5 for Fathers

At this moment, our culture has a long list of fears. One of them is praising the virtues of fatherhood. We’ve lost the ability to think categorically. Easily offended, talking about good dads is perceived as a direct assault against those who didn’t have good dads or those moms who are good. It is stupid at best and dangerous societal subterfuge at worst.

Fatherhood is good and true and beautiful for men, for children, for families, and for the world. Because it does matter, on this day-after-Father’s-Day post I’m sharing five essential dad skills that live within the orbit of fly fishing. An older brother can teach them. An aunt can teach them. A kindly neighbor can teach them. But under typical (gasp!) circumstances, these are the kinds of things a father passes on to his sons and daughters.

Check out my five essential dad skills below, and Happy belated Father’s Day from Casting Across.

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Podcast Ep. 292: [Cast1] Small Stream Fly Fishing

We are back with another entry in the Cast1 series.

Today, the discussion is all about small stream fly fishing. For many, pulling up to a tiny cascading creek is the epitome of an angling adventure. But until you’ve had that experience, the idea of fishing in a veritable trickle might not only be intimidating; it might seem ridiculous.

While there is so much to share regarding this topic, this episode covers some of the most essential aspects of getting a lot out of little water.

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

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Winners (& How You Can, Too!)

Did you have an opportunity to read my review of Marina Gibson’s new release, Cast, Catch, Release?

If so, hopefully you signed up for a chance to win one of five copies of the book I’m giving away. Moreover, hopefully your name is one of the five listed below. Why? Because that is where I have revealed the winners.

But before you go clicking and scrolling, I did want to encourage you to subscribe to Casting Across. Along with being automatically entered into nearly every giveaway and promotion I hold, you get something much more valuable. You get the iron-clad guarantee of only one email a week. In fact, I’ve only sent one email a week for the years and years since I’ve switched to a subscriber model for content notifications. This way, you don’t have to put your trust in some algorithm or AI-driven social media machine to check out what came out on Casting Across that week.

Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself.

On to the winners!

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Reciprocating Shad

It was a surprise encounter. Each of us traveled roughly 350 miles, meeting on an inconspicuous gravel bank outside an unincorporated rural town.  I was looking for trout. It was looking for love.

The last thing I expected to  catch on a size 16 crippled sulphur emerger on the East Branch of the Delaware River was an American shad. Many trout had been caught by this point in my trip. Nearly all of them fell to dry flies of one sort or another. I should have expected to catch something other than trout, though. As there are all sorts of foodstuffs drifting atop the water at any given time, all manner of fishes can dimple the surface. Rises may be trout. But fallfish, dace, and panfish will break the level as they feed. I’ve caught bass, carp, and even catfish on dry flies intended for other species.

As far as I can recall, every shad I’ve ever caught has been on a shad dart. This jig excels at getting right in the face of goal-oriented anadromous fish as they move upstream. One could argue that it’s colors and erratic movement mimics some baitfish the shad are used to. I maintain it is simply a nuisance that the shad would swat away with their hands if they possessed such appendages. As is the way of fish, their mouths have to do.

This startling shad not only rose to the dry fly, but it pursued it from upstream. Something about this finely tied mayfly imitation spurred a creature that had moved over 500 kilometers in one direction to turn 180 degrees. Skill tinged with faint traces of happenstance is where I’m at, presently.

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Podcast Ep. 291: Trip Preparation Reflections

Allow me to modify a common saying among preachers. Every angler has three fishing trips: the one he plans, the one he goes on, and the one he wished he would have had.

Not super smooth, but you get the gist.

On a recent four day fishing trip, I thought about the preparations and plans that I had going into things. Some were much more helpful and practical than others. Four of those are the topic of the discussion on the podcast.

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

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Cast, Catch, Release: Wading into Purpose

Three stories are woven together in  Cast, Catch, Release. Marina Gibson ties her personal life, her professional ambition, and the lifetime of the salmon into an approachable and enjoyable read.

Fly fishers and non-anglers alike will be able to pick up and go through  Cast, Catch, Release. Along with the biographical nature of the book, Gibson pulls back the curtain on what it takes to get into the business of fly fishing. It is something that real people do, and they have to work to make it happen. It involves sacrifice. But as the subtitle says, it can lead to finding serenity and purpose.

While not explicitly stated, balance is a theme of the book and her life. This might sound bizarre, seeing as she is a professional fly fisher. But as anyone who works in this space will attest, there is a big difference between fishing and making money from fishing.  She shows that fishing and fishing work need to be balanced. She rightly attributes her success to her work ethic and to family and friends. She displays how helping others learn fly fishing is best accomplished when she’s helped herself be as ready as she can be to do so.

Continue reading for more on Cast, Catch, Release, including how you can win a free copy.

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Rusty Flybox: Catskills

Today, I’m not here.

Well, I’m somewhere… just not in front of the computer. I’m waist deep in one of the historic rivers of New York’s Catskills. I’ve met up with a friend to chase big trout on spectacular water for a handful of days. And even if you’re not on the water with me, I want to share a little bit of what this amazing area has to offer.

This edition of the Rusty Flybox is a little different. Below, there is an article, a video, and a podcast. Each has to do with the Catskills.  Whether you’ve fished this area or not, there is something worth picking up for the benefit of a future trip, nostalgia, or general knowledge of the angling heritage of upstate New York.

Click on the header link for each post to head to the original, full article. Or, simply enjoy everything that you can find below!

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Podcast Ep. 290: Fly Fishing Accusations, XXIX

10 episodes away from 300, and I couldn’t have done it without you.

And when it comes to these regular “Accusations” podcasts, I literally couldn’t do it without you. Because every 10 episodes, I interact with questions and comments from listeners and readers.

Emails have been coming in fast lately. It was hard to pick just three, so I went with a relatively mixed bag: gear questions, fly suggestions, and a deep trout conspiracy with Biblical ties.

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

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Necessary Redundant Gear

Recently I’ve been thinking through backup and/or redundant fly fishing gear. What should I own? What should I bring with me? What should be on my person when I’m on the water?

Ultimately, these are not the most important questions. I get that. Casting skill, the ability to read water, and presentation trump gadgets and gear any day. But even the most adept anglers have stuff they bring on the water with them. And as an angler in an echelon below the best and brightest, I don’t turn my nose up at having a few equipment advantages.

So on the heels of an article discussing buying and carrying extra line and leader  and a podcast where I share my philosophy of backup fishing gear, I’m adding a few thoughts on the items I have “duplicates” of when fly fishing. Here are four more examples:

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3 Thoughts for the Season

Memorial Day represents something real, somber, and important. Consequently, it is much more than an unofficial start of summer.

At the same time, there is something to be said for the fact that summers as we know them are intrinsically linked to the freedoms we enjoy. Public lands, economic enterprise, and even the flexibility of recreational choices are not universal. So with that authentic appreciation in mind, I want to share three things I’m thinking about heading into this season.

Check them out below:

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