There are not many pastimes that fishermen like as much as actually fishing, but there are a few things I can think of and one of those things is talking about fishing. Guys love to talk about fishing trips from the past, and talking about future trips is also a common topic for fishermen. Another comparable activity to fishing is simply watching fishing on television. What could be easier than sitting on the couch with a cold one and watching someone else do all the casting and reeling?
TV fishing is the ultimate lazy fisherman’s paradise. With all the sportsman channels available now on cable TV, the shows are endless.
One related fishing hobby is watching a movie about fishing or at least partially about the sport. I love movies as much as I do fishing, so mixing those two things together is akin to passing a needle to a junkie. I could go on a Saturday fishing trip, come home and click on Netflix, then watch feature films or even documentaries about fishing. That, my friend, is fishing Nirvana. Below is my top ten list of fishing-related movies. These are great to watch anytime, especially if the weather is not good for a particular day you had planned to go catch a few.
Top 10 Fishing Movies [in no specific order]
1. A River Runs Through It – Great film with Brad Pitt that involves two brothers growing into men while fly fishing with their father.
2. The Old Man And The Sea – It has been two decades since I have seen this classic based on the Hemingway novel. It is still worth a watch in 2014.
3. Jaws – Yes, this is a classic horror film, but it involves some great fishing scenes when they are trying to capture the unknown monster of the beach community.
4. On Golden Pond – This movie with Henry Fonda uses fishing on the family pond as a backdrop to the issues of normal family problems and relationships.
5. The Perfect Storm – Based on a true story, this movie weaves the tale of a crew of fishermen hitting the jackpot of commercial fishing only to be faced with a once-in-a-century storm.
6. Grumpy Old Men – A terrific comedy with two mean old guys that love to fish more than they love to fight with each other.
7. Bait Shop – While this flick is a bit on the corny side and has Billy Ray Cyrus in the cast, it has a good premise for the plot. It also has the very funny Bill Engvall in it.
8. The Great Outdoors – A movie about being outdoors and involves fishing that has John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. These two are hilarious in this old-school film.
9. Low and Clear – A documentary about two old friends with different philosophies on fishing and life itself.
10. The Cove – While this documentary is not a traditional fishing tale, it does shed some light on a dark subject and also points out unhealthy situations with the fish we consume.
– By Shane McLendon
