Moving towards the water is always a mystery. Remember that fish live where they’re not supposed to live. The last place you’d expect might be suitable for a small population of something. That could mean a few fish to hand. It also might mean access to and knowledge of your own spot. Someplace you found. …
The calendar should not and can not dictate your fly fishing. Sure, the water might be frozen over. Maybe it is even illegal to fish in certain months where you live. There is a chance that you hate being cold. Still, you can stay plugged in to fly fishing and everything that entails. This …
My wife and I both enjoy books. Too much, maybe. We’ve got large built-in shelves in our living room. My office is organized so that I am wrapped in bookshelves. There are two more extra sets of shelves in the spare bedroom. That is where my second-tier, rarely consulted fishing books live. I headed up …
Most fly fishers are different. Its the long rod and the thick line. Its the flourished casting such gear requires. Its the trappings and the stereotypes (and the counter-culture trappings and stereotypes within fly fishing). Day to day, we blend in with most normal folk. But on the water? That is where we’re different. We’re …
Unless the circumstances are exceptional, the pivotal men and women of fly fishing history can’t offer you hands-on, in the stream instruction. Their mentoring must occur in the pages of a book or journal; their words and deeds informing and influencing through a necessary medium. Whether you have a “real life” mentor or not, these …
High water looks intimidating. But especially in the fall it should be reason for optimism. Of course, high and off-color water has it’s drawbacks. Wading and access is more difficult. There is literally more water to fish. Regular holes and targets may be impossible to reach. Every one of those concerns is valid. In fact, …
Charity shouldn’t be compulsory, but you should be charitable. Financial contributions are often very helpful for nonprofits, but they’re not what they need the most. A lot of good is done through the Giving Tuesday initiative. And the organizations who benefit from a surge of giving certainly aren’t going to turn their nose up at …
Waders are great until they aren’t. It is no fun to be wet when you’re not expecting to be wet. That means waders need to be functioning at 100%. If you’re fishing in cold weather or cold water, 95% is no good. In this episode I talk about end-of-season wader care. Included in that is …
Earlier this week, I shared my annual holiday fly fishing gift guide. Over at Trout & Feather, I decided to take things in a little bit of a different direction. I don’t want to spoil the five delightful suggestions that I offer up in the article. Let’s just say that they include singing wall fish, …
Every year I enjoy putting together a gift guide at the end of the season. I get to look back on the products and brands that impressed me. Then, I share them with everyone who reads Casting Across. There are a lot of great gift ideas this year; everything from jackets to syrup to art …
