Fly Fishing Gear: 3 Things I Use Every Time

Better gear doesn’t make a fly fisher good. But good gear makes fishing better.

And good gear doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

Whether you’ve been fly fishing for decades or you’re just getting started, there are some inexpensive items out there that will help streamline your experience on the water. Organization and expediency are two things that anyone can improve. Regardless of if you use a thousand dollar fly rod or a big box-store beater, the little things that surround the actual fishing can make a big difference.

Here are three pieces of gear that I’ve incorporated into virtually all of my fly fishing:

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Fly Fishing Independence

There is no “right way” to celebrate Independence Day.

Red, white, and blue decor is good. Cookouts are good. Parades are good. Fireworks are good. Ceremonies, historical documentaries, and the day off work are all good.

Fly fishing on the 4th of July is good, too.

I don’t think I’m fabricating the sentiment held by some, the essence of which is this: some forms of civil holiday-observance aren’t proper. For example, having a hot dog roast on Memorial Day isn’t the right or respectful way to memorialize those who have given their life in service. If that is your conviction, fine. But I think that it can be both/and.

Furthermore I think that Independence Day should be free from all that. I think that you should do whatever you want  (within legal parameters) to appreciate the freedom that you have to do whatever you want in America. Of course, I’m going to apply that specifically to fly fishing.

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Rusty Flybox: Summertime

Let’s be  honest, in many ways June is the best month for fly fishing. But all great things must come to an end. Thankfully, there are some really, really good things that follow… like July, August, and September.

Fly fishing in the heat of summer requires thinking a little differently. The days are longer, the water is warmer, and the whole ecosystem works in a new way.

Here are three articles from the Casting Across archives that will help you get a bead on some of the ways to approach fly fishing in the summer. One has to do with flies, another with location, and the last pertains to an excellent piece of gear.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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Culturing Your Fly Fishing Culture

Fly fishing fly fishing fly fishing.

Why is everything always about fly fishing?

Yeah, yeah. I know. This is a fly fishing website. Out of the 156 posts a year on Casting Across, about 150 of them are specifically about fly fishing. At least I’m consistent. But I might be missing the mark a bit. Because thinking about things in those terms, I’m not doing a great job accurately writing about the culture of fly fishing.  To put things in context, it is important to remember that fly fishing exists as a niche within fishing, which is a niche within outdoors pursuits.

There are plenty more things to do outdoors that aren’t fly fishing that are worth doing. And maybe by doing them, your fly fishing can improve.

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Stretching Fly Fishing Opportunities: Kismet Outfitters

“Before you even hook some of these saltwater fish, there is so much that has to go into it. Things all have to align: the moon, the tides, your fly, your cast. It is exciting, it is intense. But there is nothing like it.”

That is part of the answer that Abbie Schuster, founder and owner of Kismet Outfitters, gave when asked to describe the feeling of chasing fish in the salt. Her response to the same question, only pertaining to yoga, was a little more concise.

“Peaceful.”

Based out of Martha’s Vineyard, Schuster can put clients on some of the best striped bass, false albacore, and bluefish water in the nation. The quality of the fly fishing just off the idyllic Massachusetts island provides one more option for an already bustling tourist destination.

With such a diverse group visiting the Vineyard, Schuster wanted to broaden the appeal of a day on the water. “There’s no need for fly fishing to be intimidating. But in my experience, so many clients’ spouses wouldn’t travel with them because they thought that they have to be a hardcore fly fisher to just be on the boat.”

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Last Cast of the Week, 6/22/2018

Most Fridays on Casting Across are  devoted to other people’s contributions in the fly fishing community. Articles, pictures, social media accounts, videos, podcasts, products, and more will be featured on The Last Cast of the Week.

Today, I’m sharing items from   Flymen Fishing Company, Vedavoo / Water Master, & the most-viewed fly fishing video on YouTube!

If you’d like to be featured in the Last Cast of the Week, or have seen something that others might be interested in, use my  contact form  or shoot me an email (matthew[at]castingacross[dot]com). Also, be sure to  subscribe to Casting Across to never miss a post.

Check out the links, along with my thoughts, below:

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It’s Not a Beaver!

Above: What it looks like to watch someone catch a fish at night.

“KER-SPLOOSH!”

Before the last of the water from the aquatic eruption had fallen, one of my fishing companions let out a string of expletives. The punctuation on the end of the profanity-laden, run-on sentence was “…big fish.”

It was a big fish. A big trout, to be exact.

“No way. It was just a beaver,” was my attempt at humor. I handle mildly stressful situations with mild attempts at humor.

“No,” Scott replied. “It’s not a beaver. It was a trout.” He was laser focused.

Chris was just casting and casting and casting.

It was nearly dark, and we had all anticipated this moment. That special time at twilight when big trout leave their spooky inhibitions under streambanks and their usual carefulness down in dark pools. Dusk is when predators act like predators. We had counted on this and decided to predate on those very trout ourselves… releasing them, of course.

Mice were on the menu.

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Outside the Box: The Postfly Fly Shop

Every month, thousands of anglers find a small black box in their mail. The VHS cartridge-sized container is full of fly fishing gear, stickers, articles, and, most importantly, flies.

Since 2013, Postfly has been putting quality flies and fly fishing miscellany in the hands of anglers through their monthly subscription service. Far and away the leader in this segment of the industry, Postfly has expanded their Massachusetts-based company to include a full line of fly fishing gear and apparel.

In 2016, Postfly relocated from Boston to Newbury. This location was not only more convenient for the team, but it allowed them to house the rapidly growing amount of gear they were sending to subscribers and other customers. Additionally, it was much more convenient to the spectacular striped bass and other saltwater fishing that the North Shore of Massachusetts provides.

With such amazing angling in the region, other fly fishers frequently travel along Route 1 and pass the Postfly headquarters. Founder and president Brian Runnals explains what happened next: “We put a big sign with ‘Postfly’ and some rods on the building, and people just started stopping in. But it was just a warehouse. It was piles of boxes and shelves of packaged flies.”

But it kept happening. People kept knocking on the door. The Postfly team would welcome visitors and talk fishing, but it wasn’t a fly shop. And for all intents and purposes there wasn’t a true fly shop between Boston and southern Maine.

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Rusty Flybox: Father’s Day

Being a dad is amazing.

It is amazing in a way that I’d struggle to adequately encapsulate in words. That is why I stick to writing about fly fishing.

I’m thankful that I’ve been able to combine the two. All three of my boys have had fly fishing experiences. All three have enjoyed their time on the water, in the woods, and with fish. I’m praying that baby number four, due later this year, has the same appreciation for the outdoors.

Here are three posts from Casting Across that pertain to fatherhood and fly fishing. Click on the image or the title to go to the full article. Enjoy reading or re-reading them, and have a happy Father’s Day. read more