Podcast Ep. 356: 5 Ways to Get that Fly Deep

Not all fly fishing presentations can be bushy dry flies over trout that will range five feet to rise with abandon. Because of the ridiculous quantity of foodstuffs in most rivers, fish are looking for a reasonable offering that is within a few inches of their noses. And since fish live underwater that means nymphs drifting at the right depth.

Getting all that to happen involves more than experimenting with split shot. In fact, I’d like to offer up an approach where a cast-altering weight is the last ditch effort.

Today I share five things I like to think about when it comes to getting your fly down deep in tricky scenarios. And as per usual, they involve using your head a lot more than your tackle box.

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

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Video: Fishing’s Most Influential Work, at Your Fingertips

Although it is not the oldest work on fishing in the English language, Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler is undoubtedly the most prominent. From both a literary and cultural perspective it is well known and widely celebrated.

For these merits and those intrinsic to the nearly 400 year-old book, you should read a passage or two. And it just so happens that there are a handful of ways to do so online.

Scans and transcripts of the multiple editions are available  through various websites. You’d do well to peruse the archaic but intelligible first edition from 1653. If you’re a fly fisher, you’ll want to check out the 1676 reprint. This final update includes Charles Cotton’s additions, which include a focus on flies.

Watch what else I have to say about the book, and find out where you can find it online, below:

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Fly Fishing as Labor & Rest

Work has a bad reputation. This is perhaps best illustrated in the modern concept of the weekend. Many see the time from Friday evening until Monday’s alarm as sacred.  The rest of the week is there to be endured. Labor is pitted against rest.

But this isn’t true. And fly fishers should understand this very well.

Consider your time on the water. It is restful, but it also entails complicated variable analysis and a level of physical exertion. Like many leisure activities it requires the honing of skills and focus. And even if the most contemplative  purists don’t want to admit it, one must acquire equipment to participate.

It is a labor, but it is a labor of love. Very few anglers have any expectations or quotas that originate from external sources. The fish offer up a challenge that is nearly always pursued for the sake of the pursuit alone. The early mornings, long hikes, and saved-for expenses are fulfilling  more than they are draining.

You can rest too much, but it might mean that you don’t catch fish… at least not on purpose. You can work too hard, but you run the risk of making it all science and losing the art. In fly fishing, labor and rest function and flow in perfect harmony. One can’t exist without the other. The angler can’t really comprehend the entirety of the enterprise unless he immerses himself in both.

Ultimately, this is because we were created to rest and to work and it was called good. I’m of the conviction that fly fishing is good for many reasons; this labor and leisure dynamic being a significant one. We step into something active while simultaneously taking a step back from the usual. Whether we acknowledge it or not, a large part of the pleasure comes from doing what we’ve been made to do. We labor and we rest, and we’re blessed to do so with a fly rod in hand.

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Podcast Ep. 355: Dig the Long Rod

I own some positively diminutive fly rods for angling in the mountains. And I revel in the plethora of options when it comes to 9-foot 4-, 5-, and 6-weights. But every once in a while the right tool for the job is just a little bit longer.

Today I share four reasons why a longer fly rod might be the ticket for your fly fishing. That might mean taking a 9-footer up in the mountains, or that might entail fishing with a 9’6″ rod.

The reality is that rod length can really impact your cast and your presentation. If circumstances deem a different piece of equipment, it might be worth considering switching up your most important angling tool.

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

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VIDEO: Read a Glimpse into a Western Trout Town

In this “one minute review” I share three reasons why Travers Corners needs to be on your fly fishing book stack.

Scott Waldie’s first book in the series is a great read on its own. The people of this remote Montana town are endearing, the exploits of the protagonist interesting, and the fly fishing exciting. It is all you can ask for in a book full of fly fishing stories.

But the book itself, and the series as a whole, is a story in itself. That is another reason why it is special.

Read what else I have to say about the book, and find out where you can pick it up, below:

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Danger in the Hollows & on the Streets

We were looking for a campsite alongside the tumbling mountain creek.  It was a brook trout creek. However, rainbows had been stocked without any fish’s consent and now made up the bulk of the trout population in the valley. We, along with the native brookies, were higher up in the hollow. It had been a great winter hike along the South Carolina/North Carolina state line in a vast wilderness area. The mild southeastern temperatures and thick pine forest betrayed the month on the calendar.

Moving the requisite distance off trail to set up camp, we began to look for a flat parcel of ground for our small tent. Navigating 100 feet was simple enough. Locating a smooth, debris-free plot involved moving up small outcrops and looking behind boulders. It is in one such spot that we came across the still.

Moonshining in the Appalachians is certainly more than folklore. It was a part of life in many communities. And, as is the case with many industries, there was competition. But rivalries in this industry weren’t settled with litigation. Firearms were the mediators in these backwoods arbitrations. Proactively, there were other measures taken to protect manufacturing and product.

I was confident from the state of the copper in that still that there was a good span of time between ourselves and the last proprietors of the location in question. Personally, I assume most folks engaged in quasi-legal distilling are just good old boys – never meaning no harm. However, that is not a blanket statement for everyone involved in off the books agriculture and/or chemistry.

In fact, there are some dangers that you should be aware of when venturing out with rod, rifle, or backpack. The usual dangers of snakes, falls, and drowning should be on your radar. But, without being paranoid, in this world there are other considerations for which one should keep an eye out. Here are three I’ve encountered while fly fishing:

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Podcast Ep. 354: More… On Fly Fishing With Less

I like questions. When I get the same question a handful of times in quick succession, that topic gets shifted to the top of the subject matter pile.

Recently, a number of fine fly fishing folk have asked me about what I consider to be the essential gear for minimalism or travel. In this episode I give my answer. But before I go over the what I discuss the why. This is because your reasoning for carrying less may necessitate a completely different loadout  than what I bring with me when I travel or stash gear in my car.

A fun topic to think about, consider why and what you bring with you when you want or have to move lightly.

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

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VIDEO: The Magic of Small Flies

Just because they’re “no see ‘ums” to you, it doesn’t mean the fish can’t see and eat ‘um.

Midges are a staple of trout diets. Imitations of these tiny insects and their cohorts deserve a place in your fly box. And, assuming you have the eyesight or gadgets to tie them on without too much trouble, they probably deserve a devoted box in your pack.

Midge Magic by Holbrook and Koch surveys the entire midge fishing waterfront: technique, equipment, identification, and tying. The fly tying piece is especially helpful, as the strategies and patterns can be employed by expert and beginner tyers alike.

If you want to take advantage of a year-round food source for trout in nearly every stream, pick up Midge Magic to acquaint yourself with these little bugs.

Watch what else I have to say about the book, and find out where you can pick it up, below:

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Rusty Fly Box: Awkward

I’ll be the first one to celebrate how people are a major part of fly fishing. Almost as much as the distinctive nature of the fly cast, the culture and the community make this particular pursuit of fish  special.

That said, it isn’t always rosy. As you aggregate a large enough sample size of interactions the odds of something off increase. Spend enough time at boat launches, fly shops, and fishing events and you’re bound to have an incongruous social moment.

I consider myself relatively pleasant and easy going. But I have had my fair share of awkward fly fishing exchanges. And I’ve recorded a number of them for your enjoyment.

Below, click on the image or title to read each full awkward angling encounter.

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Podcast, Ep. 353: American Museum of Fly Fishing, Summer ’25

Some hot weather and a spur of the moment decision turned into an excellent 24 hours of father-and-sons fly fishing time.

In this episode, I talk about the great time that my boys and I had in Manchester, Vermont. The occasion was the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s Summer Festival. There were vendors, exhibits, and competitions. (And there was food.)

Needless to say, a good time was had by all. This is the kind of event that isn’t fly fishing… but it is a quintessential to fly fishing culture.  Hear about our time and make plans to attend something similar near you.

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

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