Pictures Aren’t Worth 1,000 Words

Have you ever tried to take a picture of the night sky? A sunrise, with beams streaking through the trees? The moon reflecting on the ocean?  Unless you use a high-end camera and posses a level of mastery, the results usually come out lacking. Blurry, dark, completely obscured.

Far from capturing the moment, you’ve saved a digitally underwhelming facsimile. You can’t share it with anyone. It doesn’t really help you remember what you experienced. In a day and age when we keep millions of images, you might even delete it.

Fly fishers take pictures of rivers. We take pictures of pools, rushing water, bends, small falls, and contrasts on the streamside. We need a few of these pictures in case we catch a fish in that particular river. We need a few of these pictures in case we don’t catch any fish. Always, we take these pictures because we want to apprehend the moment for posterity.

Why? Because we feel like we have to.

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100 Fishing Questions

“Can we go fishing?”

Sure.

“Where are we going?

“What are we going to catch?

“Why do I need sunscreen?

“Why do I need shoes?

“Can we get donuts?

“Did you remember my rod?

“Can I use your rod?

“Can we go to the bathroom?

“Are we allowed to park here?

“Are they fishing?

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Make Plans to Show Up to The Show

I know what you’re thinking.

“The weather is just getting nice again – I’m going to be able to fish so much this fall!”

True. But if you live in most of the country, the harsh reality that winter weather is only a half dozen weeks away can’t be ignored. It’s okay. Don’t run from it. Embrace it.

Think about what you will be able to get done. Fly tying, cleaning your gear, and, of course, The Fly Fishing Show.

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The Scourge of Subconscious Trout-Setting

I couldn’t help myself.

It was a fish. It swam up from the clear depths to chase my fly. I saw the whole thing unfold before my eyes. I trout set the snot out of that striper.

And, of course, that means that the striped bass pictured above is not the fish that I just described. Because I missed that fish in an epic fashion.

I am not sure what you call the psychological/biological phenomenon of being able to recall physical sensations. But I can still feel myself tensing up as the fish charged my baitfish imitation. I can feel my hand tightening on the cork of the 9-weight. I can feel myself lowering the rod so that I can have the optimum thrust as I jerk the line taught with hurricane force.

I can feel the complete lack of resistance as I trout set the line, leader, and fly into oblivion.

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3 Ways to Keep Your Fly Up

Want to know a good problem to have?

Catching so many fish that you’re struggling to keep your fly afloat.

While that might sound a little bit like humble bragging, it is something that happens to all anglers from time to time. The reality is that it can be problematic. If you’re catching a lot of fish, but you’re spending an inordinate amount of time messing with a sinking fly, you’re missing out on even more fish.

Whether you are hitting an amazing hatch on a spring creek or running up a mountain blue line, you want your fly to be the best tool for all the trout feeding with reckless abandon. I’ve put together a list of three concepts, with seven “tips” total, to think about to keep your fly high, dry, and appetizing for the fish.

It starts with the right fly, prepared the best way, fished with a little forethought:

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Rusty Flybox: Brookies

Brook Trout…

And people think that the leaves are pretty in autumn!

Maybe it is good that the fall colors of brookies are our little secret, otherwise every blue line and back trail would be littered with trout peepers. As it is, the deeper you get into the woods the more brilliant your surroundings and your fish become.

There are so many things to say about my favorite fish. But since it is Friday, and since I’ve said so much already, I figured I’d share a few brook trout focused pieces from the Casting Across archives. Click on the picture or the title to read something about these amazing little char.

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Run to the Fish

Left: trail mode, Right: fishing ready

I like trail running. I like fly fishing.

I have a limited amount of time to do anything like either of those things.

Not all pursuits are flexible enough to combine, but trail running and fly fishing can be seamlessly combined in such a way that you’re not really compromising on either.

Most recently I ran four miles into the New Hampshire woods. Not only did I get a great workout, but a few other interesting things happened. As I went further up the mountains the water temperatures dropped significantly. With each mile, I saw less and less people. At the end of the day I had been able to fly fish, see so much wilderness, and put in some serious trail miles. And I caught a lot of trout.

Check out three reasons why you should give running to the fish a shot, and some tips on preparing for such an outing, below:

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Laboring Today, Fly Fishing Yesterday

Good old Labor Day. A day off to celebrate other days off.

I know  that is a gross misrepresentation… kind of…

For me, there will be work today. I’ll be laboriously reading, writing, and – completely unrelated – assembling IKEA furniture.  Don’t worry, I took yesterday afternoon off (to fish). And I’m taking tomorrow morning off (to fish).

Consequently, I’m taking it easy on the Casting Across front so I can get my labor on. That doesn’t mean I’m leaving you high and dry. I’ve got some good things for you, regardless of the intensity of your individual industry.

Here are three quick things:

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Waiting Decades for a Trout

“I know protecting them is important,” I said, “but what is fishing for greenbacks like?”

“They’re beautiful, special fish that live in amazing places,” he said, smiling. “They aren’t the only cutthroats that need to be protected, but their story is special.”

I had a lot of questions for the late Dr. Robert Behnke in the short amount of time we spent together. Completely aware that most people don’t want to talk work while not working, I still peppered him with various inquiries about trout. He didn’t seem to mind. I assume that when you are the world’s leading expert on salmonids, your office hours don’t end once you leave the classroom.

Greenback cutthroat trout have been squarely in the center of American fly fishing culture for decades. The story of the greenbacks is too lengthy to go into detail here, and much has been written regarding these special fish. Their supposed extinction, “discovery,” rediscovery, and conservation have been at the forefront of trout-centric causes for my entire life.

Consequently, I’ve always wanted to catch one.

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