This week is a quick sprint through a sticky subject: which species deserve to live in any given area? In part, I’m responding to an article that questions the demonization of invasive species. Generally speaking, their point is a good one. However, some of the implications of the article are troublesome. As anglers, we have …
You write, I respond. And it is one of my favorite parts of Casting Across. This week I discuss net storage, what to wear inside your wading shoe, and fishing alongside someone who thinks existential thoughts. These three reader/listener comments were really good, and I think that you’ll benefit from my answers to their questions. …
Happy Thanksgiving from Casting Across! On today’s episode, I share three things that I’m thankful for. Each one is directly tied to fly fishing, but there is a lot more involved. I’ve found that some of the best angling memories that I’ve made and the most profound fishing moments I’ve experienced have a lot more …
Taking pictures of fish is totally fine. But there are a lot of ways that you can mess it up. While I’m not a professional photographer by any means, I have figured out a few important things when it comes to taking pictures of fish that I’ve caught. The top priorities are: Don’t take a …
By and large, the core essentials of your fly fishing pack, sling, or vest are going to stay put throughout the whole year. You might move a box or tool in or out depending on hatches or conditions, but things usually sit right where you put them. In the winter, fly fishing changes. The same …
There are very few things that an angler can control while fly fishing. You can’t force a fish to be in a spot. You can’t demand that a fish eat your fly. And, of course, you are totally unable to dictate weather and water flows. But you can control your cast. In this episode I …
One of my favorite parts of Casting Across is that it keeps me close to an industry that I have truly come to appreciate. The people in and around fly fishing are, in my opinion, a great and diverse group. Over the past six years, my writing and speaking have given me more chances to …
Inevitably, you’ve heard about the “four stages of the angler.” I don’t know who first came up with this timeline, but I do think it holds true. That being said, I don’t necessarily agree that it is as linear as is often implied. Often times progress means building upon the foundations you have already laid …
I don’t use the term magic much. But there is something magical about fly fishing in the fall. The woods and the fish get more colorful. The fishing seems to last all day; it stops being a morning and evening activity. The air is crisp and and the water has a little more of a …
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 …
