There’s something quite humbling about seeing your own Town’s name appear on a map you’ve been following for years.

For me, the Fly Fishing Film Tour has been one of those yearly events. I first stumbled across it back in 2011, when it had already been going since 2006! Drawn to it by the films, the places, the fish, and like many, followed it as it travelled the world, telling stories from rivers far bigger and only just a little bit wilder than those found on Dartmoor!

Standing in Chagford last Friday, hosting an official stop on the 20th Anniversary UK Tour,felt, well… something to be quietly proud of.

Chagford’s own Cinema

In reflection, If you strip it all back, the success of the evening wasn’t just about the films. It was about those that showed up…

The Globe Inn’s upstairs cinema room proved the perfect venue. Small enough to feel right, and full of people who, for one reason or another, care about rivers. Some anglers. Some not. Some who’ve spent a lifetime on the water, and others just beginning to understand what draws people to it in the first place. To me, that’s always been the magic of F3T.

It brings together people, place, and a shared appreciation for wild, healthy environments without needing to over-explain why that matters.

Seven films & One thread

The films themselves took us far away from Dartmoor… Patagonia. Iceland. The Amazon Basin. Open ocean pursuits for Mako sharks on a fly rod (which, for the record, makes even the most apex Teign Sea Trout feel quite manageable!).

Different species. Different waters. Different people and Different challenges.

But the thread running through all of them was the same. Truly wild places. Healthy habitats. And the people willing to travel, protect, and tell stories about why these places are so special

And that connection, from those far-flung places back to our own river catchment, is exactly why evenings like this matter.

The Man with the Plan

A huge thank you has to go to the F3T team for making the whole thing happen.

And in particular, Chagford’s new honorary member… Keegan Kennedy, the man who turned up with the films, the plan, the merchandise… and, it would seem, just enough time to sneak in a bit of fishing on the UTFA water as well!

*Chagford’s latest adopted son, Keegan Kennedy, about to deliver the prize draw…*

And about those prizes… Now, I confess, I may have mentioned the prizes once or twice in the build-up. (Alright, maybe more than once.) But even then, the reality exceeded expectations.

Thanks to the main sponsors and partners of the tour, a dedicated prize pool had been pulled together specifically for the Chagford screening, and it did not disappoint. Even if Keegan and I had to lug it all up a couple of flights of stairs! And, in what I’d like to think was a moment of particularly good taste, a few TACA t-shirts and caps quietly made their way into the mix as well.

The result? Everyone left with something. Which is never a bad way to end any evening. And it’s not over yet, as every UK Ticket will still go into the National Prize Draw (to be announced in May!) - Good Luck!

*An amazingly generous prize draw provided by Sponsors & Partners of the F3T…*

More than just films

But beyond the films, the prizes, and the inevitable post-show drinks & conversations, what stood out most was something a bit deeper… Proper Connections.

Between people. Between places. Between what we see on a screen and what we have right here on our doorstep. Because while we might not have Mako sharks cruising around, the underlying message is the same.

Healthy and sustainable places don’t happen by accident. They’re understood. Looked after and Talked about.

Building something

It’s always been a bit of a dream to put the truly wild experience of fly fishing on Dartmoor rivers firmly on the map, and this feels like a proper step in that direction.

I’d love to build on this in the coming years with the F3T. To grow it. To fill the room again. To keep bringing people together around rivers and the stories that surround them.

So if you came along… thank you. And please, spread the word. Although maybe show a touch of restraint when talking about what you won - I’m looking at you, Dad… (He’s already earmarked his prize for feeding future volunteer days, so at least it’s going to a good use!)

Because this is how it starts. Word spreads. People come along. And before you know it… momentum builds.

And if you didn’t make it this time, the tour continues after leaving the UK, with special screenings lined up at The Game Fair this July, well worth a look if it’s already in your calendar and you're planning to attend the wider show.

https://thegamefair.org/the-fly-fishing-film-tour/

A small place on a big map

For one evening, good old Chagford sat alongside cities and venues across the UK on the official tour schedule. A small Dartmoor town, once again playing its part on a global stage. And when you think about it like that… it feels just about right.

Because good rivers, good people, and a shared passion for both tend to travel a long way… even if it all ends, quite fittingly, in a small country pub with a cinema room upstairs.

And yes, we did all leave at closing time, your honour! Although, next time… we might need a slightly bigger room, and possibly a bigger prize table!

Dartmoor on the Map