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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
