Trout Quixote. five.

The fish pictured above are rainbow trout. Oncorhynchus mykiss isn’t native to the east coast, but there are plenty of clean, cold spring creeks that sustain wild reproducing populations of the fish. The creek I was fishing in Northern Virginia is one such creek.

The fish pictured above are not from that creek.

I didn’t catch any fish in that creek, which means that I didn’t catch any trout anywhere near my hometown in Virginia. And I’ve moved back to New England, which means that I won’t be catching any trout anywhere near my hometown in Virginia anytime soon.

But before I get too introspective, let me explain what happened after I stumbled and fell and sweated and grimaced my way to the mouth of this creek.

The stream was beautiful. The banks were lush, the bottom was gravelly, and the water was moving along in a good riffle/run/pool cadence. There were Japanese beetles and flying ants everywhere, so I was plopping a generic little foam terrestrial in every possible fish holding spot. I worked methodically, making sure all the likely and maybe-likely feeding lanes were covered.

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Gone Fishing: Canals

This morning I chased carp and smallmouth in Lowell, Massachusetts with Geoff Klane of Brackish Flies.

In the next few days I’ll write about urban fishing for these canal dwellers, what Brackish Flies is all about, and share Geoff’s passion for his local fisheries.

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Rusty Flybox: Old Dominion

As this is popping up on the interwebs, I’ll be driving  north to New England.  Over the Potomac, Yellow Breeches, Delaware, and Housatonic.  No fishing, just driving.

But mark my words, I’ll be thinking about fishing.

If I allow myself, I’ll also spend some time thinking about this past year. I was back in Virginia, back where I spent some of my most formative years as a fly fisherman and as a man. There was a plan for the year, but for reasons I still don’t completely understand those doors were closed. Other doors, however, were opened. And that is what I am thankful for; that is what I’m heading up to get started with.

However, there was a year in Virginia! A year of fishing, Sheetz, and revisiting old haunts. In the spirit of reflecting on the year gone by, I’ve selected three posts about my most recent stint in the Old Dominion State.

Give them a read, and don’t forget to subscribe to see what shenanigans I get into back in New England.

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IFTD 2017: The Secret Menu

The 2017 IFTD show is upon us! It is Christmas in Florida in July… which is only slightly hotter than the normal Christmas in Florida. Instead of sugarplums and reindeer prancing about, it will be bearded men in casting shirts carrying PBRs in coozies.

I’ll not be attending the premier fly fishing industry event of the year: I’m moving this week. Which means I’d rather be in Florida in July. Alas. Just because I’m not there in the flesh, providing hard-hitting behind-the-scenes coverage, doesn’t mean that I don’t have something riveting for the audience of Casting Across.

You see, there are so many new products that will be featured at the show. There will be dozens of must-have items that go all “fire” on social media. IFTD will award some rods, reels, jackets, and fingernail clippers their snazzy crystal trophies. These are all worth paying attention to, and chances are many of you will be actually paying for them in the near future.

But just like most fast food restaurants, IFTD has a secret menu. Some industry leaders have the equivalent of a “filet-o-fish with Big Mac sauce,” or “only nacho cheese chalupa.” There are new products rolling out that are so hush-hush that they’re only able to be seen if you know the secret handshake.

Lucky for you, I know that handshake.

I’m ready to divulge five of the most secret, most guarded, most ingenious bits of merchandise that are not going to see the light of day at the 2017 IFTD Show in Orlando. So, without further ado…

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2 Guys On & In Fly Fishing Culture

Recently I sat down with Dave Goetz and Steve Mathewson to record an episode of 2 Guys and a River (listen here!). We discussed Casting Across and the role that a website like this plays in the greater fly fishing culture. Afterwards, we went to lunch and I was able to interview them to answer those same questions about their podcast.

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Fly fishing is about the fish – the quarry. Whether it be trout, bass, or a saltwater species, anglers plant the flag of their passion squarely on fish.

Some then lament the “other stuff” that has crept into fly fishing: the competition, the politics, the materialism. While every one of those facets certainly has the potential to crowd the essential elements of fishing out, there is something to be said about the greater culture of fly fishing.

Another new rod, another stream restoration project, or another commentary might be tiresome to certain corners of the fishing community. But many also embrace these sorts of things for how they enrich of the culture, and the pursuit of the quarry, of fly fishing.

For the past two years, Dave Goetz and Steve Mathewson of 2 Guys and a River have been commenting on and sharing their fly fishing experiences with the listening public. Their podcast isn’t about adding to the noise. Rather, they are doing it “for the love of fly fishing.” Podcasts like 2 Guys play an important role in the culture of fly fishing, and Steve and Dave have experienced the fruits of their labor first hand.

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Last Cast of the Week, 7/7/2017

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  Wayward Angler, RepYourWater, & The Unripe Fig.

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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(Even More!) Fly Fishing Podcasts

Ideally, at some time this summer you’ll be cruising down the highway towards some  spectacular stretch of water. Whatever is coming through the radio will just be one more part of the whole; another side of the multi-faceted  experience that is a satisfactory fishing excursion.

…or, you might be stuck in traffic. On the way home from work, headed toward the beach, etc. Not as fun. Here, listening to something pleasant and entertaining might just keep you from steering into a guardrail.

Irrespective to the quality of your drive, you’ll want something good on in the background. If you’ve read Casting Across much, you’re probably aware that I’m a big proponent of fly fishing podcasts. A good story, interview, or bit of witty repartee isn’t easy  to A) put together for online consumption, and B) sustain for any period of time.

I’ve talked to some of the leading voices using the medium today, and have given some of my recommendations for a selection of my favorite podcasts. Today, I’d like to add three more titles to the list of  fly fishing series to which I subscribe.  Check out my quick take on each podcast and a suggested “starting point” episode.

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Trout Quixote. four.

This is the fifth part in this series. Catch up by reading the beginning  here , 

Life gets in the way of even the most obsessed-over pursuits. That is the way it ought to be. Diversions should be just that: a deviation from the major thoroughfare of work, school, etc. Fly fishing, as important as it is to me, is still just a diversion. A handful of trips to local ponds and creeks a month, punctuated by a more sizeable outing or two is sufficient for the stage of life that I’m in. If fly fishing in general requires time to be carved out of my busy schedule, the little “local trout” quest in specific gets even less time.

Almost a year since I plotted, schemed, and attempted to confirm the existence of a remnant trout population amid suburbia, I decided to take it to the next level. I knew a stream less than ten miles away that held a trout population. Exclusively rainbows filled this little spring creek. Not much is known about the fish, other than that they naturally reproduce and have been doing so for some time.

And the vast majority of the length of the stream is on private property. Including all reasonable access.

The only exception – the only way, as I saw it, was to fish up from where the creek entered a larger river. The river is fully navigable, public, and accessible. The access points, however, are not necessarily near the junction point I was looking for.

Thus began a Lord of the Rings style adventure. I could see my destination. I could even plot out a very simple path. Yet that path would lead to certain doom at the hands of the local authorities. I would have to take a more circuitous, adventurous route.

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Last Cast of the Week, 6/30/2017

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  MidCurrent, Alpen Reel Co, and Marquette Mining Journal.

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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Pink Squirrels & Fly Fishing Humility

A San Juan Worm on the San Juan River.

An Ausable Wulff on the Ausable (not the Au Sable… but that might work, too).

An RS-2 on the South Platte.

A Letort Hopper on the Letort… during hopper season.

It all seems too neat and tidy, too conventional and stereotypical. At this point, haven’t these fish seen enough of these patters such that they can identify hook manufacturers? Sure, these patterns were created on these rivers. They bear their namesake. But like Robert Plant’s disdain for audiences screaming for Stairway to Heaven, aren’t the fish tired of anglers clamoring for them to bite on that fly?

Since these fish are so smart, fly fishers do their best to be a little smarter. I know I’m guilty of this. If there is a big emergence going on, I switch it up with the intention of surprising them with a little shock value. Or, I very well may die on the hill that is fishing the dry fly. That noble effort is worth something, isn’t it? I might fail miserably, but at least I’m not failing because I’m being boring.

This summer I was fishing the Driftless region in Wisconsin. Prior to my trip, I’d done a pretty good deal of requisite research. These fish were apparently pretty picky, spooky, and typical of spring creek trout. They would require long, delicate tippets and well thought out presentations. Part of that was figuring out generally what the fish would be eating, and what might be a good representation of said foodstuffs. One bizarre thing kept popping up: the pink squirrel.

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