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We're summing up 2025 at Wild Fish – 10,000 subscribers, a film festival, and our least fishing-heavy year ever. What's next for the channel?
Good day everyone! It's been a year of contrasts. On one hand, Wild Fish experienced its biggest boom – 10,000 subscribers (wow!), a sold-out festival, great podcast guests. On the other hand… well, we'll be honest.
As we admitted in the latest episode, 2025 was probably our least fishing-heavy year in history. A paradox? The channel is growing, but we're fishing less and less. But don't worry – we have a plan to change this state of affairs.
Today, we'll tell you about our successes, failures, and future plans. Plus, we'll show you what's happening in the world of fishing cinema – because IF4 just released trailers that completely blew us away.
A Year of Paradoxes and Breakthroughs
When you think about it, it was indeed a strange year. We talked about it frankly in the latest episode, and there's no sugarcoating it.
Michał: "I admit, it was probably my least fishing-heavy year."
Krzysztof added: "And I'm a bit sad about that, I admit. Today will be nostalgic."
And indeed, when we counted our fishing trips, it turned out to be shamefully few. Lapland, a few smaller trips, and that's it. And yet, we have a fishing channel! But on the other hand – Wild Fish has never grown so dynamically. The biggest channel growth since its inception – for us, it's a huge milestone that so many people are with us, that we have support from Patrons who believed in us, that we hit 10k on YouTube (although, honestly, it didn't change much). The most important thing, as Krzysiek says, is "the quality of viewers – not the quantity," and we don't even question that quality. It's at the highest level.
The biggest change was the podcast. It was thanks to it that we reached a new audience and built a real community. The guests we hosted, the stories they told – all of this made Wild Fish Stories more than just a film/fishing channel, with a low frequency of new material uploads.
A Festival That Broke Records
An accurate diagnosis – our fishing film festival was a bullseye. Kino Luna filled to the brim, great films, prizes totaling tens of thousands of zlotys. The first-place winner scooped up a package worth 15,000 zlotys, including 5,000 zlotys in cash.
Bartosz Burski with his family and their film "STOP THE NOISE" broke the bank! Films will start appearing online from February 13, 2026.
All the creators raised the bar very high with their films, and we're already racking our brains on how to make it even better next year!
CHECK OUT OUR COLLECTION
Lighter than winter, but designed for the outdoors — pockets where you need them, cuts that work with waders. From the fishing spot to the city.
Sponsors showed up like never before. We won't list everyone here to avoid omitting anyone, but the level of support exceeded our wildest expectations. This shows that the fishing film market in Poland is maturing and there is a demand for it.
The only problem? The audience at Kino Luna sometimes had... too much fun. We're already planning changes for next year. We'll be at the gate, selecting who can enter. WHAT!? Beware, back row of the cinema!
The after-party was legendary too, but it's best not to talk about that too much. Some things should stay between us.
IF4 Shows the Future of Fishing Cinema
And here's the problem - we were celebrating our successes, while the American IF4 (International Fly Fishing Film Festival) released 11 trailers for new productions that show where global fishing cinema is heading.
These are no longer films about catching the biggest fish. These are human stories where fishing is a pretext for talking about life, family, transience, and environmental protection.
"Two Roads on the River" tells the story of two women who knew each other since childhood, but their paths diverged. However, they were connected by the river and catching steelhead – a fish caught in the cold, rain, and raging currents.
"Against the Current" is the story of the founder of the Hooké brand, who takes his mother, who has Parkinson's, to one of the wildest salmon rivers in Nunavik. He wants to show her why fishing captivated him so much.
The trailer brings tears to your eyes.
Budgets That Make a Difference
Honestly? The production level of these films is out of this world. It's clear that the budgets are completely different from those in Poland. Monster Energy as a partner for one of the films, expeditions to the end of the world, professional film crews.
But not all IF4 films are big-budget productions. There are also niche, intimate stories.
"The Boat on the Lake" begins with a simple truth: "Even if there's no boat on the lake, it doesn't mean it's a bad lake."
"Generations" tells the story of guide Ben Willy and his daughter Vivi. She was born in the year of the last great striped bass spawn. Now she's as old as the reproductive crisis of these fish.
The film combines a personal story with environmental protection issues.
This shows that fishing stories are everywhere. At home, in the backyard, in our families. You don't have to go to Alaska to tell a moving story. You just have to be able to see it and tell it with a camera.
Our Future Plans
In our opinion, it's time for stabilization. Wild Fish has grown, the podcast is developing, we have a great community. Now we can go back to what we love most - fishing.
Michał: "The progress of WFS will stabilize, and then we'll catch up with the fish, I tell you."
And indeed, that's the plan. We want to return to regular trips, to exploring new fishing grounds, to creating content that shows real fishing.
Of course, we won't forget what we learned this year. The podcast stays, the festival will also continue. But we want to find a balance between channel development and our passion for fishing.
Because as Krzysztof said: "You see, we're growing here, and we're going fishing less and less. You know how this will end..."
FAQ
When will the Wild Fish festival films be available?
After February 13, 2026, we'll allow creators to publish. We'll probably ask the winning film to be published last to maintain excitement.
Are you planning another fishing film festival?
Yes, but we haven't decided on anything yet. We will certainly inform you about the details as they are finalized.
Where can I see the IF4 trailers?
On the "Fly Film Fest" YouTube channel – there are 11 trailers of new productions for 2026.
Will there be more fishing content in 2026?
Definitely. We plan to return to regular trips and more content directly related to fishing.
Sources
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Wild Fish Stories Podcast, latest episode with year in review
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IF4 - International Fly Fishing Film Festival, 2026 trailers
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