Travel, Trout, and Teamwork: The Story of Slow Rise Media
With: rustiefly
We caught up with Rustie, the creator behind Slow Rise Media, to talk about his journey in fly fishing and filmmaking. From starting a YouTube channel as a teenager to traveling the world with a camera in hand, Rustie shares how Slow Rise Media came to life, the joys of filming trout in slow motion, and what viewers can expect from his channel.
Rustie, what inspired you to start Slow Rise Media, and how does it differ from other fly fishing content out there?
I uploaded the first couple of videos to the channel when I was around 15–16 years old. My motivation at the time was to share our fishing experiences with family and friends, much like we took pictures and wrote blog posts back then. Growing up, I watched every fly fishing video I could find on YouTube, and it quickly became a big part of the hobby for me.
When I turned 17 or 18, I started working with the Norwegian brand ArcticSilver Fly Fishing. Among other tasks, I edited a few professional videos. The raw footage was captured with high-quality cameras shooting in slow motion and high resolution—something I thoroughly enjoyed working with during the editing process. There’s something incredibly satisfying about editing slow-motion footage of fish, especially when paired with a good soundtrack.
The most recent chapter of this journey began when my girlfriend and I finished our studies and work commitments and decided to travel the world for a year to fish. New Zealand was at the top of our list of destinations, and, as the YouTube-obsessed fly fisherman I am, I had spent Norwegian winters watching channels like Jensen Fly Fishing and Trippin on Trout.
Before this trip, I had worked as a golden dorado guide in Bolivia alongside Alex Waller, the creator of @trippinontrout. Following his adventures with the camera definitely sparked something in me. Before we left Norway, we invested in a good camera—a LUMIX GH6—and started filming in Canada, Kodiak, and Belize. Unfortunately, our computer broke down in Honduras, making it difficult to transfer large files.
After a brief stop in Aitutaki, we bought a new computer in New Zealand, along with a car and camping gear. The stage was set to create some incredible fishing films. For the next three months, we did nothing but drive around New Zealand’s South Island, filming, fishing, and editing.
We needed a name for the channel since this was now a shared project. After filming plenty of large trout rising to dry flies in stunning 4K slow motion, the name practically chose itself. Slow Rise Media was born.
What has been the most rewarding part of creating videos for Slow Rise Media, and how has it influenced your own fly fishing journey?
One of the things I enjoy most is simply watching close-up shots of trout rising. After a day of filming, I can spend hours replaying the clips, studying the fish and their behavior. To me, there’s something magical about it—something that’s hard to put into words—but it seems I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Additionally, we’re the kind of people who enjoy attention, so making videos and sharing them on YouTube feels natural. The positive feedback from the first few videos was a huge motivation to keep going.
It’s also incredibly rewarding when two people fish together, especially in a place like New Zealand, where the typical strategy involves one person spotting, and the other fishing. Viewing the action through a long lens is like watching it through binoculars, and capturing the perfect rise on camera can feel almost as satisfying as catching the fish itself. On top of that the feeling of teamwork is not to be underestimated!
For viewers new to Slow Rise Media, what can they expect from your channel, and what’s one thing you hope they take away from your videos?
First of all, viewers can expect a series of 20 episodes from New Zealand, featuring plenty of large trout rising in stunning close-up slow motion. Another exciting aspect is that the series follows Tuva and me as we learn how to fish the South Island—starting with no knowledge at all and gradually figuring things out. That’s pretty much what to expect. The series is very informal and doesn’t aim to serve a greater purpose.
When I’m in Norway, especially during the cold and dark winter months, I love starting my morning with a good fishing film and a cup of coffee. It doesn’t have to be particularly good or educational—I just need my daily dose of fishing. I see the Slow Rise Media episodes as our contribution to the amazing pool of free fishing content on YouTube. If our videos help someone get their daily dose of fly fishing when they can’t be on the water, that makes me very happy.
We’re back in Norway now, and the New Zealand series is nearly complete. However, when we left New Zealand as winter arrived in 2024, summer was just beginning here in Norway—and we didn’t stop filming. As a result, you can look forward to episodes of trout fishing in Norway, Atlantic salmon fishing, pike fishing, and even sea-run brown trout fishing in the ocean.
I’d say the story has only just begun.
