A Fly Fisher’s Pickerel Apology

June 10, 2019

Fishes of the genus Esox have always fascinated anglers. They get big. They look mean. They attack lures and fight… if you can manage to find and hook one.

All of these things make sense. So here is what confuses me: In a world where we chase carp and sing the praises of six-inch brook trout, why aren’t pickerel celebrated?

Although I lived in southern and mid-Atlantic states within their natural range, I never encountered a pickerel until I moved to New England. The first fish I caught upon relocating was a feisty, toothy, sixteen-inch specimen. “Oh, its just a pickerel,” my angling companion noted with the same disdain I would expect to hear had I reeled in a muddy branch. I didn’t know any better. It was a fish. It fought. It looked a lot like a pike. And I enjoyed the whole experience.

I guess I still don’t know any better. Sure, they stink, wriggle, and can chew up your hand. And they can “get in the way” of catching other species. But here and now, I’m defending and offering an apologetic for the pickerel.

6 Ways to Approach Teaching Fly Casting

June 4, 2019

I think we can all agree that casting is often the limiting factor for confidence and success while fly fishing. Perhaps more than any other variable, the ability to get the fly to the right spot can make the difference between fish and no fish. More importantly: fun and no fun.

It is a balance, though. You don’t want to establish some hypothetical standard of how someone should be able to cast before you take them out and put them on the water. You also don’t want them to be so frustrated that it is not an enjoyable experience.

I don’t have a perfect solution, but I have an idea. It is one that has worked in a number of settings for a variety of people.

Casting instruction.

Certainly, you can have your friend – the potential angler – sign up for a class through a local fly shop or conservation organization. Or, you can buy them lunch, go to a park, and help them get the fundamentals in view.

But good intentions also require some forethought. Have you ever honestly considered every component part that goes into a fly cast? It isn’t as easy as handing them a rod and telling them to “just cast it.” You being a good caster also doesn’t translate into you being a good teacher. Here are six things to think about before you try to help somebody figure out this vitally important (and fun) part of fly fishing. read more

Fly Fishing Father’s Day Gift Guide

June 3, 2019

I think I’ve figured out the ultimate Father’s Day gift for fly fishing dads. You could really treat the dad in your life this year by combining two of their favorite things: their children and their fishing gear.

The Redington i.D. reel came out a few years ago. It is a great cast aluminum reel with a sturdy disc drag. At $89, you’re getting a great deal for trout, warmwater, and even light saltwater angling. The fun part of the i.D. is the customization. The reel features an unported, recessed surface on the side with the drag knob. It was designed to accept a decal, and Redington has sold various designs that range from abstract art to fish-scale patterns.

I decided to go a step further and commission some original pieces from two of my favorite artists: my 7- and 4-year old.

Redington sent me the specs for the decals. I told my boys to “draw something you like about fish.” Not unlike the marketplace today, what I got was abstract art and fish-scale patterns. These reel stickers aren’t going to be featured in a magazine anytime soon, but I love them. As a dad, I’ll gladly head into the woods with my boys’ artwork on my reel. Knowing them, they’ll keep asking for little squares to color so I can switch up the design.

Podcast Ep. 29: Why You Should Fish the Cumberland Valley

May 31, 2019

In 25 minutes, I only scratch the surface of this historic fly fishing region.

Situated in south central Pennsylvania, the Cumberland Valley boasts some remarkable spring creeks. Who doesn’t like big fish in small, beautiful water? While the rivers aren’t what they once were, they are still worth seeking out. Moreover, a great opportunity for trout, stewardship, and some real fly fishing history is only a short drive away for Eastern fly fishers.

Check out this primer on Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley, and then check out some of the links on CastingAcross.com to learn more.

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

Why Only 3 Flies?

May 29, 2019

Carrying only a handful of flies can make you a more efficient angler. Especially when fishing small streams (like high-gradient mountain creeks), the less you carry can really make a difference. Wearing an overburdened vest into the back country just isn’t necessary. Furthermore, you’d be much better served to bring along water or food – not hundreds of fly patterns.

Efficiency matters. Whether you are hopping out of your car for an hour chasing brookies or spending a week out of a pack in the Colorado wilderness catching cutthroats, only taking what you need matters in small and large ways. If you lay out all your gear on a table, you’ll notice that fly boxes probably account for the most volume. A normal trout box is the size of a decent paperback book. A couple of those will fill up a sling pack quickly.

Moreover, boxes and boxes of flies just aren’t necessary. Consider your favorite high-gradient mountain creek. How many flies do you use? Outside of wild water conditions or sporadic hatches, is it four patterns? two? one?

I’d like to propose that you can get by – and get by very well – with only three flies in these conditions. Here are three patterns that I’d carry… the three flies that I would be comfortable with if they were all I was carrying:

Rusty Flybox: Memorial Day

May 27, 2019

This Memorial Day I’m bringing back an old feature that used to appear on Casting Across. For a few years, Fridays on Casting Across meant the “Last Cast of the Week” post. I’d feature three articles, videos, or social media accounts that I consider worth a click and a few minutes. As I got busier, and my time surfing the internet waned, I mixed in a regular post entitled “Rusty Flybox.”

The Rusty Flybox was a way for me to dust off a few posts that didn’t get a lot of traction the first time around. Either the social media algorithms didn’t like them or I released them before many people were reading Casting Across. Or, they stunk. But I don’t think that last one is true.

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

A 500 mile road trip and its fly fishing points of interest.
Me, falling in a big river.
Why I insist on writing about outdoor companies and marketing.

Check out all three articles below.

Fly Fishing with Family: a 3 Act Play

May 22, 2019

Cast:

Wife: patient, supportive, loving, long-suffering
Children: 7, 4, 2, 5 months – prone to mischief and getting filthy, very cute
Husband: sometime fly fishing writer, even less-time fly fisher

Scene:

Picturesque New England beach. Afternoon. Springtime. Bluebird skies. Low tide.

Striped bass present.

A family outing, with picnic dinner packed. Fly fishing gear stowed away in and among pasta salad, beach towels, and diapers.

Act I

Wife and children explore tide pools, looking for shells and sea glass. Husband walks out into the waves, fly rod in hand. He sees something shimmering on the ocean floor. Kicks at it with his foot, but it seems to be stuck between two rocks. Is it a piece of sea glass? undetonated munition? PBR can? It doesn’t come free. Kicks harder. It doesn’t move. He rears back to really give it the business when a wave hits. Water pushes him precisely when his right leg is at its apex, leaving him off balance and leaning backwards. Each rock he steps on seems to be sloping away from him. After ten comical steps, he falls on his posterior. The cold, May sea water rushes in. He’s soaked on one half of his body. To the toes. Stands up, looks around, sees his wife giving him the thumbs up.

Fly Fishing Gear: 3 Things to Leave, 3 to Bring

May 20, 2019

What are the three pieces of fly fishing gear that you may not always have with you, but might need? And, what are three things that you can probably do without?

Minimalism sounds great on paper. When it comes to execution, it is not that easy. What if I need it? There is always a chance I could use it! Those are the thoughts a lot of us have while packing for fishing. But there are some things that you probably don’t need on most trips. Here are three things I feel like we could do without on most trips… probably.

Every Size of Tippet You don’t need 0X-8X. Simply doing away with the Coke can-sized stack of tippet will reduce the bulk of your gear significantly. Fishing for trout? Bring some 4X and 5X. Throwing poppers for smallies? Just put some 10lb. mono in your pack.
More Than 2 Indicators Why do you have a whole bag of different sized reusable strike indicators? Sure, you’ll lose one from time to time. But especially if you use screw-on floats, you only need one and a backup.
Flies You’re fishing an hour away, not in Kamchatka. You know what you need. Woolly buggers, hare’s ear nymphs, and whatever is hatching. All that will fit in one small box.