Enemies of the Fly Fisher, Vol. 1: The Muskrat

If you Google “muskrat,” you immediately learn a very interesting tidbit. Did you know that Ondatra zibethicus is the only species in genus Ondatra? The only one! Who would have thunk?

Once your mind has adjusted to this startling revelation, scroll down a bit more. That’s where the world’s leading search engine gets real. The sterile veil of science is torn away to reveal what people are really contemplating when they’re inquiring about muskrats:

  • Are muskrats dangerous?
  • Will muskrats attack humans?
  • Are muskrats aggressive?
  • Is a muskrat a rat?

I don’t need a degree in biology, with a specialization in the genus Ordata, to answer each of those questions with a solid yes.

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Podcast Ep. 60: Fly Fishing Accusations VI

Questions, questions, questions. I am well aware that my writing and speaking might leave you with a few things you’re still wondering about.

Which is great.

Go out and experiment. Open a book and read. Show up to a TU meeting. Bend the ear of your local fly shop proprietor.

Or you could always email me or leave a comment on the website. Here I talk about neoprene waders, getting kids excited about fly fishing, and short furled leaders.

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

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9 One-Sentence Fly Fishing Stories

Social media has its fair share of justified criticisms. Instagram, in particular, is often rightfully called out for channeling vanity and facilitating the worst coming out in people. In fly fishing, that has unfortunately lead to unsavory angling practices that endanger fish and stir up strife within the community.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. For the majority of us (the “non-influencers,” if you will) it’s about a little bit of creativity and a lot of killing time.

The Instagram “Top Nine” has become an annual end-of-year tradition. With a few clicks, you can see and share the posts that resonated in some way, shape, or form with those who follow or stumble upon your gallery. Could it be one more way to foster a sense of superiority/inferiority? Sure. Could it be a fun way to look back and remember some memories? Absolutely.

When I pulled up my top nine of 2019,  it was a lot of fun to see some of the moments that defined my fly fishing from January to the last week of December. Each one isn’t just an Instagram post, either. Each of the nine photos represented a trip or an event. Each told a story.

So, for a short post on New Year’s Day, here are 9 one-sentence stories to accompany 9 fly fishing photos from 2019:

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Last Cast of the Year: 2019

2019 is drawing to a close. There is a lot that can be said about fishing and life, but today I’m taking a look back at the 150-plus pieces of content that came out over the past year.

Casting Across continues to grow. That is all thanks to you. My writing and my speaking is probably getting a little bit more refined, but I attribute the statistical growth of the website and the podcast to you – the reader and the listener. Sharing, subscribing, rating, and all of those things help. It helps my numbers (whatever that means), but more importantly it helps people. It is great to see who is reading, where they are reading, and how this has become some small part of their fly fishing.

So, thank you for all you’ve done in 2019.

To wrap up this year, I am sharing the top three articles that were posted in 2019. Not surprisingly, they feature fly shops, gear, and fly rods.  If you haven’t read these before, I’d encourage you to take a minute to see what the fuss is all about. Also, I’ve added the most downloaded podcast of the year. If you are a reader, and not a listener, this might be a good introduction to a different facet of Casting Across.

Check out the top three articles, and the top podcast, from 2019 below:

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Podcast Ep. 59: Trout Quixote II

* This is the second installment of a two part series ; listen to episode 58 for part one. *

My first grand scheme was met with mixed results. I was at the point where the chase was as attractive as the catch. I wasn’t going to stop until I found trout nearby.

The next stop was behind high walls, formidable gates, and a militarized security force. Sort of. They had pickups and dogs. Thus, I had to get sneaky.

With dozens of top-notch trout options within a few hours, why go through the hassle of a long hike and a quasi-clandestine fishing trip? And would it even be worth it?

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

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Water, Woods, & Christmastime

Christmas is not my favorite holiday. It’s like the best part of all the other fun holidays, but with a whole lot of other stuff crammed into it. It’s busy. It’s expensive. It’s almost always cold.

Consequently, I’ve been known to be a little Grinchy in the Yuletide lead-up.

But then Christmas Eve hits. All the other stuff is suddenly in the rear view. Shopping is done. Travel is complete. Meal prep is as good as it’s going to get. The superfluous holiday trappings are hidden by the fresh-fallen presence of Christmas itself.

Family. Food. Candlelight worship. The kids’ gifts staged for the early morning wake-up call.

This year I spent a quick hour on the water on the morning of Christmas Eve. It served as a good personal transition period from “bah humbug” to “God bless us, every one!” I came back from the water and the woods excited about the upcoming 36 hours.

And so here we are. All of that to say, Merry Christmas from Casting Across!

Will your holiday not be complete without more Casting Across?

No worries. Click the links below for some articles of Christmas past:

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Consider the Fallfish

I’m not going to brag and say that I’m some kind of fallfish catching phenom. I’ll simply let the evidence speak for itself. At a purely quantitative level, I’m super good at catching fallfish.

Want proof?

I hauled in some real fine specimens the last time I went out. Which, it just so happened, was the Saturday before Christmas. I was the first person in the door at Target that morning and I caught some lunker fallfish. There is a very good chance I am unique in that eminent distinction. Sadly our Christmas cards have already been printed.

You might be thinking, “fallfish are great and all, but have you ever thought about other species?”

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Podcast Ep. 58: Trout Quixote I

How far do you have to drive to get to trout?

How far do you have to drive to get to native trout?

The second question is one that has been on my mind for as long as I have been fly fishing. There is something about wild fish, even if they’re teeny-tiny, that encapsulates so much of why I do what I do.

And I’m not alone.

This is the first of a two-part narrative of my wild-eyed quest for local, native trout.

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

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Need a Gift? Shop a Fly Shop

ATTENTION FLY FISHERS: PASS THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR SPOUSE, CHILDREN, OR NOT-SO-SECRET SANTA

Need a last minute fly fishing gift? Even if you don’t know the first thing about fly fishing, getting a great gift can be pretty easy. That’s because there are people spread across this country who are literally sitting and waiting to help you buy fly fishing gifts.

Who? Fly shop employees.

In this day and age, fly shops are vestiges of another time. They are niche, independent, brick and mortar stores that are often labors of love. They are the kind of place that you can go to for a gift and some guidance as you shop.

For the non-angler looking to buy a fishing gift, this is perfect. Here are four simple things that you’ll need to know as you go into a fly shop to buy a gift:

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Fly Fishing, Ice, & Cartoon Coyotes

Cold cut through every exposed inch of skin like a knife. Wool and fleece and neoprene worked in unison but were unable to achieve success. Numbed fingers struggled with the most basic knots; hope was used as much as monofilament. The stream was the only moving thing in the stark winter landscape. Patches of snow were scattered throughout the valley, but their whiteness only pointed out the surrounding grey. Trees stood still and barren as if dead, The ground itself was frozen as solid as the random protruding stones. Here and there, ice formed around rocks and downed logs at the edge of the stream. Normally, these would be spots where trout would hold. But the cold had come. The freeze was creeping deeper into the hollow. Each step meant going deeper into the bleak, like a descent into some new kind of madness that…

And I fell on a rock.

Flat on my back. Like in a cartoon.

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