60 years ago, Land Park resident Walt Bennett, was a die-hard steelhead fly fisherman, something that doesn’t sound very impressive until you’ve seen the new documentary film Rivers of a Lost Coast. From the 1940s to the early 80s California’s remote north coast was host to a culture of consumed anglers that mirrored the dedication and passion of Hawaii’s earliest big wave surfing pioneers. Complete with a cast of superbly talented anglers, egos-to-boot and a camaraderie that resembles an armed forces unit, Walt Bennett will tell you California’s north coast fly fishing community was something else in its day. Local filmmakers Justin Coupe and Palmer Taylor spent 4-years producing a documentary that attempts to prove exactly what Bennett claims.

The feature-length documentary which first premiered in San Francisco has played in 19 cities across the West Coast including two sold-out showings at Sacramento’s Crest in late April. On this past Tuesday, the filmmakers were honored with a special commendation from the Placer County Board of Supervisors for their work preserving “an important fabric of California’s history.” The film and filmmakers will be present at screenings of the film at this year’s Sacramento Film and Music Festival beginning later this month. Rivers of a Lost Coast will be playing at 11am on Saturday July 25th and again at 11am on Saturday August 1st.