VIDEO: A Great Book on Flies (Whether You Tie or Not)

Imposters, by Skip Morris, is closest you may ever come to a collection of fly fishing stories where the flies are the main characters.

Now, those tying, choosing, and employing these flies are certainly part of the plot. The fish make appearances as well. But the real stars of Morris’ excellent writing are the flies. He explores the history of some of your favorite patterns. He pulls back the curtain to show you how his own creations evolved. He  beckons any and all readers to care about the feathers and fur wrapped around the hooks in their boxes.

Whether you tie flies or not, Imposters is a great read that belongs on your list.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can pick up your own copy below:

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My Crappie Obligation to You

We caught enough for my family to eat their fill of fish tacos. The tender crappie filets are complemented by a spicy sour cream, pickled onions, and cilantro. There were enough pieces left over to freeze for some chowder, too. But you can’t cook fish chowder in seasons where your windows are closed. You want to smell it while you’re eating it, not for the rest of the week. It would almost be worth it. Cooked only hours after swimming 15 feet down,  it is hard to  beat fresh fish.

It seems like there is at least one obligatory post like this on Casting Across every quarter or so. The sixth man of my fly fishing writing has a real affinity for using a spinning rod and eating fish. On one hand there is a polemical angle in these articles. Fishermen are fishermen (even if they’re women or children). We have much more in common when we’re casting something into water than we do with everyone else in the world. I suppose that those looking to harvest fish are a bit more consistent, as they don’t have to worry about the potential for harming fish. They’re going the whole way. Sometimes I go the whole way, too.

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Podcast Ep. 405: [Cast1] Adding Fly Fishing to Your “Normal” Fishing

It is important to remember that when you start fly fishing, you don’t have to bury your spinning or baitcasting rod six feet under. While the rods are emblematic of relatively diverging angling cultures, they are  simply tools. You can use both. But if you’ve been throwing lures for any length of time, there are some adjustments you’ll need to make when picking up a fly rod.

Today I briefly cover six things that are different enough between fly and conventional fishing  that they warrant an explanation. These are real world examples that come from years of teaching and my own personal observations.

Lastly, it is important to remember that fly fishing isn’t as complicated as some make it out to be. It is, after all, just fishing.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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VIDEO: Fly Fishing Gear – When Big or Small is Just Right

There is something good about having one, do-it-all tool. There is something good about having exactly what you need for each and every situation you may find yourself in. You can go off the rails to either side, however. On one hand, you can limit yourself. On the other, conspicuous consumption fills up your closet but never your contentment.

Today, using two simple tools, I’m illustrating how there is a happy medium in fly fishing.

So this video is really a “two for the price of one” situation. You’re getting product reviews on two great pieces of gear. You’re also getting some food for thought on the paradigm that guides what you buy and what you take on the water.

Watch what else I have to say (and find out more about the tools) below:

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Pride in Cheap Fly Fishing Gear

I can’t recall for certain how many pairs of $5.99 sunglasses I owned in the first years of my fishing life. But I am confident that it was far, far less than would total the price of the fancy pairs I wear these days. And, I think it bears mentioning, these cheap sunglasses were name brand. They were “Bill Dance” sunglasses. Plastic-framed aviators with oversized polarized lenses. Lightweight, functional, and affordable. Ironically fashionable for a teenager in the 1990’s, too.

Somewhere along the line I upgraded. That is consumerism lingo for “spent a lot more money for something a little bit nicer.” And I own that. It is what it is. Or, more accurately, it is what I justify it to be. Philosophy aside, there are some other cheap fly fishing things I clung to for years.

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Podcast Ep. 404: When You Don’t Have The “Right” Gear

I do talk about fly fishing gear a lot on Casting Across. But there is something that will trump equipment nine out of ten times: skill.

Within reason, your proficiency with equipment will overcome not having that rod, fly, or gadget that is designed specifically for a particular task. This is a good thing. Because with little expense and without filling up another closet, you can keep doing more on the water.

But there are also times when you are on the water and you don’t have that one thing that would make fishing a little easier. There are still things you can do. Today, I talk about three of them.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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VIDEO: The Definitive Word on a Premier River

On one hand, a fly fishing guidebook is a tool. The author gives you what you need to catch fish in a particular location.

But a good guidebook is much more. The writer shares his passion for a place he truly enjoys and in which he is personally invested. That excitement comes through in a way that adorns  your expectations for that next trip to the river.

In Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River, Steve Culton sufficiently provides the former and ably executes the latter. It is a readable resource. It is an engaging knowledge base. Tapping into his own expertise and that of other anglers, it is the definitive word on a premier New England fishery.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can pick up your own copy below:

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Fly Fishing Books, XIV

For over a year and a half, I’ve been putting reviews of fly fishing books on YouTube. It has been a lot of fun to talk about new titles and share some of my favorite books from the history of angling. This has been a great way to augment the dozens of articles posted about fly fishing books from the past decade on this site.

But not everyone who looks at Casting Across clicks over to YouTube.  So while some of the books I’m sharing below have been the subjects of full length videos, they are good enough to share again. I’ve enjoyed all four of these titles, and all of them are worth seeking out.

As I’ve done for all of the entries in my “Fly Fishing Books” series, I’ve spread the selections over three rough categories:

  • Guide (regional, site specific)
  • Technical (methods, locations, fly tying)
  • Literature (novels, biographies, history)

Check out one kind of each book, why I suggest it, and a bonus read below. And follow the links in the headings to get a copy for yourself.

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Podcast Ep. 403: Why Fish Downstream?

Let me start off by saying that fly fishing downstream is not my method of choice. It is harder. It is a lower probability approach. It is less than ideal.

But sometimes it is necessary.

Today I talk through three situations that might demand a downstream presentation. Even though all those caveats are probably still in play, fishing from an upstream position might be the only play at a particular fish. And all that said, there are better ways to do it if you must.

*Note* My dislike of fly fishing downstream is pragmatic, not wrapped up in ethics or tradition.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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VIDEO: The Longest Fly Fishing Book

Coming in at over 1,700 pages, Ernest Schwiebert’s Trout is a massive marvel of angling literature. But don’t let the page count make you nervous… there are a few pictures here and there.

Genuinely, Trout is a very readable work. Taking it all in  cover-to-cover might be a bit much, but the six “books” within the book are each digestible. Schwiebert expertly writes about everything from history to biology to technique.

Although first editions come at a high cost, the work is worth seeking out in any way you can get ahold of it for its content and position in the library of fly fishing.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can pick up your own copy below:

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