New Tying Gear from Loon for Beginners & Pros

Nearly every fly tyer wants to get better. With focused repetition, patterns become more consistent and come together more quickly.  It isn’t in the cards for everyone who sits behind a vise to produce professional-looking bugs. It isn’t necessary, either. Practice makes productive flies that fill boxes and catch fish.

Along with guidance, know-how, and vise hours, there are some truly helpful ways to improve fly patterns. Good materials can’t be overstated. And the right tools open up opportunities for tyers of all skill levels.

Scissors, bobbins, and finishing tools come in a plethora of designs, each with their own features and applications. Advanced fly tyers  can take advantage of a well-stocked tool drawer. With skill and experience, tools sporting what seems like minor differences can be wielded to impart subtle nuances to patterns that take them from good to better.

For beginner and intermediate tyers, specialty tools  have another distinct benefit: they help overcome those little hurdles that everyone encounters while gaining competency.  Not circumventing actual learning, the right tools can help redeem slight errors and salvage ties.

Some of the newest tools from Loon Outdoors can aid all tyers realize these benefits.

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Podcast Ep. 313: Easy Fly Fishing Watercraft

You can spend a lot of money on a boat for your fly fishing endeavors. There’s the cost of the craft itself, then the trailer, then the accessories, then the truck to pull it more efficiently…

While I’ve enjoyed the quality drift boats, skiffs, and  bass rigs I’ve fished from over the years, the vast majority of my time on the water has been in smaller crafts. And I think they suit me just fine.

Today I’m talking about easy watercraft. Easy to acquire, easy to transport, and easy to use.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Election 2024

If you know me, you know I don’t shy away from things like religion and politics. That would be like a doctor shying away from gaping wounds; a real estate developer shying away from a tract adjacent to a new exit on the interstate; you and me shying away from trout rising to big, splashy bugs.

As I say in a post linked to below,  “Everything is religion, and most things are politics.”

This post is scheduled for the day after Election Day 2024.  At the time of writing, I don’t know what is going to happen. When I hit “publish,” I don’t know who will be headed to the White House in 2025. I don’t even know if we’ll know who that will be by the time this goes live.

But what I do know is that there are some important things that stay constant. Fly fishing has a role in and amongst them, too. And I’ve been writing about that for three major election cycles now.

Below, you can see posts that came out right at the elections of 2016 and 2020. I think they, along with a bonus inclusion, are worth reading.

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Game of Inches: 4 Areas for Fly Rod Grip

You don’t need to be a physics or geometry expert to be able to use a fly rod well. But there are a few ways that even the most rudimentary grasp of scientific or mathematic principles will help you on the water.

For example: manipulations of your rod grip are telegraphed exponentially up to your rod tip. Or, even if you move your hand only a little bit it is going to move the end of your fly rod, nine feet away, quite a bit.

What does that mean, though? How does that impact fishing?

It impacts fishing quite a bit, actually. After all, it is called angling. And all it really means is that with a little awareness of how you are holding or angling your grip you can have a significant impact on casting and fighting fish.

Here are four areas where  you ought to be paying attention to the orientation of  your grip:

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Podcast Ep. 312: 5 Fly Fishing Changes of Mind

None of us should be so set in our ways that we’re unable to be pried out of the groove we’ve worn. In fly fishing, in particular, we should not be so entrenched in opinions that we’re dogmatic. It is good to have an opinion. But opinions can change.

Today I share 5 opinions that I’ve held and changed over my fly fishing years. There are plenty more. But these five hit the highlights: gear, trout, and conservation.

Take a listen, and then consider how you have changed your mind. Or, and this might be happening right now: how you might be currently in the process of changing your mind.

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

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The Mosts of Casting Across Fly Fishing

I write and I talk. That is what Casting Across is. I don’t dive into data, calculate SEO strategies, or find ways to push my content. I write. And I talk. Perhaps that is short-sighted and limits my exposure. Perhaps not. Either way, it is what it is.

But once a year I do purposefully look at some statistics that I think are interesting. I click around and figure out the content that you read the most over the past 12 months. What do I find, year in and year out? You like small stream fly rods. And who can blame you? It is one of my favorite things to write and talk about, too.

There are also some other interesting things that the audience of Casting Across has enjoyed over the last year. Below I’m sharing a handful of links from a number of categories. Whether you’re just finding the site for the first time or you’ve been around adding to those visits and views for nine years, there is sure to be something you’ll enjoy.

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9 Thoughts for 9 Years

This week marks 9 years of Casting Across. Since October of 2015,  three posts a week have been published on the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish.

First and foremost, Casting Across is a creative outlet for me. It has been a way for me to flex muscles in a way that I don’t get to as much in my ministry. Second, it is a celebration of the wider sphere of fly fishing. That is where the “quarry and culture” tagline comes in. The stuff that some intense angling types might label distractions are, in my opinion, part of what makes fly fishing such a holistically wonderful activity. Third, I like doing what I can to help people catch a fish or two.

Today I’m distilling the ethos of Casting Across into 9 thoughts. As you’ll see, they aren’t about what weight rod you should pick or how to target spring creek browns. These thoughts are upstream from those items.  These thoughts hit at something a little deeper, and inform who we are as people – people who happen to like fishing with long rods and little feathered hooks.

Thanks for reading and listening to Casting Across. Here’s nine quick thoughts for you from me:

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Podcast Ep. 311: Voting Fly Fishing… & More

Did you know that is a presidential election year?!?

Since I think the “rule” to avoid talking about money, religion, and politics is stupid, I talk about politics today on the podcast. But I think you’d agree that it is more philosophical than partisan.  And it has to do with fly fishing. I promise.

And just so you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, I also add  in a quick gear tip in the beginning.

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

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A Different Kind of Fly Fishing Book

There is a very good chance that the first four or five fishing books you’ll name fall into one of the main literary sub-genres: memoirs, novels, techniques, or guides. And although there are enough quality entries in those categories to keep you going for quite a while, perhaps you’re looking to switch things up.

How about a massive tome of artifacts?

What about a fly shop owner’s stream side meditations?

Have you ever read a fishing horror story?

The tried and true types are worth reading and rereading. But there is something to be said for seeking out a different kind of fly fishing book every once in a while.

Here are three book suggestions that aren’t your normal fly fishing reading fare:

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4 Ways to Think About Scouting

The afternoon started in abject failure. Trees blocked the river in both directions. We were covered in cobwebs, decaying bark, and more sweat than is befitting a mid-October day. There would be no ducks or trout in this spot.

My oldest son and I were on a two-fold mission: locate a new waterfowl hole while also identifying some late-season fishing opportunities.

The next three locations were even less successful. Long and winding drives essentially led to dead ends. No access, no water, or NO TRESSPASSING  wasn’t what the maps indicated. But that was the reality we faced.

Then, on a last second jerk-the-steering-wheel-because-that-looks-like-water maneuver, we were presented with what looked better than everything we had planned on looking at. Within ten minutes there were two birds in the boat and we were surrounded by evening swirls as fish pursued their evening meals. Not bad for  a last resort.

I shouldn’t be surprised. At least once a season for as long as I can remember I’ve stumbled upon something excitingly surprising for hunting or fishing. There isn’t a formula for serendipity. But here are four ways to think about and undertake thorough scouting:

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