I Bet You’re Good at Fly Fishing

July 15, 2019

What are you good at in fly fishing?

Any sampling of fly fishing media will inevitably yield a majority of articles, videos, and posts telling you “how to.” (Casting Across is certainly not above that, to be fair.) And it makes sense. We all want to get better. We want to cast better. We want to know how to pick the right fly. We want to go to the right spot. We want to catch more fish. There’s nothing wrong with that, so such media scratches a particular, valuable itch.

But when was the last time you focused on an area in which you are already good?

I suppose that there aren’t a lot of fly fishing articles praising your technique because that would be awfully hard to pull off. I can’t tell you how good you are at casting. I can’t tell you that you’re patient. I can’t write 500+ words about the way you tie that special little nymph rig that you use to catch all those trout.

But I bet there is something you’re good at doing in fly fishing.

Podcast Ep. 35: Pro Deals… What’s the Deal?

July 12, 2019

I’ll go on record as saying that I think “Pro Deals” and “Pro Staff” are totally fine.

But just like anything else in fly fishing (or in the rest of the world), abuse can ruin a good thing. Kirk Deeter’s recent Angling Trade piece articulated some of the real problems that exist with this system. It is clear why “Pro Staffers” give this legitimate marketing tactic a bad name, and it makes sense why some are agitated by the whole institution.

In this episode I talk about a few different perspectives, specifically mine: someone who writes about fly fishing for fun.

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

Tails, Fins, Gills, & Becoming a Better Fly Fisher

July 10, 2019

It feels like I was laying on that rock for hours. Like I got there in broad daylight and left as night approached. However long it really was, it was a long time. I wasn’t hurt. I wasn’t catching fish after fish. I wasn’t exactly having fun laying on the rock. I was trying to figure something out.

I saw fish. Probably a half dozen of them. Knowing the stream, they were most likely brook trout. The largest of the bunch could have been a brown. Regardless, they were in the pool right below me. They were right in the center of the pool, but they were deep. I guessed them to be about three feet down, with another two or three below them. A log, with bits of debris stacked in front of it, cut across the hole. That probably gave them a greater sense of security. It also did a great job of concealing me and what I was attempting to do.

Cast after cast, fly after fly, I couldn’t figure these trout out. I can remember using a prince nymph. I can remember using a hare’s ear nymph. I can remember the woolly bugger, the egg pattern, and the hornberg wet. I’d try to cast at different points at the head of the pool, seeing which currents would take my fly in front of the fish. A few inches difference at the point of entry translated into very divergent depths, trajectories, and speeds. It was hard, from a prone position, to cast with enough accuracy to effectively replicate any particular drift with precision.

Pirate Fly Fishing: The First Mate

July 8, 2019

I’ve been using the Pirate’s Fly Patch for over two years, and it has become an indispensable part of my fly fishing. It stays clipped to a panel in the back of my car, giving all my flies have a place to live. Whether it be drying out wet patterns or simply serving as a storage spot, the dense foam holds everything from midges to meaty salt streamers. The patch is still holding all these flies securely, and the bright brown trout pattern still looks good.

Even though that patch is still going strong, I recently got a hold of Pirate Fly Fishing’s latest offering – The First Mate.

The First Mate patch uses Velcro to affix to surfaces. A corresponding adhesive sheet can be placed on the back of a drift boat seat, the side of a cooler, or a surface near your tying desk. Also, anything that sticks to hook-side (scratchy) of Velcro works with the back of The First Mate – such as most car interiors and certain sling pack bodies.

The rigid plastic shell makes the patch virtually indestructible. More than that it gives The First Mate an advantage over traditional, foam only patches. If a fly patch is simply a sheet of foam, the corner(s) you use to remove and move the patch will bend with repeated use. The “handles” on the edge of The First Mate give you a place to grip and pull the patch, plus they’ll never wear out.

Rusty Flybox: 3rd of July

July 3, 2019

Today is not a holiday. But tomorrow is. And like any red-blooded American, I’m working today before stocking up on meat, charcoal, and colorful imported explosives. No time for fly fishing writing.

But, the Rusty Flybox is a channel for me to break out a few posts that didn’t get a lot of traction the first time around. Either they didn’t play nice with search engine optimization or I released them before Casting Across built a readership. Or, they stunk. But I don’t think that last one is true.

As tomorrow is a holiday, and since Fridays are slotted for podcast releases these days, I thought I’d trot out another Rusty Flybox. This Independence Day (Eve), you can read about:

Fly fishing on the 4th of July.
Hot tips n’ tricks for more trout!
Being a nice person in and around fishing.

Check out all three articles below:

VIDEO: Best Small Stream Fly Rod for Under $100

July 1, 2019

One of the great misconceptions about fly fishing is that it costs a lot of money to get started.

In some ways, that’s true. There are a lot of specialized types of fly fishing and angling techniques that aren’t easy or possible with entry level gear. And although small stream fly fishing for trout or other species doesn’t require a lot of nuance, you’ll quickly notice the limitations of a run-of-the-mill fly rod.

The Risen Fly Fishing Genesis 7’6″ 3-weight is not only a good fly rod, it is an excellent rod given the sub-$100 price point. I’ve fished it on mountain lakes and small streams, and I have really enjoyed it. I have also put it into the hands of beginner fly casters, and they have been able to make accurate presentations within minutes of casting the rod.

I decided to make a quick video review highlighting what I like about the Genesis. Take a moment to check it out below. If you have any questions about the rod or its performance, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Podcast Ep. 33: Throw Your Money at Waders & Boots

June 28, 2019

Waders and wading boots are often afterthoughts in fly fishing gear discussions.

But if you fish a lot, would you rather have a great fly rod and mediocre boots or a mediocre fly rod and great boots? I don’t think I’m overstating things when I say that another few feet of “castability” isn’t going to matter much if your footing is unstable and your back hurts.

In this episode of the podcast I discuss a few (potentially controversial) things that you should think about the next time you go out to buy waders and wading boots.

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

A Stuck Fly Rod (& 6 Things That Should Help)

June 26, 2019

Let me be clear: I did virtually everything I should have done beforehand. The rod was stored disassembled, in it’s sock, in it’s tube, sealed. Nothing was applied to the male ferrule. No paraffin, no candle wax, and definitely no nose grease. I know that there are different sides to this debate, but rod makers I’ve personally talked with have advocated the position of “just keep it clean.”

Regardless of any proactive steps I did or didn’t take, the rod was still stuck. Time travel is, for better or for worse, off the table.

Of course, I just tried to pull it apart. Think of how often you break down your rod without any issue. A firm grip on either side of the joint usually does it – and does it unremarkably. I encountered resistance. And this is when I knew my rod was, in some way, stuck.

Step two was a more deliberate version of just pulling. I tucked the butt of the rod into my left armpit and grabbed below the ferrule with my left hand. My right hand grabbed above the ferrule joint, and I pulled hard and straight. Usually this method, with a bit more power and bracing, unsticks over-tightened ferrules. This didn’t make a difference.

Fly Fishing that Shines in the Rain

June 24, 2019

A bluebird morning quickly turned dark and ominous. Not coincidentally, a fish-less morning quickly turned interesting.

It seemed like perfect conditions: a warm, still, spring morning. There were bugs in the air. No one else was in the parking lot, and there weren’t any fresh boot tracks on any of the trails. The only thing missing was trout. I’m not so confident that I won’t say that a stream can get the best of me. But I know this stream. I should at least be spotting fish – spooking them even.

Then sporadic raindrops began to fall. My first thought was, “this will pass.” Sporadic turned into consistent. I thought, “shoot.” Leaving wasn’t an option. I came to fish, and I was prepared to get wet. It isn’t that I’m superior to literal fair-weather anglers, it is just that I don’t have enough opportunities to be choosy. Plus, I was getting discouraged.

I kept casting and moving, and things started to change. A few fish chased. I missed a few. I caught some. All while a steady rain was coming down.

What happened?