La Bibliofille Reviewing books, movies, TV, etc.

Megan Boyd

In 2001, filmmaker Eric Steel read an obituary in the New York Times that intrigued and affected him deeply. Kiss the Water, a magical movie, is the result. It tells the tale of Megan Boyd, a legendary figure in the world of fly fishing. Yes-fly fishing, and specifically fishing for Atlantic salmon.

Ms. Boyd lived and worked for much of her life in the northern Scottish village of Kintradwell. She learned to tie flies, and supported herself selling flies. Her work was legendary for its precision, beauty, attention to details and effectiveness. Her customers included Prince Charles, who fished at his nearby lodge. Queen Elizabeth II awarded Boyd the British Empire Medal.

Those are the facts of Megan Boyd’s life. But Kiss the Water is more than a factual account of Boyd’s life. It is a beautiful rendering of a way of life. Combining dream-like animation, interviews with Boyd’s neighbors, and beautiful scenery and music, Kiss the Water is a fish tale of the best kind-perhaps not totally factual but a true picture of a unique individual.

I was fortunate enough to view this film at the Tribeca Film Festival. There is no information available about the movie’s general release. Hopefully many more people will get to view this treasure.

On a side note, until two weeks ago, I knew next to nothing about fly fishing. But I just returned from a vacation to Belize, where I spent a few days at Turneffe Flats Lodge. This lodge is located on an island in the Turneffe Atoll. Most of the guests at this small lodge come to Turneffe Flats to enjoy-you guessed it-world class salt water fly fishing, specifically coming to fish for bonefish, tarpon and permit. So I spent four days hearing about fly fishing (catch and release only!) in more detail than I ever thought possible.

I had purchased the tickets to Kiss the Water before leaving on vacation, having no idea what it was about. It was just a movie that fit into a time slot that I was able to attend, and there were tickets available. Clearly it was meant to be!