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When Kelowna filmmaker and fisherman Travis Lowe first read about a world record brook trout that had stood the test of time, he knew he was onto something.
It was a fish tale bigger than most; a world record catch that had stood for over 100 years and was surrounded in mystery and controversy.
The record brook trout (Latin name salvelinus fontinalis) is a 14.5 pound monster caught (or not) by noted Dr. J.W. Cook in the Nipigon River in Ontario in 1916.
A chapter in Nick Karas香蕉视频直播� 1997 book called Brook Trout investigates the story behind the record and when Lowe dusted the book off his shelf and read about it, he knew he wanted to dig deeper.
To use a fishing term, he was caught, hook, line and sinker.
香蕉视频直播淚t had an entire chapter about the 100-year-old record brook trout that J.W. Cook had supposedly caught,香蕉视频直播� said Lowe, who has completed a feature film called Finding Fontinalis set for its Canadian debut Nov. 5 in Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淥nce I read that, I knew I had a real story to tell of one of the greatest fishing tales ever told.
香蕉视频直播淭hat gave me the framework for which to build and hang our story on.
香蕉视频直播淭he story was the search for a new world record but that was really only a guise so I could hide the conservation message behind it.香蕉视频直播�
Over the next three years, Lowe, travelled across the USA, into the forests of Ontario where the Nipigon River has gone from one of the best fishing rivers in the world to water that is no longer fishable, thanks to hydro dams, and into the wilds of Argentina and Chile, an area that cultivated a brook trout fishery that has grown to produce large fish but has problems of its own.
What he had was a story of a once proud fish香蕉视频直播攌nown as America香蕉视频直播檚 first trout香蕉视频直播攖hat has come on hard times, been revived in Argentina and is in now香蕉视频直播攍ike a lot of natural resources香蕉视频直播攊n need of more support than ever before.
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香蕉视频直播淚n angling there is a progression,香蕉视频直播� said Lowe, one of the founding members of Trout Unlimted Kelowna.
香蕉视频直播淎t first you want to catch a fish, then you want to catch as many fish as you can, then you want to catch the largest fish you can.
香蕉视频直播淏y that time most fly anglers evolve and practice strict catch-and-release and then they begin to realize that they aren香蕉视频直播檛 really out there to catch fish.香蕉视频直播�
That香蕉视频直播檚 where Lowe is now. He香蕉视频直播檚 a conservationist who is using his considerable film-making skills to push a message of saving the resource.
He香蕉视频直播檚 a fisherman who would rather swim with fish than stand on the shore hoping to catch them.
To get underwater footage of brook trout, Lowe made one final trip to the southern hemisphere in 2015 and spent days filming fontinalis underwater.
香蕉视频直播淚t was the most incredible experience I have ever had,香蕉视频直播� he explained.
香蕉视频直播淔or me it closed the circle. I had been spending the last two years chasing large brook trout with four anglers and I got to become one with them.
香蕉视频直播淚 became part of their world. I became such a fixture in the Rio Corcovado that the brook trout weren香蕉视频直播檛 even bothered by me anymore.香蕉视频直播�
In Finding Fontinalis, Lowe has crafted his first feature film, to dive under the surface.
It香蕉视频直播檚 a fishing film, true, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not just fishing. Lowe examines conservation issues such as the destruction of the famed Nipigon River, which was first dammed in the 1920s, covering popular fishing holes under water.
香蕉视频直播淭he death knell of the Nipigon river was when the first dam was built,香蕉视频直播� said expert Rob Swainson in the movie, a biologist in charge of the Nipigon.
香蕉视频直播淭he impact to the fishery was horrendous.香蕉视频直播�
That moment, early in the film, speaks to where Finding Fontinalis is heading. This is not your average, every day fish film.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 a conservationist, and I have married my passion for filmmaking with my love for fly fishing,香蕉视频直播� said Lowe.
香蕉视频直播淚 see this medium as a tool for change and I want to affect some sort of environmental change with my work.香蕉视频直播�
My hope is that the film香蕉视频直播檚 message resonates with people whether they fly fish or not.香蕉视频直播�
From the Nipigon, Lowe香蕉视频直播檚 film takes off for Argentina and Chile, as the main character in the movie香蕉视频直播攖he Patagonia company香蕉视频直播檚 director of fishing香蕉视频直播攕earches for a world record catch.
But over the course of their travels into Argentina, the conservation message runs throughout in what turned out to be a physically demanding trek through untouched wilderness.
For eight weeks, on three different trips to Argentina, Lowe filmed from sun up to sun down deep in the heart of the Andes mountains near the border of Argentina and Chile. There was no power so batteries were charged with solar cell systems. The fishermen and the crew had exhausting hikes just to access fishing water.
香蕉视频直播淲e had so much film equipment, cameras, drones, underwater housings, wet suits, lights, tripods, camera jibs,dollies and all of it had to be carried by someone,香蕉视频直播� said Lowe.
香蕉视频直播淚t really was a back breaking shoot. I would get up with the sun rise, shoot every waking moment of the day and long into the night, eventually passing out in my tent from utter exhaustion and get up the next day and repeat it again.香蕉视频直播�
A thousand of hours of footage was boiled down to the final product.
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Finding Fontinalis will make its Canadian debut in Kelowna on Nov. 5 as local anglers gather for their annual fundraiser. It will be the eighth annual Okanagan Chapter Trout Unlimited Fly Fishing Film Festival and Lowe香蕉视频直播檚 feature will be the main film and accompanied by other select films from the 2016 Costa Fly Fishing Film Tour.
The event will be held at the Laurel Packinghouse with proceeds going to different projects around the Okanagan. There are still plenty of tickets available for the event which will also feature live and silent auctions.
For Lowe and others who support local fishing, it will be a chance to spread the conservation message.
香蕉视频直播淲hen you have all these anglers in one spot they have a tendency to listen to a voice or voices and I think we can get the message across about conservation,香蕉视频直播� said Nick Pace, of Trout Waters Fly and Tackle, the title sponsor for the event.
香蕉视频直播淲hen they leave they are not only satisfied in seeing some great films but also maybe they are thinking about doing something to help conserve the resource. So many projects need to get done and if we can help support it, we want to do that. We want our money going to projects on the ground.香蕉视频直播�
For Lowe, it will be a chance to sit back and watch his creation. It香蕉视频直播檚 a 70- minute journey that will tug at the heart of anyone who cares for the planet.
香蕉视频直播淭he reason I wanted to make this film was because I really thought there was an incredible story to tell,香蕉视频直播� said Lowe, 香蕉视频直播�(It香蕉视频直播檚) one that takes the audience by the hand and leads them on an epic journey across North and South America. I want to help protect the environment where wild trout are found because like the main character says in the film, 香蕉视频直播楾hat is where I find my true self.香蕉视频直播�
Tickets are $20 and available at Trout Waters. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Nov. 5 with the event starting at 7 p.m.
