Back at the tail end of June, things were pretty dry in Virginia’s piedmont region. I was down there in July, and saw the low flows with my own eyes. Rivers and creeks weren’t dried up. But low flows and high temperatures are a perfect combination for stressing out coldwater fish. Add in the high …
While fly fishing might be my favorite way to enjoy the outdoors, it is hardly the only way I spend time in nature. Camping, hunting, and paddling are all fun on their own; but I also find ways to mix fishing into each of them. My favorite combo has to be fly fishing and trail …
Recently I spent an afternoon perusing used book stores in a local town. Along with the fatigue associated with bending over, craning my neck, and constantly shifting from reading vertically to horizontally, I noticed something else. There were a lot of intriguing fly fishing books. Twaddle aside, I appreciate and truly enjoy all angling literature. …
There are some fish that are very, very hard to catch. Some require the kind of travel and resources that the vast majority of anglers simply cannot muster. Others, for one reason or another, hole up in unreachable locations or behave with extreme wariness. There are plenty of fish that are a struggle to hook, …
I’ve been an outspoken devotee of Costa Del Mar’s glass lenses for over a decade. Needless to say, a few years ago I was excited to try out some of the new frames featuring their latest features. Along with sweat channels and venting, most recent models included adjustable nose pads. Touting a customizable fit, the …
*Trigger Warning* I know some people have Tenkara Derangement Syndrome. Breathe deeply, you’ll get through this. Whether you’ve dabbled in this Japanese style of angling or not, it has made a modest splash in the American fly fishing scene. Depending on where and how you fish, it may be a good fit for your gear …
Unless you have just come off the river after a months-long fishing expedition, you are well aware that things are not great. In fact, things are trout-detritus crazy. I have opinions on all the goings-on. If you read Casting Across with a discerning eye or listen to some of the more unscripted moments from the …
“Why do you catch so many fish?” I was asked this question at least three times this past weekend. Out of honesty and humility, I must share that “so many” was a modest number of fish. It was a respectable quantity; even impressive to some. But that meager awe was what instigated the question. Because …
I was past the point where I could hear cars or people. As a general rule, the pools and deep runs that are within a short walk from the parking lot get fished hard. The water looks great. It seems like it might be productive. Styrofoam worm cups and Bud Lite cans are often serve …
Years ago I spent a few weeks in Central America. One of the men I went with shared a simple, yet profound, statement: “Don’t complain about the obvious.” His example was the heat. If you’re hot, everyone is hot. What is the point of commenting on it ad nauseum? Well, maybe it isn’t hot where …
