If there's a single, watershed event behind the growth of angling-and in particular, fly fishing-over the past twenty years, it must be the moment A River Runs Through It made its debut in theaters across America in October of 1992. Much like Norman Maclean's book, still a cult favorite, it immediately won audiences over with the heartfelt portrayal of a pair of brothers, one reserved, one rebellious, who grew up in rural Montana with but one shared passion-their love for fly fishing.

The film was a hit for director Robert Redford and was nominated for three Academy Awards, eventually taking home the statue for Best Cinematography. Both awareness of and interest in our sport climbed to new heights, as can be seen in the explosion of usage on the remote rivers of western Alaska in the mid-1990s; in many cases, angler-days on individual streams doubled from their historical averages. The sport underwent a similar renaissance across the country, showing the first signs of the egalitarian appeal it enjoys today, when angling-and catch-and-release angling at that-has become an irreplaceable cornerstone of the economies of several states.

Within the industry, it's now simply known as "The Movie,"and today, inspired at least in part by its continued success, a new generation of filmmakers are setting out to lead a renaissance of their own, and again trying to capture the multifarious essence of fly fishing on the screen. Friday night, March 23, interested anglers can catch the results of their efforts at the Anchorage Performing Arts Center.

The Angling Exploration Group (AEG), a media production company specializing in adventure fly-fishing entertainment, recently announced the film and venue list for this year's Fly Fishing Film Tour, an event begun in late 2005 primarily to promote the fledgling media company's own film, The Trout Bum Diaries, Volume 1: Patagonia. Including Anchorage, the tour will visit over thirty cities nationwide, having kicked off January 12 at the Patagonia World Headquarters in Ventura, California.

"There are a number of young independent filmmakers out there creating this sort of underground angling media,"said Chris Owens, AEG's director of videography. "None of these shows are on TV, and so the focus of the tour has been to get the word out, to let people see the great work they've been doing."Unlike A River Runs Through It, the films featured in the tour are all documentaries, and unlike the cast of Redford's Oscar-winning drama, everyone involved in these projects actually loves to fish, something that comes across in the finished products.

Ryan Davey, a founding partner of the Angling Exploration Group, noted the overwhelming success the tour has met with so far. "When we took Volume 1 of the Trout Bum Diaries on a national marketing tour last year, we were absolutely amazed by the response,"he said, pointing to a similar phenomenon, albeit on a smaller scale, as that which followed the release of A River Runs Through It. "A sport that had become a little stale and stagnant suddenly had inspiration. Based on that success, the Fly Fishing Film Tour was born."

In total, eight films will be shown this year in Anchorage, including the first release from AEG and their new film, The Trout Bum Diaries, Volume 2: New Zealand. Other highlights range from Chasing Silver, a short primer on the history of tarpon fishing from Howard Films, to Running Down the Man, Felt Soul Media's exploration of the arcane pursuit of angling for the roosterfish of Baja. The total running time of the program will be approximately two and a half hours, with a short intermission for attendees to stretch their legs, visit with the filmmakers present and sign up for various raffles and door prizes.

"We've got a ton of great gear to give away at each event,"continued Thad Robison, coordinator for the film tour. "Not only have our presenting sponsors been very generous but our additional tour sponsors aren't holding back either."Headline sponsors for the tour include Patagonia, Costa Del Mar, Scientific Anglers, Sage, Defeet, Reel Pure, and Wilderness Systems. "We've also got products to give away from Korkers, Brunton, Vosseler, FethaStyx, Harmony, Adventure Technology, and Loop Fly Fishing Tackle."Besides the giveaways and the chance for hard-core anglers to view exciting footage from some of the world's more exotic fisheries, Owens points out that these aren't necessarily specialty films and through the tour, he hopes to gain a wider audience for their work.

"We've got some really solid content for this year's tour,"he continued. "And while most of these films appeal directly to anglers, the event is really more about high-quality entertainment than anything else."Davey agrees. "While fly fishing has traditionally been viewed as an old man's sport, it's really something everyone can enjoy. If you've ever considered fly fishing or are interested in seeing what it's about don't miss this!"For more information, including a full list of 2007 venues and films, video clips from the year's inclusions, and links to purchasing DVD copies of all eight films, visit www.flyfishingfilmtour.com.

The doors open for the Anchorage event at 7 p.m., Friday, March 23, with the show scheduled to start at 7:30. Tickets ($12 for adults or $8 for kids) can be purchased ahead of time at World Wide Angler, or on the day of the show at the Anchorage Performing Arts Center at 621 W. 6th Ave.