Take a look at the photo above.
On the surface, it isn’t that remarkable. The trout is pretty enough… but it isn’t particularly large. The tackle in the background, on first glance, is standard fare. And there is nothing immediately distinctive about the scenery.
The perceptive observer might notice something about each of the subjects in the picture. You wouldn’t be at fault for needing some explanation, however.
And I do plan to give that explanation. Because this picture represents:
There I was, looking at my dog curled up on an expensive human chair in my living room, saying: “Why not? Why shouldn’t I buy him a dog bed from Orvis?”
So I did. But I feel like I have to explain myself.
Dog beds were, for a time, one of the punch lines about Orvis. “That’s where you go and get women’s sweaters and dog beds, not fly rods,” they said. The folks in Vermont have always made canine sleeping goods a priority. That is an undeniable, proof is in the catalog fact. Less empirical is the assessment that the quality of the fishing gear waned. Anecdotally, I use Orvis rods and reels from the last four decades, and I’m pretty content.
Just because I’m offering an apologetic for Big Fly Fishing doesn’t mean that I don’t have some feelings about Orvis dog beds.
Because I do:
Why did you pick the fly rod that you did? Was it the label? Was it the price? Was it how it felt when you wiggled it in the store?
Or, was it because the rod cast a line in a way that fit your stroke and your fishing?
Okay, now: why does the rod do that?
Dozens and dozens of hours could be filled with discussions about the engineering, manufacturing, and application of fly rod action. In about 20 minutes, I give a cursory look at how fly rods “get” action and how you should choose one that will fit your needs.
This episode has some real rabbit-hole potential… and I hope you take a deeper dive if interested!
Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.
Birds aren’t fish, and ducks aren’t trout. But for anyone interested in the conservation of these sporting species, a lot can be learned from a recent podcast put out by Ducks Unlimited.
The show features an engaging conversation regarding ongoing empirical research on migratory birds. A story that is not unfamiliar to those who pay attention to the protection of salmonids, scientists are seeing significant impacts as farmed ducks breed with wild bird populations. We’ve seen the impacts of selective breeding on everything from dogs to salmon. And while your purse-sized Pomeranian might be cute, factory-farmed sockeye are a real environmental risk.
There are some real interesting data-driven observations mentioned in the podcast. Analysis of mallard DNA has revealed the reason for both morphological and behavioral changes in the Atlantic flyway over the past century. Also, certain conclusions that had been chalked up to climate change seem to have more to do with the rapid alteration of genetics.
Clothes make the man. But do clothes make the fly fisherman?
True: fishing is more about reading the water, making the right cast, and matching the hatch. But you can’t do any of this unless you’re dressed for the occasion. (And in most locales, it is probably frowned upon to fish if you’re not dressed.)
While you might not put a lot of thought into your angling attire, there is a very good chance that you could be placed into one of a number of well-defined boxes when it comes to your look. What you wear has very little bearing on what you catch. But that hasn’t stopped many, many people from confidently asserting otherwise.
For the past few generations, four main categories of fly fishing dress have emerged:
Fly fishing is about a whole lot more than catching fish.
I’ve expressed that sentiment in quite a few ways over the years here on Casting Across. This week’s podcast touches on that theme in a few different ways. While I do give some practical, “tips-n’-tricks” information at the end, the majority of the ~20 minutes is about the peripheral stuff that makes fly fishing what it is.
And as always, thanks for all your questions, comments, and accusations.
Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.
This is part 5 of the story. Read the beginning of River Apollo here.
Paul had stepped out onto his slate front porch and closed the door behind him as Gerry talked to him about the potential habitat improvement. Practically, it was to keep the bugs out. At a deeper level, Paul was subconsciously moving into a defensive posture. He wasn’t going to get into a fist fight with Gerry King, Vice President of the Spring Meadow chapter of Trout Unlimited. At least tonight he wasn’t. But he was becoming more and more hot around his neck and up behind his ears. The summer evening was cool. The creeping heat was all about frustration.
Say, Gerry. Thanks for coming out here. And I know the chapter wants what is best for the creek. But… Well, when is the next chapter meeting?
Thinking of gracing us with your presence Paul? And maybe $35 dollars? You still a member?
Paul was indeed still a card-carrying member of TU. Even though the wounds from local projects were still raw, he knew that good was being done. And Gerry King was not the pattern for the vast majority of the guys who he knew and fished alongside. This fact, and the humble acknowledgment that his voice carried a certain influence when it came to his creek, nudged him towards making a rare public appearance.
Unless you’re angling for the purpose of sustenance or competition, species and size are less important than the challenge wrapped up in the pursuit. Where you catch a fish matters to you. How you catch a fish matters to you. The fight of a fish matters to you. Particularly for catch and release anglers, the sensation of a wild creature pulling on the other end of tackle is a significant part of the experience.
Today I’m sharing three articles from the Casting Across back catalog that touch on hard fighting fish.
Check out each of these articles below by clicking on the image or the title:
This week I was doing some research on how safe fly fishing is compared to other outdoor activities.
Good news: it is safe.
Bad news: it puts you in a position where you’ll be facing 2 of the 3 most common causes of death outside.
Take a listen to the podcast to figure out what they are, but you can probably guess by the title of the episode that they have to do with wading. I share 5 quick and easy things that you can (and should) do to wade safe and stay alive. You can never eliminate risk, but you sure can take some simple steps to reduce it while on the water.
Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.
If you Google something to the effect of “dying in a national park,” you’ll get quite a few nifty infographics. Each one will show you that bears are not going to be the way you meet an untimely end if you do end up shuffling off this mortal coil while recreating on NPS property. Bears, avalanches, snakes, mudslides… things with teeth and things that fall get a lot of street cred when it comes to danger. But the real threat is you.
Why the fascination and preoccupation with morbid stuff at national parks you ask? 1) The data is available and I don’t feel like digging deeper. 2) A lot of people’s outdoor time does take place on public land. So while it isn’t exhaustive, it is a reliable sample size. But mostly #1.
Anyway, back to the point. Things with teeth and things that fall get all the “I survived” hype. The real threat is you. You have teeth (a coincidence inconsequential to this discussion) and you fall (this is the point). Drowning and falls make up the majority of deaths at our national parks.
Which is why I think it is no hyperbole to say that fly fishing might kill you.
