GoPro Settings for Fly Fishing

Simon Lusk’s GoPro Settings for Fly Fishing

Use a Polarising Filter
Set the camera to 4k-30-W
Use GoPro’s Head Strap
Angle the Camera down approximately 30 degrees

I have used a GoPro 3 Black and 4 Black extensively for fly fishing over the past four seasons. The results are pretty good when the conditions are right, but not so good when conditions are not good.

Settings for Fly Fishing 4k-30-W

4k This setting works well for the fly fishing I am videoing. I know I could change the settings and get more frames per second or a different Field of View, but the videos are good enough in 4k so I stick to using it.

30FPS 30 & 24 FPS are available when filming at 4k. I have not tried 24FPS because 30 seems to work well.

W This is the only option when filming at 4k.

Polarising Filter After Market Filter

You cannot film fly fishing properly without a polarising filter. There are plenty of after market filters available at reasonable prices.

Mount GoPro Head Strap

I use this for all my hunting & fishing videos. I have read that a chest strap provides a more stable image but I hate wearing anything confining while fly fishing, and am concerned that if the camera is not following my eyes it will not get the footage I want.

A small brown that took a Olive Mohair Leech and was videoed taking it. My hat stays on even in the wind when I am wearing my GoPro.

Good Videoing Light

This requires good light. A dull day does not provide good footage. A bright sunny day does.

A brown that took a cicada on a very sunny bright day.

Low Light

These videos are never very good. I do a lot of fishing in the evening and as the light fades the quality of the image falls away to being almost worthless when it is near dark but still light enough to see the flies.

Fishing the evening rise when there is still plenty of light. The sequence of videos are from the same night as it gets progressively darker.

This video was taken well before dark in light that was ok for fishing the rise.

This video was taken just on dark in some riffle. I couldnt really see the fly that well, but I could see the rise and fish on instinct.

Filming & Casting at Distance

It is possible to get quite good images of a fish taking even at relatively long range. The video below shows a fish a fair way out and still gives good footage of it taking. I was up on a large rock so a fair way above the river which helped with getting good footage.

Vimeo v Youtube & Facebook

The higher resolution compared to upland game hunting means that compression is not such a big issue. Fishing videos look ok on Youtube and Facebook. They look great on Vimeo, but using Vimeo is not essential like it is with pheasant and quail shooting.

Camera Angle Approx 30 degrees down

This is surprisingly important. If you have the camera up against your forehead you will not capture the action, especially when you are releasing the fish.

Avoid Water on the Lens

Water on the lens affects the focus of the video and creates a blurry video. After releasing a fish it is always worth checking the front of the camera to make sure it does not have any drops of water on it.