Earlier this week I put out a piece called “Fishing the Gray.” In short, it is a quasi-autobiographical encouragement to get out and fly fish in even the ugliest weather. A good number of people read it. Hopefully, if you were one of those people, you appreciated it. Still, I can’t help but think that …
The streambanks, even the stream bottoms, are mostly bare. There might be snow and ice. Days are short but the cold weather lasts for a long time. Overall, things are gray, It isn’t the same as fishing in the spring, summer, or fall. But it is still fishing. Guides and fingers freeze. Fish, and most …
Less than two weeks ago I wrote “The Last Time You’ll Fish.” I’ve included a link to the article below, but here’s the gist of it: There are places that you have gone fishing that you will never fish again. Some of these places aren’t anything special. Others, when framed in this manner, are the …
Did you get cash for Christmas? How about a gift card to Cabela’s or Bass Pro? Or, perhaps you were the lucky recipient of store credit to a local fly shop. Do you feel like you have to spend it ASAP? At least go into it with a little bit of a plan. Even if …
The first time I stepped into a large tailwater I realized I was woefully unprepared. I had the right rod. All the flies would have worked. I could even see fish rising. The problem? I couldn’t stand in the water for more than a few minutes. The river was much more frigid than anticipated. It …
From a big picture of respective, there’s always going to be a last time that you fish somewhere. I don’t mean to be morbid. But the fact is that we are finite. Our days are numbered. There’s only so much that we can do. And fly fishing, as pleasant as it is, does not exclude …
This fall I’ve taken some of my own advice. For years I’ve been encouraging those who read or listen to Casting Across to diversify their outdoor experience. It isn’t that I assume everyone who fly fishes only goes fly fishing. I just know that there have been times in my life when I’ve been primarily …
That is me. And I’ve obviously caught a largemouth bass. Aside from those two facts there’s not a lot of certainty I have about this picture. Why should that matter to me? Or, more pertinently for the reader, why should this photographic mystery matter to you? I have a good reason why this all matters …
The best heroes are flawed. The simplest explanation for this is that we can identified with such a person. Sure, there are plenty of deep literary nuances that a reader with an analytical mind can probe and ponder while reading about protagonists with obvious shortcomings. That is fine. For most of us, we read ourselves …
If you look back at previous years’ gift guides, you’ll find some common themes. I always recommend small businesses, American made items, and some of my favorite gear. As much as possible, I attempt to source items that span the price spectrum. Often, I try to showcase things that I have used over a prolonged …
