To the Moms of Fly Fishers

May 13, 2019

Being the mom of a fly fisher can be a thankless job. Why? Under “normal” circumstances, being a mom is often thankless. So much is done and so much goes unseen. Especially in the pre-teen and teenage years, there can be a lot of heartache and anxiety and frustration. That is best-case scenario. Add to that the eccentricities and weird minutiae of fly fishing, and parenting is a challenge.

So many moms embrace that challenge. They do so without thanks and they do so in unseen ways. Their child fly fishes, and “normal” motherhood becomes something eccentric and weird.

Being the mom of a fly fisher means a lot of things.

It means learning all about trout vs. bass and line weights and why things cost so much money. Then, conversing about these topics with various levels of convincing, but feigned, interest.

Podcast Ep. 26: Real Fly Fishing Reading

May 10, 2019

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 tattered, dog-eared, highlighted river guide on the back seat, books are a part of the angler’s life.

In this podcast I talk about three general genres and give three specific book recommendations.

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

Glass/Graphite: The Blue Halo Liger

May 8, 2019

I want to be clear. This isn’t a review of Blue Halo’s new fly rod, the Liger.

First of all, the rod hasn’t been released yet and I haven’t fished it. I’m not an ambassador or pro staff or anything of the sort. The closest I’ve come to the fiberglass/graphite hybrid was wiggling a prototype around at a fly fishing show. Thus, this isn’t a review of how it casts, how it mends, or how it handles fish.

This is a look at a concept.

It is a concept that has intrigued me since I learned about the existence of this different fly rod. Different doesn’t always mean good, mind you. But fly rods can’t only be made of bamboo, fiberglass, or graphite, right? Since I began fly fishing, there has only been one other major material that has become commonplace (Winston’s use of boron in certain rod series’ butt sections). Some people like glass; some people like graphite. Many people like both. Why wouldn’t a thoughtfully constructed hybrid work?

I spoke to Cortney Boice, president and CEO of Blue Halo, about the Liger. I wanted to know where the idea came from, and what applications he saw for this hybrid rod. “The concept was one I’ve been thinking of for years, really 5 or 6 years ago when we started making glass rods. I was fishing graphite as well. I saw each material excelling for different things, and wanted to find a way to get the best of both worlds.” read more

Fly Fishing Revelations & Rewards

May 6, 2019

Visiting a river with regularity reveals how the water is truly a world unto itself.

Going fishing means trying to catch fish. That part means focusing on the water. Of course, there are other parts. One must avoid streamside obstacles when walking or casting. Other things, like trees, rocks, or non-fish animals are difficult to ignore. But the fishing, especially if intermittent, demands a deliberate focus upon the water.

When you spend a lot of time on a particular river you start to allow yourself notice things. The obstacles become familiar. Avoiding them becomes second nature. So do the trees and rocks. More importantly, so do the feeding lanes of fish. Structure, cover, and favorite lies make themselves clear. Sometimes this information is gathered by trial and error. You spook a fish every day for a week until you realize that there is a fish there. If you are coming back the next day, this is valuable information. You learn spots. You get to know fish.

Perhaps you even ascertain when a certain fish is in Spot A, and what time of day that same fish moves to Spot B.

For the better part of a year I fished a spring creek multiple times a week. I became very familiar with streamside obstacles, trees, and rocks. A river that I had fished intermittently became alive in ways that enriched my experience and amplified my ability to read the water. This led to more fish. I’ll even say that this led to more rewarding fish.

You Need Your Casting Arm to Fish

May 1, 2019

I’m no stranger to moving chairs from point A to point B. My first job involved moving chairs. I still move chairs. Pick them up, put them down, stack them back up. For me, moving chairs is inevitable.

Two weeks ago, while moving chairs, I felt a twinge in my elbow. Using one arm, I was moving two chairs in order to pick them up. There was a table in between me and the stack of chairs. Consequently, my arm was fully extended. Immediately before grabbing them with my other hand, I felt the sharp pain on the top of my elbow. The elbow of my right arm.

Which just so happens to be my casting arm.

That day my elbow was generally sore. The next day it hurt when I moved it. It was difficult to exercise or even pick up light objects. I decided to take it easy. Later that week, even with rest, it still hurt. I talked to my friend, who happens to be a physician’s assistant. I explained my symptoms. He pinched a spot on my elbow. He knew just where to touch, because it hurt. “Tennis elbow,” he said, “just give it time.”

But it had me worried.

Some of the worry was directly tied to fly fishing. Hurting my casting arm in December is one thing. Hurting it in April? Right before the season? That won’t do. Plus, I’m getting more and more into saltwater fly fishing. Throwing sinking lines on eight- and nine-weights takes its toll on one’s arm. Moreover, the surging tugs of a striper would generate the exact stresses that caused the most pain.

Elevate Youth: Nature, Fish, & Transformation

April 29, 2019

When his Little Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters didn’t understand why anyone would want to go into the woods to just walk around, an idea began to form in Alec Griswold’s mind. He had the opportunity to share the outdoors with a young person. More than that, it was a young person who had never spent any time out of an urban setting. He had the opportunity to share everything that goes along with being outdoors: adventure, wonder, and fun.

Griswold appreciates the opportunities he had growing up. “We lived on a 100-acre farm in Maryland. I would come home from school, go out the backdoor, and just cruise around. I’d spend my days hooking fish and building forts. It had a large impact on my life, and what would be my profession.” He also spent time away from the waters and woods. Griswold volunteered in inner city Baltimore throughout high school, learning about experiences and perspectives other than his own.

After college, his journey had several other formative stops. In Patagonia, Chile, he participated in and worked for NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). Moving to Nantucket, he ran a kayak rental company and learned the inner workings of business. Then, he spent time in community-based conservation with the Waterkeeper Alliance in Boston.

In 2015, while working in marketing, Griswold became a Big Brother through Big Brother Big Sisters. “Things began to click. I remember always looking for things to do with my Little Brother. We would do things that were completely new for him, like hiking or fishing.” Adding those activities to the long-term mentor relationship really made a difference in the young people he was working with. Moreover, it fueled a passion in his life to do something meaningful.

Podcast Ep. 24: You Never Go Fly Fishing Alone

April 26, 2019

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 are using, and the rod we are casting were made by someone else.

There is something to be said for that connection.

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

All the Fish You Can’t Catch

April 24, 2019

There are more fish out there that you can’t catch than you can catch.

Let that sink in for a minute. The statement, although hardly profound, is true at a number of levels.

Firstly, you’re not going to catch all the fish in any given river. Perhaps in a small creek you’d be able to trick the majority of naive and opportunistic trout. In a large river? You’d struggle to cast to half of them, let alone catch a calculable percentage. That should humble you as an angler.
More importantly, you’re pretty far from most of the fish in the sea. Some live across the country. Some live across the globe. Some swim in lands that are dangerous to travel in. Some live miles below the surface of the water. They’re going to be there, and you aren’t.
Furthermore, there are thousands upon thousands of species that aren’t going to show any interest in your fly. For every bass out there, hundreds of fish aren’t going to give you the time of day. That should humble you as a person.

It’s Just Something – It’s Fly Fishing Gear

April 21, 2019

“Yeah, but it’s just…”

Surf around on fly fishing message boards, scroll through social media, or hang out at angling events and you’ll hear this sentiment about any number of fly fishing products.

“That material is just something you can get at the craft store.”

“That hat is just a hat with a fishing patch on the front.”

“That rod is just last year’s model with different colors.”

“That fly is just a woolly bugger with dumbbell eyes.”

“That shirt is just a quick-dry shirt with a company’s logo on it.”

…and on and on.

I get it. There are some things in fly fishing catalogs that are essentially dollar store items with a price tag-escalating sticker slapped on it. (But if people pay for it, can you blame them?) Or, the updated model is simply a slight improvement touted as the coming of the angling revolution. Whether it is righteous economic indignation or general distaste for perceived dishonesty, some people like to call attention to these offerings. I get it.

I usually don’t spend the money, either.