Don’t Fly Fish with More than You Need

Most fly fishers might be surprised by how little gear they actually need on the water.  Regardless if you’re targeting mountain trout, farm pond bass, or cruising flats fish, there are truly only a handful of things you’ll reach for on a recurring basis.

Personally, combining trail running with fly fishing has caused me to pare down what I carry and what I consider essential. It has caused me to assess what I use and why I use it. I’ve found that I don’t choose gear based upon weight or size. What I carry is what I absolutely need. Usually, that ends up being small enough and light enough to allow me to move quickly.

Here is one of my go-to fly fishing checklists. It is what I gather together if I’m going to be running/fishing.  But it is also all that I end up using on most of my fishing trips, regardless of  where I am. Here is the what and the why of my minimalist approach to fly fishing:

read more

Podcast Ep. 46: European Trout-cation

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 fish, the fishery, and the fishing guide that made it such a bizarre story. Also, learn how I escaped  the aforementioned, tense situation.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

read more

Rusty Flybox: Autumn

Autumn might not be everyone’s favorite season, but it might be the most popular of the four. For fly fishers, as long as you are able to keep thoughts of the impending winter at bay, it can  really be special. The cool midday air, the brilliant ambiance, and the relative solitude are all reasons to fish in the fall.

Still, there will be some necessary changes. You are going to have to prepare differently. The local rivers may be inhabited by new fish. Even the aesthetics of the season will alter your angling.

Below are three articles hand-picked to help you think about these changes.

  • What should you wear in the fall, and why?
  • How do the Great Lakes tributaries become even greater in September?
  • Why should a fly fisher care about leaves?

Read each article by clicking on the image or title below:

read more

Get a Few More Years from Fly Fishing Gear

Most fly fishers enjoy getting new gear. However, it is most enjoyable when it is on your terms. Having something fail or break unexpectedly is frustrating. It is beyond frustrating when it happens on the water. While manufacturers don’t get a total pass on quality control, in the 21st century most reputable companies produce and sell pretty good equipment.

And it is never the rod builder’s fault when you step on the thing.

Even if your gear has a warranty you should take care of it. No company is going to send a new reel via drone while you’re standing in the river. Even if your gear was really expensive  you should take care of it. No list of space-age features will defeat abuses like salt, heat, or moisture.

Below are three simple ways to think about keeping your fly fishing gear safe, a brief piece of advice for either end of the economic spectrum, and an explanation of the picture above:

A place for everything…
Generally speaking fly rods come in cases, reels come in pouches, and waders come in bags. Use them. And the gear you don’t have storage solutions for? Buy something. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to come from a fly fishing catalog. I have free tote bags  and duffels from conferences that keep extra fly boxes and spools from rolling around my car. I bought a  shallow plastic container for $15 that holds everything I need for a trip and keeps it all visible. Nothing gets lost, nothing gets accidentally crushed.

read more

Podcast Ep. 45: Never Confess Your Sins to a Trout

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 might sound like satire actually has real worldview implications. If a vine can’t be tamed and a hedge can’t be trimmed, what makes us think we can actually catch fish?

In this episode I talk out of my weight class and explore some of the implications of seemingly compassionate ecological concepts that, in reality, actually might end up hurting  plants, fish, and us.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

read more

How Young is Too Young to Fly Cast?

You’re never to young to begin fly fishing. You just need to learn how to cast first.

Learning how to feel the line load a rod, as well as what you’re supposed to do with your body in response, is a challenge for most new anglers. If an adult can struggle, a child can struggle too. Figuring out casting requires patience, fine motor skills, and the ability to turn verbal commands into actions. Age often helps in those areas, but it can also be a detriment. Sometimes kids are better listeners, quicker studies, and more receptive of instruction.

Taking a kid fishing is a lot of fun. It also pays off dividends when you want to share more of those moments later in life. But before any of that can happen, there needs to be some level of instruction. When do you start? Young children, even as young as four years old, can fly cast. It isn’t easy. It takes work. Most of all, it takes patience – on your part.

Here are five ways to think about teaching the child in your life how to cast a fly rod:

read more

Fly Fishing Podcasts Worth Listening To, part XI

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 that any kind of device makes accessing podcasts relatively simple. It could also be that simply hearing someone talk is an easy point of contact, or that even passive listening still communicates information.

Ultimately, I believe there is a real oral tradition within fly fishing. Not to downplay literature or art, but the spoken word reflects the spur of the moment on-stream, campfire, or drive home discussions that makes fly fishing what it is. That is something anyone at any age can appreciate.

Here are five episodes from five fly fishing podcasts that I think are worth your time:

read more

Podcast Ep. 44: Reels – Not a Real Big Deal

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 line, and you need some basic fish fighting skills.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

read more

The Sunfish Superiority

Sunfish are superior fish.

Sunfish fight better than any other fish, inch-for-inch.

Sunfish often introduce us to fishing.

Sunfish take poppers, ants, and dry flies.

Sunfish can be found everywhere.

Sunfish are forgiving.

Sunfish save us from skunks.

read more

4 Years and A Microphone (& 2 Fly Fishers)

Three years ago, I wrote this quick synopsis of the podcast 2 Guys and A River:

“Steve Mathewson and Dave Goetz  are the kind of guys that you want to fish with. There is a good mix of humor, practical advice, and anecdotal content in a podcast that is the prefect length for a short commute. I’d also highly recommend this to beginners, as they communicate very clearly some common sense facets of fly fishing and angling culture.”

This past month, Steve and Dave wrapped up their podcast. Four years of weekly episodes is no small feat. There is planning, recording, editing,  and the corresponding blog entries. Add in the requisite podcast-day lunches, and 2 Guys and A River was a labor of love for two very busy men.

The success of their podcast wasn’t simply tied to their consistency. The casual banter, clear format, and every-fly-fisher-man perspective was accessible. Steve and Dave never claimed to be angling experts. Although they never explicitly claimed it, they are certainly experts in enjoying fly fishing. Consequently, the podcast was never about perfecting the subtitles of any one facet of fly fishing. It was about enjoying your time on the water. Sometimes that comes after a few dozen trout. Sometimes it is the culmination of many other things: a favorite fly rod, a laugh with a friend, a hearty meal. These are important things that run alongside the narrow, focused act of actually fly fishing.

read more