The Fly Fishing Show: Kids’ Highlights

January 8, 2024

Days and evenings spent at various outdoor expos are important for Casting Across and a lot of fun for me, personally. But there is a three-hour chunk of time that gets written in ink on the calendar by my kids. Since 2018, the boys get a morning or afternoon at The Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, MA.

Since we homeschool, we’re able to head down on the less-busy Friday. They pretty much dictate what we look at and how much time we spend doing so. As the oldest two are getting more responsible, I let them have a little bit of independence. Add in some fast food, and it is a mark on the calendar that we all look forward to.

After our 2024 trip, I asked them what their favorite part of the Show was. Here’s what each of them cited as a highlight… along with the swag each they picked up.

Podcast Ep. 269: Dumbing Down Fly Tying

January 5, 2024

I mean that in the absolutely most positive way possible. Heck, I had to dumb down my fly tying when I started (and restarted) so that I didn’t get so frustrated that I threw my vice through the wall.

So, apologies out of the way, what do I mean by dumbing down fly tying?

Some of the biggest hurdles that beginning tyers experience have to do with the sheer diversity of skills and materials that some common patterns incorporate in a tiny hook shank. All I’m advocating is taking a few steps out. You might be okay with this stripped down approach, or you could very well build from that baseline to go on to the next level. Either way, you’re going to be tying flies that catch fish.

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

Top Fly Fishing Books for Kids

January 3, 2024

There are few gifts that you can give a child that can have as much of an impact as a book. Between the valuable skill of reading and the even more special benefit of reading together, a book does things that few toys or electronics can.

A quick search online will yield plenty of titles promising tips and tricks for kids to catch fish or proven methods to get your kids to love fishing. The best of them, in my humble opinion, get kids excited about the idea of fly fishing. Couple that with time outdoors and time with you? That is all they’ll need to pursue whatever it takes to keep fishing.

Before you buy tiny waders and a new 4-weight with a small grip, pick up a few books and integrate them into your bedtime routine.

Here are 4 of the top fly fishing books for kids:

3 Sets of 3 for the New Year

January 1, 2024

Happy New Year from Casting Across!

As per usual, I don’t exert myself too much when putting holiday articles together. That said, what you’ll find below is worth a few minutes of your time.

Because it is lists. And everyone on the internet loves lists.

This list of lists includes a few things that you will enjoy. One is personal. I list my top 3 fish of 2023. Then, I lay out three “resolutions” that you might add to your fly fishing in 2024. Finally, I share the top three articles of the prior year. They’re all pretty good… but #3 is excellent.

So here they are: 3 sets of 3 for the New Year.

Podcast Ep. 268: 2023 in the Backcast

December 29, 2023

What better for a final podcast episode of the year than a curated retrospective on 2023?

While I touch on other subject matter, this is what I get rolling with on this final episode of December. You might be surprised what the most shared episode of Casting Across happened to be. But you won’t be shocked to find out which episode garnered the most ears. *cough* clickbait *cough*

Also, I’m impressed with how many new listeners hopped on board this year. Moreover, I’m encouraged that so many found their way here via text. That means you’re helping Casting Across grow.

All that said: listen, thank you, and Happy New Year!

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

The Simple Fly Fishing Ornament

December 27, 2023

Sometimes the simplest things can bring the most satisfaction. Those who love the outdoors, fly fishers included, ought to appreciate that.

In that vein, today I’m sharing something simple yet satisfying. It is a holiday decoration. It is a craft. It is fly tying. It can be a gift and it can become a tradition. It isn’t original to me, but I’m more than happy to spread the word or remind you.

It is a fly in a glass ball.

Again, it is simple. But it is a way to preserve, share, and display something small that brings a lot of satisfaction and may very well be quite significant. So while it is relatively self explanatory, here is how one goes about putting one together:

Merry Christmas to All

December 25, 2023

Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?
Who is He to whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?

Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Laz’rus sleeps?
Who is He the gath’ring throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?

Who is He that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?
Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone

’Tis the Lord, O wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord, the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all!

Podcast Ep. 267: Fly Fishing Storytime ’23

December 22, 2023

While this episode is being released in late December, it isn’t a holiday episode by any means.

However, I’m reviving something from a few years ago that was a part of the podcast around this time of year. The public domain is a treasure trove of fly fishing and fly fishing-adjacent content. And this particular story is really, really good.

So sit back, grab an eggnog (or a lemonade if you’re listening in July), and enjoy.

Merry Christmas from Casting Across!

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

Go Fishing, for Trout’s Sake

December 20, 2023

Luray, VA – Effective immediately, Shenandoah National Park officials have lifted a parkwide fishing closure. Extremely dry conditions and low stream flows prompted the ban on August 31.

Recent rainfall has improved conditions resulting in lifting the fishing ban. However, Evan Childress, fish biologist, added, “Be gentle with the fish and the fragile environment they inhabit. The dry conditions likely reduced spawning success. Brook trout eggs spend the winter incubating in gravel in the streams, so it’s important to avoid walking through those areas to prevent trampling of eggs.”

Anglers are also encouraged to minimize handling and time out of the water to reduce stress on the fish.

For nearly a third of this year, there was no fishing within Shenandoah National Park. That is a long time. And that period encompassed the ever-alluring fall fishing season. This year, anglers couldn’t ethically adore brook trout in full pre-spawn regalia.

It was unfortunate. But it was the right call. Here’s why.

Fly Rod FAQs

December 18, 2023

One of my favorite parts of Casting Across is interacting with readers and listeners. It is always exciting to see the emails come in, whether they contain comments, questions, and, every once in a while, accusations. Also, I feel like if someone has taken the time to hear what I have to say and then gone through the effort of reaching out then the least I can do is respond. SPAM filters aside, I do think I’ve gotten back to everyone who has sent something my way.

There is one topic that I hear about more than any other. Fly rods.

After fly fishing for a long while, selling rods, and teaching casting, I do think I know a few things about rods. Enough to satisfy all but the most technical engineering questions, at least. It is fun to give my two cents on what might fit someone’s needs. I like to help people think through the variables of making a purchase: use, budget, preference, etc.

And while the last thing that I’d want to do is circumvent this kind of interaction, I do think it might be helpful to catalog some of the most frequently asked questions. I anticipate that this will become a dynamic/static page on Casting Across. The plan is to introduce a new round of “questions and answers” every once in a while before integrating them into the growing list. If I’m feeling industrious, I may even add in helpful links from the back catalog of the site.

So, without further ado, here are the first five Fly Rod FAQs: