Recently I had a very unproductive morning on the water. Fish were not where they were supposed to be. In this particular river system there are a few sure-fire spots. Nothing rose and nothing spooked. If I had to guess, the brook trout dropped down into the main stem of the river to seek out …
Outside of your terminal fly fishing gear, footwear might be one of the most important things you’ll purchase. You could make the argument that whatever you’re walking, wading, and standing in for hours on end is more important than a lot of what is in your fishing vest. Over the past five years I’ve been …
So much work goes into getting a fish onto your hook. But then what? A social media post got me thinking about how we fight fish. It is all about getting into and maintaining the right angles. This helps you and it helps the fish. Today I talk about two concepts for staying or getting …
Have you been fly fishing for decades or even just a few years? Consider the volume of knowledge that you have amassed. All of the on-stream experiences add up. Include all the guided trips, books, blogs, and YouTube videos: that is a lot of angling data. If someone asks you to take them fly fishing, …
Nippers draw more ire than any other piece of fly fishing gear. The reason? Anglers are very opinionated regarding how much one should spend on this relatively simple piece of equipment. The nipper is a simple instrument. It cuts leader material and should include a small needle for clearing out hook eyes. You can procure …
In this episode, I admit that I made a mistake. Seriously: For years I’ve failed to do one of the things that I emphasize in my writing and speaking. I’ve neglected to define a term. A listener/reader pointed this out, and today I take a stab at correcting it. I also talk a little about …
I went to where I fished. But I didn’t fish. Recently I spent a long weekend in Virginia. I was in the mountains. I was in the hollows. I was on the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers. However, I didn’t cast a single fly. I hiked, ate, toured, and drove across some of my most …
Let’s not kid ourselves or anyone else. Fly fishing is expensive. It doesn’t have to be… but it often is. You can get by with only the essentials… but most of us want a few more odds and ends to make it easier or more fun. That doesn’t mean that you need top of the …
“There’s no such thing as a bad question.” Not true. But you’re not going to hear any bad questions on this week’s podcast. Today I get grilled by two of of the most avid listeners of Casting Across Fly Fishing. Questions range from fly patterns to bear encounters to on-stream nutrition. Hear their questions, my …
Picture your flybox. Close your eyes and do it. Is it messy? Is it full? Does the messy fullness bring you joy? Okay: now picture the last flies that you’ve used. Picture the flies that you turn to over and over again. Is there a disparity between the first and second image that came to …
