I read a lot of fly fishing writing. I enjoy the vast majority of it. Honestly, there is some fly fishing writing that I enjoy that is not objectively good. It might have some personal, nostalgic appeal that overshadows its technical flaws. It could be from a friend or acquaintance, allowing me to read a …
Today I discuss what, in my humble opinion, everyone should take advantage of when attending a fly fishing event. I also get a little critical of those who are critical themselves of events like this. Whether you attend the big name shows or local events at the VFW, there are some real benefits to spending …
Grant McClintock’s Flywater is a coffee table book with some history. It has been around for nearly 30 years, including an updated edition that was published in 2010. One quick perusal of the large pages makes it clear why this title has a solid following. Quite simply, it is beautiful. Even with social media’s endless …
Casting Across has been at it for eleven years. Eleven is no ten. It isn’t a fancy milestone or anything like that. But it has given me an opportunity to think about how I have been writing and talking about fly fishing on this platform for over a decade. And it presents an opportunity for …
Understanding the spawning season is important for the fly fisher. Not only is it wise to comprehend the width and breadth of the seasonal and life cycles of trout, but being a good steward of the resource is unmistakably tied to respecting natural reproduction. Today is a quick run through some of the basics of …
Fly fishers have always eyeballed insects fluttering around them, picked an imitation that looked close enough from their box, and had great success. Those who acutely studied the real mayflies or caddisflies before making a decision had even better success when it came to fooling trout. For decades, Art Flick’s New Streamside Guide was the …
Monday I first saw the trout while I was making a cast to a much smaller fish. The brown I had been targeting was probably twelve inches or so. It was steadily rising to imperceptible midges that were apparently floating by with regularity. There was no pattern or cadence to its feeding. After what must …
Time. Money. Frustration. And the things on the table in front of you look more like debris from the lint trap than anything that a fish might eat. I’ve been there. Early in my fly fishing, I had some missteps and fruitless moments. Somewhere along the line I got into a groove. And while I’m …
Some people are all about the fish. They possess a singular focus for a full net. Most fly fishers won’t argue about having a sore arm from fighting fish, but they also appreciate the bigger picture. For you and I to enjoy angling as we know it, we stand in a long line of people …
The last cast. Anglers of all stripes are familiar with the phenomenon. It is the last attempt at a fish. It comes after “I should get going soon” and “just a few more.” It is the nail in the coffin before the streamside post mortem. It is the last cast. But anglers are also well …
