Fly fishing is ninety percent mental, the other half is physical… or something like that. Truly, having the right mindset when approaching the stream and presenting your fly matters. You have got to be reasonable in what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, but having confidence counts for a whole lot. I quickly cover …
This week marks four years of Casting Across; four years’ worth of articles about the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish. What have I learned? Even though the fly fishing community includes an incredibly diverse array of experiences, there are two common denominators that make fly fishing what it is. …
50 episodes! But really, the milestone for a weekly podcast is 52… This week I respond to four listeners/readers. I discuss the quality of my podcast, keeping your eyeballs safe, a few pieces of gear an angling “noob” might want to pick up, and a fly rod that I am embarrassed I don’t own. Even …
I’m surprised at how many devoted fly fishers haven’t tried catching Great Lakes steelhead. Big fish, manageable rivers, and easy access seem like a perfect combination. Sure, fishing for these lake-run trout isn’t the same experience as going to the Pacific Northwest. But being a half-day’s drive from a unique seasonal fishery is something that …
By the time Fall rolls around, most fly fishers’ fly boxes are looking pretty rough. Truth be told, many new anglers also have chaotic and bizarre collections of fly patterns. Although it might not be for everyone, I have a concept that I’ve tried to implement in how I fill and maintain fly boxes. In …
Contrary to popular Hollywood tropes, you can’t go back in time. However, others can learn from your mistakes. And hindsight can also help you make better decisions going forward. All of that is true in the big, important parts of life. It is also true in fly fishing. In this episode I talk about three …
I could hear it. It was coming closer. And there I was: alone in the woods, halfway across the world, holding only a fly rod. It wasn’t even that great of a rod. 10 years ago I went to Italy. There was culture, cuisine, and an ill-fated fly fishing adventure. Hear me talk about the …
What would you say if you were told that you owed every fish you caught an apology? How about that you actually needed to find a fish, confess your sins, and atone for your angling? Recently a seminary (I use that term loosely) shared that they held a service where students prayed to plants. What …
Through conversations in the real world and online, I’ve come to the conclusion that podcasts appeal to a wider range of age demographics than any other medium. While not a hard and fast rule, written articles and videos seem to have audiences that fall on one end of the spectrum. It might be the fact …
Rod, reel, line. I say no! It shall be rod, line, reel. For most fly fishing scenarios, your reel is the least significant part of your terminal tackle equation. Of course there are some real, legitimate exceptions. But more often than not most trout fishing doesn’t necessitate a super-premium reel. You need something to hold …
