NEW: Fly Fishing Conversations & Reviews

I do a fair amount or research for work. Most of the information I search for is still found in physical books. One of the most frustrating things is when a book doesn’t have an index. I know the information is in there somewhere; I’ll just have to work to find it.

Obviously, Casting Across isn’t a book. It isn’t purely a fly fishing resource, either. However there are plenty of gear reviews and fly fishing interviews interspersed within the hundreds of articles.  Up until now, unless you knew what you were looking for you would have had to work to find it.

Starting today, you can access a revamped “People, Places, & Things” page on Casting Across. All you have to do is scroll down and you’ll see dozens and dozens of articles from four years of content. Things are divided into four categories:

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Podcast Ep. 51: You Make Fly Fishing What It Is

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.

And “fish” is only one of them.

Twenty minutes doesn’t do four years justice, but in this episode I talk about some things I’ve gleaned through countless hours behind the keyboard… and a few on the water.

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

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Thank You for Fly Fishing Things

Four years ago I set out to write about fly fishing. I did want to write about fish. You can’t really write about fly fishing without giving your two cents  on how to hook a trout every now and again. It establishes credibility. It is also pretty simple. Even more than the fish themselves, I wanted to write about the culture of fly fishing. It was more interesting, and maybe more of a challenge, to try to explain how the whole of the fly fishing experience is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts.

When I started, the focal point of the culture was things. Rods, reels, and flies – the tangible stuff that any fly fisher can relate to.   As I sought to do real research and get unique information for my articles, I discovered that the real story was people.

Because even though a fly rod might resonate with you, a person is literally relatable.

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Not Quite on the First Cast

Zebco hat, Bill Dance glasses, and a satin Chicago Bears jacket. Classic.

I had never casted my fly rod before. I felt like the right thing to do was to wait until I was on a trout stream. All or nothing; all for a $25, boxed rod, reel, and line from a department store.

But wouldn’t you know it, I caught a fish on my second cast ever.

For months I had been reading about fly fishing. I had been watching different Saturday morning outdoor programs, focusing on different pages in Cabela’s catalogs, and day dreaming about different fish. Teenage me had developed a one-track trout mind. I still loved bass fishing. While I was preparing for my big inaugural fly fishing trip I continued to go to local ponds every other day. My big Plano tackle box went where I went, and I employed each lure with the knowledge gleaned from Bassmaster tournament coverage. As time went on, I didn’t love bass fishing less. I just began to love fly fishing for trout more.

What really captivated me was the people, places, and things that came with fly fishing.

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Podcast Ep. 50: Golden Fly Fishing Accusations

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 though 50 isn’t really an anniversary, thanks for listening and for the comments, emails, and reviews.

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

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Writing a Classic Fly Fishing Story

If you were to write a classic fly fishing story you’d start with an existential statement. Maybe something about water or wind  or the challenge of catching a fish. You’d develop it a bit. Then, you’d launch into the metaphor.

Because this is real fly fishing writing, and everything is a metaphor for something else.

Once the metaphor was out of the way, the story would pick up with the main character: you. You’re doing something mundane. Driving, drinking coffee, watching the water. Whatever it is, you tie it ironically to the aforementioned metaphor.  Whatever you’re doing, it is nothing like that existential truth wrapped up in said metaphor (but really, it is exactly that… but you have to save that big reveal for the closing paragraph).

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Your Flies Won’t Work, Unless…

One of the smallest fly fishing accessories might make the difference between catching and not catching.

Think about the times you’ve missed fish. Was it because you were too slow? Was it because there was slack in the line? Was it because the fish was just slashing at the fly and not trying to eat it? All of those reasons/excuses might be true. Or, it could because the very thing that you’re depending upon to catch said fish is dull.

What do I mean? Well, consider your flies. So much energy is spent figuring out the right pattern. The fur and feathers and thread get top billing, but none of that matters unless there is a hook underneath. And if you want that fly to do anything more than impress your followers on social media, it better be sharp. After you’ve tied or bought that fly, what happens to it? Maybe  it is ready to fish. Maybe the hook is made of fine metal, but it wasn’t sharpened enough in the factory. Perhaps you’ve fished with the fly already and  caught some good fish. Or, you’ve fished with the fly already and nicked every rock on the stream bottom. You might have even caught dozens of fish, potentially with hard mouths, on that very fly.

The fly might look good, but the most essential element is not ready for the most important moment of fly fishing: the hook.

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Podcast Ep. 49: Steelhead Primer

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 anglers from Chicago to Boston ought to consider.

In this podcast I present a quick survey on what goes into  giving steelhead fishing a shot: a little gear, a little technique, and some excellent tips on when to go to maximize your chances.

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

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IFTD 2019: Fly Fishing’s Secret Menu

The International Fly Tackle Dealer Show has returned to beautiful Colorado! For three days, fly fishing companies will be showing off their latest and greatest to others in the industry. While the purpose of the event is to cultivate relationships and broker deals, many fly fishers keep an eye on the goings-on. What gets unveiled at IFTD is next year’s next big thing.

Understandably not everyone can be in Denver this weekend. However, I’ve reached out to some of my industry contacts. Risking life, limb, and press pass, they’ve peeked in crates and snuck behind booth displays. Although there is a lot of secrecy surrounding the big announcements, I’ve secured some pretty juicy tidbits.

Today, on Casting Across, I’m sharing seven brand new products that aren’t even going to be shown off at IFTD!

Keep reading for an exclusive look at the next bigger things that  are going to take fly fishing by storm:

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Fly Fishing, Pre-Internet

Remember the fledgling days of the internet? Everything was AOL, chat rooms, and dial up. Slow, slow dial up.

In the  past few years, have you considered how techno-deficient life was  in 1997? You weren’t going to be buying anything online, that is for sure. Watching movies? There were no VHS slots in computers… even really fancy Gateways. Between the speed of the internet and the meager dot-com offerings available, you’d be better off getting your news and weather from AM radio.

Surprisingly enough, fly fishing wasn’t on the bleeding edge of the world wide web’s progress. There were message boards and listings on eBay, but the information just wasn’t there. If you wanted to know stream conditions you had to call a fly shop. If you wanted to buy a fishing license you had to go to a Wal-Mart. If you wanted general information about the streams in a particular region you had to go the library and check out a book.

Or, if you were like me, you owned the “Trout Fishing Sourcebook.”

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