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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VIDEO: Ye Olde Fly Fisher

Something that contemporary fly fishing culture has latched onto is the wonderful distribution of anglers: very different people from very different backgrounds are in very different places fly fishing.

This is true throughout this present space. This is also true throughout time. If you fly fish, you’re connected to people who did what you do in the past.

Ken Reinard shares what this looked like in the 1770s as “The Colonial Angler.” He is a historical reenactor focused on the period around the Revolutionary War. However, as a fly fisher, he has put a unique piscatorial spin on his passion. This fun little book is a great way to learn a little bit of fly fishing history and see the intersection between it and an important period of our country’s past.

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

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Bass on the 4-Weight

I can live happily in two different fly fishing camps. On one hand, I see the value in having precisely picked and dialed in gear. At the same time, I appreciate adaptation and using what you have in creative ways. One takes more resources; the other takes more energy and effort.

If you live or fish frequently where there are hefty largemouths, you’d do well to invest some application-specific equipment. Foam poppers, deer hair bugs, and meaty streamers best imitate the food these hungry fish desire. Something like an 8-weight rod best presents these patterns with accuracy, distance, and ease.

However, you can still chase these fish with those flies on your dry fly rod. You won’t have the accuracy or the distance like you would with a bass rod. And it certainly won’t be easy. But if you’re just giving fly fishing for bass a try, have been steered away from the trout stream for some reason, or are on a budget there is no need to despair.

Here are three ways to take your trout rod out on the pond for big bass:

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Podcast Ep. 352: 2 Quick Words on Casting Better

If there is one truism in fly fishing, it is this: Everyone can work on their casting accuracy and distance.  In fact, the more I develop as a fly caster the more I see room for improvement in these areas.

Today I share my thoughts on two ways to think about improving your fly casting. Neither necessarily costs money, and neither will take much time to consider. But with a few tweaks you’ll probably see some marginal improvement.

As always, something like fly casting is best discussed in person with rod in hand. Hopefully this episode will get you outside playing around and talking to those who can help you grow as an angler.

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

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VIDEO: The Essential Read For New Fly Fishers

In one minute, I share why you should absolutely own Sheridan Anderson’s 1978 book, The Curtis Creek Manifesto.

No other book shares all the necessary information about fly fishing in such an entertaining manner. Not only are the illustrations great fun, they are incredibly helpful. Additionally, the “necessary information” isn’t just what a fly rod is and what the most popular fly patterns are (or, were in 1978). Anderson understands fly fishing culture and communicates that important facet in the same breath as logistics.

Plus, he talks about conservation and how to cook trout.

Not only is this a great book for beginners of all ages, but it is a good way for experienced anglers to visualize and grasp the basics in a way that can be passed along.

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

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The Fish in Artificial Intelligence

The first time I came across the use of artificial intelligence in the fly fishing  world, it benefitted me. At the very least, it had the potential to benefit me. A spike in website traffic to Casting Across was the result of a link to an article I had written. The link was on another fly fishing website. After a few minutes of reading, something felt off. The writing was not good. Now, people can be poor writers. But this wasn’t just C- writing. It was soulless. It was undoubtedly AI.

I’m hardly an angling luddite. Casting Across is, after all, an online platform. I have hundreds of podcasts and dozens of YouTube videos taking up digital space on servers somewhere. Technology is not a problem. AI isn’t even necessarily a problem.

Recently, I received a marketing email from a company trying to sell me on how AI could help me connect with my audience. Even though I was confident that the answer would be a strong no I read their pitch. Basically, they used natural language processing to comb through the available data to create a list of topics you’re interested in.

What did I do with this data?

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Podcast Ep. 351: Fly Fishing Accusations, XXXV

This week I have two – yes, two – bona fide accusations.

Now, I assume they were made with the best intentions. Still, I do  appreciate the opportunity to interact with a little pushback. One has to do with mountain trout fishing and the other pertains to fallfish. My two favorite topics.

I also share how I’m prone to sarcasm.

As always, I appreciate all my readers, listeners, and viewers. Please keep the feedback coming!

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

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VIDEO: Making the Fly Fishing Transition from Fresh to Salt

Barry and Cathy Beck’s Fly Fishing the Flats is a modern classic in the instructional genre of fly fishing literature. It isn’t groundbreaking or breathtaking. It is simply the perfect solution to a legitimate  problem:

How do I make the transition from fly fishing in  freshwater to saltwater?

Although there are many similarities, countless trout anglers have stared at the seemingly endless ocean and thought that they are literally and figuratively far away from the rivers and lakes they are used to. With great photographs and diagrams, the Becks break down the most essential aspects of saltwater fly fishing such that anyone who has fished before will have a baseline awareness of the game. There are other books that dive in deep, but  few do it as succinctly and as well as Fly Fishing the Flats.

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

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Support A Shop That Is Not A Fly Shop

You should support fly shops.

But if for one reason or another you can’t, you should support a shop that is not a fly shop.

Again, support fly shops. They have all the gear that you’ll need. Rods, reels, line, and flies. They’ll have breathable waders and a handful of vest options. You’ll undoubtedly have your pick of fly tying tools and materials. The staff will be knowledgeable in all things new and trending in the industry. Of course, they’ll be able to steer you towards a good place to fish and help you find the patterns you’ll need to make some headway. This is all good, normal fly shop fare.

However, unless you’re  in Missoula or one of the few cities that has as many fly shops as it does stop lights, you might have to drive to find a good store with all the bells and whistles. And you should drive to one if you  have the time.

Time or distance may be the reasons you support a shop that is not a fly shop.

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