Salmon Every Fly Angler Should See

More than any fish I want to catch, the wild Atlantic salmon sits at the top of my list. The chance that it might not happen because of too few fish is a sad state of affairs.

The traditions of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon run deep. | Photo by Nick Kelley

Quick Facts:

YETI Presents | Wild Atlantic Salmon: Restoring The Run

• Length: 14 minutes and 28 seconds
• Produced by: YETI Presents, Meagan House (Producer), Sarah Wilcox (Additional Production)
• Directed by: Ben Satterlee
• Cinematography: David Cleeland and Wade Dunstan, Richard Davies (Underwater Cinematography)
• Edited by: John Bradley

Setting up for the reach. | Photo by Nick Kelley

The Problem

"Wild Atlantic salmon are a keystone species in crisis, having declined by 70% in the last 25 years. The population in Great Britain is now  endangered." - Atlantic Salmon Trust

The Film

Wild Atlantic Salmon: Restoring The Run follows fly angler Marina Gibson and her lifetime journey in relation to the wild Atlantic salmon. Conservation highlighting the challenges the Atlantic salmon face, and the efforts of anglers, researchers, and environmental groups like Atlantic Salmon Trust to bring the salmon back to a healthy fishery, is woven into the story.

Marina Gibson, a fly angler, spey caster, and ambassador for the Atlantic salmon. | Photo by Nick Kelley

The Clock is Ticking

A wild Atlantic salmon has always been high on my "Fish I want to catch" list, but I'm not optimistic about my checking that box. Their numbers are at a critically low level, and catching one is becoming a rarity. It saddens me to think that such a majestic and beautiful fish could disappear in our lifetime. YETI's involvement, along with Wild Atlantic Salmon: Restoring the Run, is an effort to bring attention to this fish and the precarious position it is presently in.

How Can This Film Help?

Working to protect the Atlantic salmon. | Photo by Nick Kelley

• The fish once thrived in North Atlantic rivers, but sadly those times are gone.

• Awareness: Improving a bad situation, fixing something that is broken, it all starts with awareness. Unless people know about it, it won't get fixed.

• Relatability: We are all fly anglers, we know the thrill of a large, beautiful fish pulling on our line. This film skillfully captures the magic of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon. The cinematography alone is worth a watch. If enough fly anglers around the world put this fish on there bucket list, maybe a movement can happen.

• Watching this film makes it all the more real. It's not just a problem somewhere else, it's a problem all fly anglers should care about.

Is It Fixable?

Miles of restored river because of dam removal. | graph by Ken Baldwin

One hundred percent yes, the wild Atlantic salmon fishery can become healthy again. We are seeing examples of river fisheries healing right before our eyes. Here are five examples of rivers that have restored fish habitat through the removal of dams, providing more than a thousand miles of fishable water and spawning grounds for the fish to reproduce.

Isn't this what we want? More fish and more room to fish, especially if the space we are restoring is back to its beautiful, natural state.

An Important Film

As beautiful as this film is, it's also very important. The more awareness of the current status of the Atlantic salmon, the greater its chance of survival. Get the word out, share the film, and put the fish on your bucket list. I'm still hanging on to the hope of feeling one on the end of my fly line one day. KB

"The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

---