This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Chances are slim to none that I'll ever actually appear in any film even considered for the annual Fly Fishing Film Tour. But last September while in Alaska I was on site for filming that is appearing in the 2013 Tour. I was with four friends at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge after attending the Outdoor Writers Association of America annual conference. We met the Fly Out film crew - Cory, Katie and Sarah - at the waterport in Anchorage. They gave us a quick rundown of what they were up to and we promised to stay out of their way. Most of us kept our promise, but my buddy Mark kept showing off for the cameras. I was stoked to see that "Magnetic North" is included in the Fly Fishing Film Tour this year and was pleased to hear that a reduced version of the overall video will be shown in Salt Lake on Feburary 22 when it shows at the Depot. The portion of "Magnetic North" included in the tour is what Cory, Katie and Sarah filmed at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge."Magnetic North" focuses on the voices of guides, anglers and others drawn to Alaska for its wildness and end up staying to work and live. At Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, the focus of the shooting was on co-owner/operator Mike Overcast and lodge manager Bret Gilleland.Mike just happened to take me on the most epic Alaska adventure I could have imagined, and always dreamed of, concidentally on my birthday. Bret was a gracious host and every bit the character she appears to be in the "Magnetic North" segment.My buddies and I all got a kick out of Bret when she joined us for some fly fishing for Dolly varden on a tributary to Judd Lake where the lodge is located moments after she had been riding a hydrofoil board for the cameras. Bret stood in the water casting a rod while wearing a dry suit, but nothing on her feet. Now the weather was warm and all, but we all found it interesting that a lady from Georgia could stand in a creek in Alaska for as long as she did. If you look very carefully during a scene of the Tordrillo episode to be shown in Salt Lake you will catch the top of my head. The crew was filming from across the river as a helicopter took off from the lodge. I was laying in the deep grass of the bank closer to the helipad filming for my own purposes. And that is likely all that will ever be shown of me in the Fly Fishing Film Tour. Thanks Cory and crew for 15 seconds of f3t fame. I couldn't agree more with the title of the project. I too feel a magnetic pull from Alaska and it has just about everything to do with my experience at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge.The video is the first of five episodes that will be posted on the web. The Tordrillo episode will be posted last.Here's the Utah schedule of Fly Fishing Film Tour showings:Salt Lake City, Feb. 22 - Tickets available at Western Rivers Flyfisher and Fishwest. Ogden, March 8 Logan, March 15 Sandy, March 16 through the Stonefly Society. Send an email to jason@wasatchexpo.com for ticket information.Park City, March 21