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?

Podcast Ep. 32: Playing 20 Fly Fishing Questions

June 21, 2019

You’ve probably been there before. Lying in bed, the night before a fly fishing excursion. You have thoughts. Questions, actually. You might attempt the counting sheep equivalent of visualizing heavy trout coming to the net. But, for analytical minds like many fly anglers possess, that practice gets one thinking about hypotheticals and other situational what-ifs.

So, there you are; awake. With a litany of issues, pertinent and inconsequential, running through your head.

I go through some of the questions you might consider before the “big trip.”

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

A Father’s Days Fly Fishing

June 18, 2019

Sunday is a busy day for me. Consequently, Sunday is a busy day for my family. We still have time for rest and recreation, but bigger plans usually get pushed off to Monday.

Of course, Father’s Day falls on a Sunday.

Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of second-tier holidays. I’m not offended by those who celebrate anything and everything. To me it’s just a good excuse to grill what I want to grill. But as my kids have gotten older and have become excited at the prospect of celebrating me, it’s become more fun.

Sunday, being busy, meant I got to rest, relax, and grill (bratwurst, FYI). It was rainy, and we just hung out. My kids did get me presents. This is where the fly fishing part comes in:

The Angler’s Pint: A Perfect Vessel for Fly Fishing Art

June 17, 2019

Fly fishing and art go hand-in-hand. The connection goes beyond artists using anglers and their quarry as subject matter. There is an intrinsic, pleasing aesthetic to a rod, a reel, and of course – flies. So, the art of angling isn’t relegated to a place over a mantle or a gallery somewhere. It is art that is used. It is art that is enjoyed.

Karen Talbot is the artist behind the popular Angler’s Pint. The Angler’s Pint is precisely what it sounds like: a pint glass designed for anglers. Beautiful fish illustrations adorn the 21.5-ounce glasses. Since its release, this series of glassware has been bought by fly fishers, nature lovers, and beer connoisseurs alike.

As is the case with any product that begins with a dream on a cocktail napkin, there were plenty of steps taken before Talbot saw the concept of the Angler’s Pint become reality.

“My husband and I were living in California, and we loved to head up into the Eastern Sierra to fish – and it was really wonderful fishing. After one trip when we had been fishing all day, we stopped into Kern River Brewing Company on the way home. We were sitting there having a few pints, and I was doodling on cocktail napkin.

“In the United States there really is no official standard for a poured pint, but it is generally 16 ounces. In England they actually etch or print on a little crown for a standard 20-ounce pour. I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if there was an even taller pour line for anglers?’ And it kind of quickly came to me to use the illustration of a fly rod for a standard, and to think of it as ‘a tall pint for tall tales.’

Podcast Ep. 31: A Pinch of Salt for the Trout Crowd

June 14, 2019

I’m willing to wager that the bulk of my audience/readership fishes primarily or exclusively in freshwater. That makes sense, because I fish primarily in freshwater.

But saltwater fly fishing is spectacular.

While there are plenty of common elements between the trout stream and the surf, the differences stand out. And they can potentially be daunting if you’ve never chased fish in the salt. Even if you’re going to the shore once or twice a year, having the right gear and a little bit of know-how can yield some great experiences.

In this episode I give you the essentials for casting into a whole new fly fishing world.

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

Vests and Deep Water

June 11, 2019

I had never been fly fishing, but I decided that a fly fishing vest would be a good investment.

In junior high, the multi-pocketed khaki vest certainly didn’t have anything to do with style. Tommy Hilfiger t-shirts, baggy jeans, and puffy white Filas were preferable. As is probably the case with everyone, I must have looked ridiculous. Realistically, wearing the vest was a 50/50 proposition between being stuffed in a locker or setting a trend.

Back then I made the purchase because I was going fishing. Camping, canoeing, and fishing, to be more accurate. I was headed off to central Virginia, to a cabin on the banks of a flooded quarry. At the time I had an enormous tackle box, filled with all manner of conventional lures. Rapala minnows, Berkeley worms, Rooster Tail spinners – everything I’d seen the guys use on Saturday morning TV. Dozens upon dozens of lures, all lined up in a giant Plano; a place for everything and everything in its place. Even as a teenager, bringing that monstrosity onto a small watercraft seemed ridiculous. A vest made sense.

After arriving to the cabin and throwing sleeping bags up on top bunks (teenage boys covet top bunks) we set off to fish. Smallmouth and sunfish were caught from shore. Logically, we thought, bigger smallmouth and sunfish would be caught off in deeper water. Illogically, we left fish to find fish.

Four vessels disembarked. Three with two teenagers, one with an adult. John was in my canoe. He had a penchant for quoting South Park and WWF wrestlers. He also had a monstrous tackle box, which accompanied us in the canoe.

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