Why keep a fly rod in the back of your car at all times? If you can tolerate it rolling around, you’ll set yourself up for some good to great fly fishing at a moment’s notice. And if you haven’t fished for a while, any fly fishing is good to great. Recently I had a …
Author: Matthew
Trout & Feather: May ’21
Not every angler has Seychelles-caliber water in their backyard. (Just like most trout anglers aren’t calling the Madison or the Yellowstone home.) But an overwhelming number of fly fishers live within a reasonable drive to the coast. Moreover, many people head somewhere beachy for business or pleasure throughout the course of the year. You are …
Fly Fishing Books, X
How does your fly fishing library look? Along with keeping tabs on your favorite fly fishing websites, what tangible resources do you keep within arms’ reach? At and given point in time, I have one fly fishing book that I’m working my way through. Often it gets whatever is left after a day of work …
Podcast Ep. 131: Guide Communication
Maybe, just maybe, your idea of hiring a fly fishing guide simply entails fish. Big fish, lots of fish: fish. While I don’t think anyone would object to catching fish (and big ones, and a lot of them), there are a few other things that separate the good guides from the not-so-good ones. More importantly, …
Cast from the Past
Many years ago, a time when I was less aware of clutter, I accumulated things. This isn’t to say that I don’t accumulate things now. I do. Fly rods. Comfortable socks. Tools I kind of need today and might need again sometime before I die. But as a teenager, I kept a lot of garden-variety …
How to Read a Fly Fishing Gear Review
I’ve reviewed a lot of fly fishing gear on Casting Across. But I’ve read exponentially more than I’ve composed myself. In the past 20 years, I’ve bought gear based upon positive reviews. I’ve also decided against equipment because of negative reviews. My life (and shopping) is one piece of evidence that demonstrates the power of …
Podcast Ep. 130: Fly Fishing Accusations, XIII
In this week’s episode, I answer questions about rods, reels, and leaders. But they’re some awfully specific questions. That being said, I’m confident that you – the fly fisher – will appreciate and benefit from the scenarios that elicited these questions. What pushes us to experiment and innovate is questions, problems, and curiosity. While I …
See Fish Like a Pro
For years I’ve advocated spending money on the gear that matters. In fly fishing, rods get all the love. But even in the hands of a skilled caster, a fly rod will only be as good as the line being cast. Whether you’re catching a lot of fish or not, you’re definitely going to be …
Slow Your Retrieve
Slow catches fish. Fast is glamorous. Fast is easy. Fast doesn’t require as much nuance or patience. Fast catches fish as well, but fast is like the sports highlight: it happened and it was memorable. However the majority of the game was much more reasonably paced. For every strike that follows a wake-inducing, double-fisted retrieve, …
Podcast Ep. 129: Fly Fishing (with Kids)
I’ve written a lot about fly fishing with kids over the years. However, this is my first podcast on the topic. In just under 20 minutes, I go over three ideas that will probably be helpful as you fish with your own children or the kids in your life. I’m not an expert, but I …