This year, 2020. This weird, awful, ridiculous year.

But looking at these nine little thumbnail images is a reminder that there was a lot of good. A lot of good. In fact, these “top nine” pictures represent a mere fraction of the blessings that came in 2020. For one, they’re all only related to fly fishing. If my social media reflected the wider spectrum of my life there would be at least eight different images shown above.

Casting Across is about fly fishing though. Fly fishing is a part of my life, and was a part of my 2020. Here are nine good moments from this past year:

• My last “big” trip of the year was a long fall day up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After a morning of striking out at my surefire spots with my most reliable tactics, the corner turned and I got into a lot of beautiful brook trout. The last fish, which was the biggest of the day, came out from under a bridge within earshot of the highway. (top left)
• For my family, summer means hiking in the mountains. As long as the potential for a few minutes of fishing exist I pack a fly rod. Fly selection is simple in remote ponds. Tiny wooly buggers and parachute dries. The boys catch fish so I can take pictures. (top center)
• I like new gear. Early in the springtime I started fishing with some new gear from Redington. The one-weight Butter Stick and the Benchmark Boots became staples of my fly fishing this year. As I own and test a lot of gear, I think it says something when a particular item makes it into my regular rotation. (top right)
• Getting skunked is okay when the scenery is beautiful. Well, as long as it only happens every once in a while. After some careful planning and map scouring, I figured out how to access the upper reaches of one of my favorite streams. I took the rod for a walk, but had a lot of fun exploring. (middle left)
• My kids’ routines weren’t altered very much this year. Homeschool meant that the day to day remained the same. Our preferred activities are outdoors. Birthdays still happened. Usually, my boys choose fishing for their birthdays. This guy turned four this fall and wanted to take his new pack and new buddy out for some sunfish. (middle center)
• Getting to Pennsylvania spring creeks is one of my annual “musts.” These waters were formational for me as a new angler and later as a daily part of my life. The fishing is challenging but  familiar. If it just so happens to mean I get to catch big browns on terrestrials, all the better. (middle right)
• I try to fish if I have half an hour here or there. If it is less than that, I try to at least walk alongside water. It is cathartic. Truthfully, it is also a chance to scout for fish. A “photo shoot” for some new sunglasses gave me the opportunity to check out local water that once showed trout in a survey. (bottom left)
• After a few great weekends at stops of The Fly Fishing Show, everyone in the house was itching for more fly fishing. With nasty weather that would keep most members of the family at home, that meant fly tying. We all improved this year. Me? A little. The boys? I’m impressed. (bottom center)
• My first fish of the year was a native brook trout. I caught it on my “secret” local stream. I stay off of it during the fall, but head out as soon as the calendar turns. I’m looking forward to doing that again in a matter of days. Chances are another little fish from this creek will make it on 2021’s top moment list. (bottom right)

This year was weird. But it was also very good. And fly fishing? It was a small part of that.