Fly fishing books have been an important part of the sport for hundreds of years, taking different forms and meeting various needs. Even in an age when so much information is available at the tap of a smart phone, tangible media is incredibly valuable. Whether it be a novel assisting in winter escapism or a …
Reposting and hashtagging is nice. But that isn’t conservation. Headline causes are great – if you actually get your feet on the ground and get your hands dirty. There is nothing wrong with “raising awareness,” but perhaps there are some more profound ways you can walk the conservation walk. It doesn’t take moving to the …
Although fly fishing is an escape, we’re incapable of detaching completely. Our thoughts rightly meander from fly presentation to work, family, whats next. Our present fishing is profoundly linked to how we have fished – and who has fished with us in the past. And chances are the trails we are walking, the flies we …
On its face, fly fishing elitism is silly. It is okay to prefer the fly rod. And it has it advantages. But there is no reason to look down upon conventional tackle. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why a spinning rod should be part of your overall angling arsenal. In this episode, I …
If you have been stuck indoors, you might want to just grab your sling or vest and hit the water as quickly as possible. But it is helpful to take some deliberate time to clean up. Also, comprehensively organizing your fly fishing pack ahead of time will ensure that you are ready to fish. Once …
In my experience, some fly fishers either care way too much about leaders. Most don’t care enough. Fussing over the exact number of centimeters of 4X you need for a certain taper might be overkill. But simply looping on a knotless, tapered leader and using it until it won’t fit through your fly’s eye isn’t …
You speak, I listen. And then I speak about it. In this episode, I respond to some feedback that I’ve received from Casting Across articles and podcasts. There is a comment on keeping spots secret, a question on how I prioritize fly fishing, and an angry mob. Well, kind of. I enjoy sharing a little …
Larger fish will certainly eat dry flies and nymphs. But how do you go about catching the largest fish in any river? Big, meaty, streamers. There are differences between chucking articulated flies against the bank of a roaring tailwater and fishing a streamer in a small creek. There are also differences between dapping tiny attractor …
You will find some real interesting characters in fly shops. After nearly two decades of formal, empirical anthropological research, I’ve developed an efficient classification system and taxonomy for the types of individuals one encounters in fly shops. As a former fly shop employee, an occasional customer, and a curious observer of awkward situations, I believe …
While fly fishing on wide, expansive trout rivers might be totally normal for you, it is a far cry from the creeks and streams that many anglers call home. This can lead to apprehension or even avoidance. It is understandable. I’ve been there. But there are some simple ways to get out in the water …
