RIO announces winner of Amateur Fly Fishing Film Awards

RIO Products celebrates amateur film makers in the fly fishing arena with its second annual RIO Amateur Fly Fishing Film Awards. With many great films submitted for year two, Meris McHaney took away the grand prize for 2018 with her film “Lucky."

"Lucky" - Winner of the RIO Award in the 2018 RIO Amateur Fly Fishing Film Awards from RIO Products on Vimeo.

McHaney wins an all-expenses paid trip to Idaho Falls to fish for three days with the RIO team, $300 value of RIO products, a $500 cash prize, and a “short film” category entry in the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) – courtesy of our media partner Fly Fusion magazine. The runner-up, “Matapedia” receives $500 worth of their choice of RIO Products.

Meris said, “I created this film to capture the passion I have for fly fishing and wanted to show people how beautiful the Texas Coast is and how the sport brought me closer with my dad. I’m so fortunate to get to sight cast to fish so close to home and I felt like the story I’ve had with fly fishing needed to be shared. I’m so thankful RIO hosts such a great competition for amateur filmmakers. The whole company has been so amazing and all the buzz from the film is very exciting. I can’t wait to get to Idaho to fish with the RIO crew and get some great gear; I’m so lucky they believed in me and my story.”

The Viewer’s Choice Award saw a tie between Ken Tanaka with “Obsession” and Mike Silva with “A Fish-mas Story”. They both receive $1,000 worth of Sage, RIO and Redington products, and the runner up will receive $500 worth of RIO products of their choice. See all submissions here.