Podcast Ep. 385: 5 Fly Fishing Book Thoughts

Recently I hit the “50” mark on my fly fishing book review series on YouTube. I’ve filmed myself doing “show and tell” with over 60 books, and it has been a lot of fun.

Today on the podcast, I talk about some thoughts (five, to be precise) I have on reading fly fishing books. There is a whole lot more that I could share, but this is a nice little synopsis of some questions I’ve fielded and some observations I’ve made.

If you haven’t yet, subscribe to Casting Across on YouTube. And  it goes without saying: get reading!

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

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VIDEO: A Fly Fishing Book You Probably Don’t Need

There are a handful of very valid reasons why you wouldn’t use this book.

At the same time, if you did happen to have it on your shelf it could be valuable to you.

How could both be true? Well, Mark Williams’ Trout Fishing Sourcebook is absolutely chock-full of information. In fact, it might be the most comprehensive trout angling publication in recent history. Of course, it was written in 1996. And therein lies the rub.

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

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Crying “Bomb!”

Paul Ralph Ehrlich passed away  on March 13, 2026 at the age of 93.

I am going to be quite critical of his popular work and its impact. But don’t assume the dangerous category confusion that stifles meaningful  dialogue. Today  critique of an opposing viewpoint is considered hate or violence. I’ll unapologetically state that I think what he said was wrong and dangerous. But I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was a person possessing dignity.

Ehrlich’s most prominent work was 1968’s The Population Bomb. In it he theorized that the planet couldn’t handle the number of lives on it. Or, bare minimum, a carrying capacity threshold was just around the corner. The problem was that  the opposite happened. He prophesied that because of famine, the population in the US would dwindle to 22 million by the year 1999. In actuality? It was  279 million. He also claimed England wouldn’t be around in the year 2000. Things aren’t great across the pond, but it has little to do with the quantity of Brits.

What does this have to do with fly fishing? He also made the bold prediction that all major marine life would die. This would transpire, he said, in the early 1970’s.

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Podcast Ep. 384: Fly Rod FAQs

I love questions. And you should too. Never feel dumb for asking a good question. That said, I’m also happy if I can give you some information on the front end so that you can ask an even better and more applicable question.

Since a good chunk of the fly fishing questions I field pertain to fly rods, I’ve put together a whole page on Casting Across dealing with the most frequently asked questions. I try to answer them succinctly on the site. But today I’m elaborating a little bit. I’m taking on three questions that I’ve received countless times. Maybe they’ll answer your questions. Or maybe they’ll spur you on to ask something else. Either way, I’m happy.

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

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VIDEO: Dark Skies Fly Fishing

Print media? In this day and age?

Of course. If it is worth reading, why not? And Dark Skies Fly Fishing is a magazine that is certainly worth reading.

Although the magazine primarily covers the Mid Atlantic region, this publication would be well received by anyone interested in a wide range of fly fishing topics. Each month there are diverse articles covering everything from destinations to fly patterns, techniques to interviews.

What’s more, the entire magazine is available digitally. You can click on the current issue or the back catalog to your heart’s content!

Watch what else I have to say about the magazine and find out where you can pick up your own copy below:

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Bright Trout in a Drab World

There is a kind of winter greyness that makes you cold just looking at it. Dim slate hillsides covered in pallid, bare trees pointing up at melancholy overcast skies. I want to go fishing. All the gear is right there. But if only the drive had been ten more minutes or there were a few more swigs of coffee. Then, maybe, I would be more enthusiastic about leaving the warm car for the chilly, monochromatic world.

All this melodrama must be tempered by the unavoidable and essential facts that  a) I chose this, and b) I am going fly fishing.

The Appalachian hollow I’m staring into cradles a particularly productive trout stream. Cascading hundreds of feet down every quarter mile, it is flush with deep plunge pools and fast runs.  The brook trout will be there and will be the only colors deviating from the neutral palette of late winter.

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Podcast Ep. 383: A User’s Guide to Casting Across

With over 1,600 pieces of content at the time of this episode’s recording, navigating the Casting Across website might be a little daunting. But the depth and breadth of what is available is worth clicking through. Today’s podcast is meant to help you in that endeavor.

Knowing that there isn’t a perfect overlap of podcast listeners and website readers, I introduce the content on the site. Then, I walk through some of the features that can help you find the most pertinent information in the quickest way possible. And, since I’m certainly not the web expert, I ask for your feedback in a few places.

It is a quick listen, but hopefully it sends you down a rabbit hole of angling articles.

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

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VIDEO: The Horror of Fishing

Most fly fishing stories include themes like nostalgia, introspection, and the appreciation of the natural world.  But how many fishing stories have you read that touch on dark supernatural forces? Not many? Well, then do I have a book for you.

John Langan’s  The Fisherman is certainly a departure from the usual fare on Casting Across. It is a fishing book. It is  a fictional story. But after that, things get very weird. However, it is weird in all the right ways.

I listened to The Fisherman while driving. And, what’s more, I finished it while heading through the very region in which the book takes place. This is a great title to grab as an audiobook, to work some fiction into your rotation, or just to try something different.

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

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New Resource: Fly Fishing Small Streams

Small stream fly fishing is fly fishing for so many anglers. The primary reason is that trout live in mountain streams, spring creeks, and brushy tributaries. Often the best opportunities for wild fish and solitude, fly fishers will pick these more intimate environs over sprawling rivers and the potential for larger quarry. Plus, productive small streams are much more prevalent and accessible.

These truths have been a significant part of my fly fishing and, consequently, have been a major aspect of Casting Across for the last ten years.

As I consider how to make the thousands of articles on the site more connected and user-friendly, I’ve decided to put together some themed pages on Casting Across. These dynamic pages will be featured on the front of the website. Content will be curated in a way that will funnel readers with broad questions to a variety of interrelated answers. Hopefully, it will open up a decade of writing to more fly fishers.

First up is Fly Fishing Small Streams:

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Podcast Ep. 382: Mea Carpa

Like many a dace that have taken a dry fly, only to get hook-set into the streamside vegetation – I bit off more than I could chew last week on the podcast.

When I thought about talking predatory fish, I figured I could shoehorn carp into the discussion. They aren’t predators in the same way musky and big largemouth are. However, the rods and rivers overlap. Regardless, this is an episode where I make things right.

Which, of course, entails talking about carp for nearly 30 minutes. These weirdo, invasive fish are worth knowing about if you are in North American and own a fly rod.

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

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