Outdoors Via Online in VA

It isn’t often that you’ll find me gushing about government agencies. While I have deep convictions about submitting to the magistrate, I’m confident that the state likes to carry a stick to redraw lines in the sand in a manner that can only be described as “willy nilly.”

But when something good does come along it does merit recognition. And I’ve recently seen some good things from the Virginia Department of Wildlife. Even though I live in New England, I’m in Virginia fishing and hiking a few times a year. Consequently I keep my eyes on what is going on in one of my adopted home states. Whether you live near the Old Dominion State, I do think that fly fishers and outdoorsmen of all stripes should appreciate the user-friendly and creative initiatives that the VA DWR is promoting.

Here are two that are currently available:

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River Songs: A Review of A Hit

Why? Why read, let alone purchase one more compilation of loosely collected fly fishing stories?

Why not, if the stories are compelling? If they are well-written? If they resonate with you and with me even if our experiences and lives differ significantly? If the words  elicit that special mix of escapism and entertainment? If the end of the chapter compels you to take in one more, even though your eyes are heavy and its just one more fly fishing story? Why not?

Steve Duda’s River Songs: Moments of Wild Wonder in Fly Fishing is a positive answer to those questions.

Along with his fair share of fly fishing bona fides, the author has a sizeable resume that spans editing The Flyfish Journal to contributing to Rolling Stone. Needless to say, he brings something interesting and notable to the genre.

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Podcast Ep. 305: [Cast1] Releasing Fish Well

You’ve managed to get on the water. You’ve figured out how to get the fly in front of a fish. You’ve somehow convinced it to bit said fly. You’ve fought it your your hand or net.

Now what?

If you’re interested in the common practice of catch and release, there are some things that are good to do. (They’re even better for the fish.) In this beginner-focused episode, I actually begin what releasing well involves long before you catch a fish. Some of these steps might be common sense. Others might sound odd. Regardless, this is helpful for anglers of all experience levels to know and to be able to communicate.

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

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New Gear Can Be A Blast

Assuming ten dollars a pound, I’m  quite a few ducks and geese away from paying off my new shotgun. But that is okay. Why? Well, for one, I can’t even begin to think how in the hole I am when it comes to fishing gear. I have killed some fish over the past few decades. The vast majority of the quarry I’ve tangled with in that time period went back in the water to swim another day. With some fly rods, I imagine I’m still 100% in the red. At least with my shotgun I’ll be slowly paying myself back in free range meat.

Of course, I don’t keep track of such things. That isn’t to say that I don’t consider the cost of gear and associated expenses. But when a hobby is about recreation, even if there is some objective “payoff,” the investment entails countless qualitative variables.

What do I mean?

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Let Them Touch Bugs

I am not an entomologist. I am not even the kind of fly fisher who  is proficient with insect taxonomy at the species level. But I do know a few things about bugs. And I am aware that they can captivate an 8 year old in a way that very few digital things can.

Over the past fifteen years or so, I’ve had a handful of opportunities to teach “bug class” to kids. At private schools, summer camps, and homeschool co-ops I’ve introduced students to stoneflies, aquatic snails, and (to the very brave) hellgrammites. Along with encountering some alien-looking critters that live under the rocks of the local stream, kids and teachers learn a few things about water quality and what trout eat.

Something like this might be a possibility for you. You may be an educator, a volunteer, or even a parent looking for a fun thing to do with your kids. With a few things that you probably have around your house, and with the knowledge that you probably already possess from  “matching the hatch,” you too can introduce someone to the fascinating world of macroinvertebrates.

Here are five quick and easy tips on sharing the aquatic insects you know and love with young people:

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Podcast Ep. 304: Gear Gimmicks

Rightfully so, many consumers think that marketing is out to divide them from their hard earned money. Consequently, most hype surrounding new or novel innovations is received with a fair amount of skepticism.

But what if some of these features are more than gimmicks?

Today I’m sharing four products with design or function elements that I have heard people call “gimmicky.” While I don’t think any are worth paying exorbitantly more for, I do think they have their merits. Listen as I walk through each and give reasons why you may very well consider adding such a piece of equipment to your collection… or even your main rotation.

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

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3 Ways to Save on New Fishing Gear

You can absolutely nab some excellent deals if you shop sales, wait for next year’s model to come out, or trawl auction sites. This can be a lot of fun and you can certainly find some amazing things.

But you can also strike out a lot and damage your eyes from staring at a computer screen for hours on end.

Sometimes just buying something new and right away is more convenient. That doesn’t mean that you can’t save money, though. In fact, there are some simple ways to get brand new gear from fly shops and manufacturers with steep savings.

Here are three ways to save money today on everything from rods to clothes to fly fishing footwear:

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Give to Vocation, Receive from Leisure

Work is not antithetical to recreation. The inescapable dichotomy within time allocation  doesn’t demand  disjunction. That is to say, it is more appropriate to consider work and recreation as complimentary. And complimentary things aren’t better and worse. They are different and necessarily different.

Labor and rest need one another.

Misconceptions about this come from a number of places. Some of us are overworked. Jobs, then, are seen as the enemy of fun. Some of us are (believe it or not) over-recreated. Jobs, then, are seen as the barrier between us and our true selves. In the western world, an errant interpretation of the fall of man places work as the consequence of rebellion. In fact, work existed prior to sin (Genesis 1:28); it is toil that is a consequence (3:17-19).

Fly fishing should fuel your work and work should charge your fly fishing. Time on the water ought to clear your mind and refresh your soul. Days at the desk or on the jobsite  ought to leave you a bit spent from giving what you can to do well. A complete man – complete angler – gives to his vocation and receives from his leisure.

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Podcast Ep. 303: Why You Should Fish the New England Coast

Countless tourists head to coastal New England cities, towns, and remote coastlines every year. Trust me: I sit behind you as I try to get around during my normal day-to-day.

With around 6,000 miles of coastline, there is room for all of us. And there is just that much more room for stripers, bluefish, and a number of other species that will gladly chase a fly.

On today’s podcast, I give a high level overview of fly fishing the New England states. With apologies to landlocked Vermont, I touch on some general things that will get you looking in the right direction as you either plan a fishing trip or plan on tagging some fishing on your family vacation.

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

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Life and Death in the Middle: A Review

I have a soft spot for books filled with two- and three-page stories. Perhaps it is because I grew up reading outdoor magazines. It could be that I prefer to write in a short format. Or, it may very well be the case that I have succumbed to the short attention span beguiling so many of my generation. No, it can’t be that.

Life and Death in the Middle: Reflections from the Seam Line is a book filled with good short stories and observations. Focused on and around fly fishing, they are easy reads that take up a few minutes of time. Loosely connected through the authors’ experiences, they don’t need to be read serially or in long sittings. Having this book on the nightstand or in the screen porch might be the best way to enjoy it.

So where did Life and Death in the Middle come  from? It is the shared work of Anthony Surage and Mike Aleckson. Both are accomplished and seasoned fly fishers. Surage brings the perspective of a professional guide as well. Their reflections, spread across nearly 60 brief chapters, intertwine, diverge, and run parallel with one another.

Why else might you consider picking up Life and Death in the Middle?

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