The fly fishing trip. It is the thing of budgets, daydreams, and wonderfully exhausting weekends. But before you get online and compare lodges and guides, mark of time on your calendar, or buy an entire new load of gear, there are some calculations that you go through. Or, at least, you should go through. If …
It is Thanksgiving. And I am thankful. Today’s episode is all about what I’m thankful for. It is about fly fishing. And it is personal. But as is the case with a lot of what I put out on Casting Across, I hope my personal musings about fly fishing will resonate with you. Whether they …
Here’s to a new tradition. Here’s to giving thanks. Here’s to the trout. It is the day after Thanksgiving. It was a good holiday. The meal is over. The family is still in town. The sales are in full swing. All of these things are fine and good. In fact, they’re great. Leftovers, loved ones, …
There is a river back there, but it will have to wait. A few hundred yards into those woods, through groves of pines and countless game trails, a medium-sized river flows in a lazy and meandering manner. It is a trout stream. It isn’t the kind of river you’d set as the marquee stop on …
What’s on the end of your fly line? It isn’t a fish. It is a leader. Which, as you may well have surmised, is essential for getting your fly to a fish. And getting your leader onto your fly line isn’t necessarily a straightforward endeavor. Not all fly line/leader connections are created equally. Today I …
If you enjoy fly fishing, specifically the uniquely American take on dry fly fishing, you need to be familiar with the Catskills. Names like Gordon and Dette, places like the Beaverkill and the Upper Delaware: the profound impact of this special part of New York has left an indelible mark on fly fishing. This fantastic …
I had held the fly rod, running my hands over the black foam grip and the forest green blank for weeks before I brought it outside. It was a $25 rod, reel, and line from a department store, but I kept it safely inside. I felt like the right thing to do was to wait …
The weather outside is frightful. Or, at least it will be. And you’re all ready to fish in it. Right? If you have the gumption and the warm socks, there is no reason why you can’t fish in the coldest months out of the year. Today I tackle two big hurdles that people face when …
Ah, moving. There are few moments in life that are more stressful and chaotic. Moving is essentially the exact opposite of fly fishing. If and when you do have to move, you are going to take your angling gear with you. Sure, you could just let the movers have their way with your rods and …
He had ducked under the chain link fence so many times in his mind that doing it for real felt normal. Trespassing wasn’t something he normally fantasized about. However this particular temptation was too hard to resist. The map showed that on the private stretch the river cut deep into the valley. Upstream was always …
