8 Fly Fishing Gift Swap Ideas

White Elephant. Yankee Swap. The super original “gift exchange.” Whatever you call it,  it can be a lot of fun and a quick way to waste $20.

So why not have fun with it? If you get invited to a TU or fly shop holiday party, you can bring something that brings the seasonal heat. Especially if you are able to operate in anonymity, you have the opportunity to make some memories or at least ruin someone’s evening.  A bunch of hand-tied flies is nice. Summer sausage is a hit. You could buy a really nice 4-pack of beer. Or, you could take my advice.

Each one of these carefully curated gift choices all fall within the reasonable gift exchange limit of $20. But note: prices in the links may change and/or be the victims of inflation. So please, make sure you do your research lest you perpetrate a great holiday party foul

Here’s 8 ideas, all at or under $20.

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Costa’s Sunglasses King

After quite a bit of build up, and a remarkable amount of hype at some industry events, Costa del Mar revealed their King Tide sunglasses earlier this year.

These frames were touted to be the culmination of Costa’s 40 year history. The press releases, early look features, and social media posts from ICAST all seemed to place the King Tide alone atop an outdoor sunglasses pedestal. But is their performance worthy of that reputation?

While I didn’t pick up a pair in the first roll-out, I did place an order once the full array of lenses was available. Since then, the King Tide has been with me on and off the water, and I feel like I’ve put them through the paces.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about Costa’s King Tide after a few months:

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Podcast Ep. 265: Fishing Gifts For All!

Giving and getting gifts are both good. But in an arena like fly fishing, things usually need to be just so. This makes shopping for fly fishers hard at Christmases, birthdays, graduations, Father’s days… year-round.

But there are a few things that ought to be a hit for anyone, any time. And in today’s podcast episode I share 10 gifts that will probably work for most fly fishers.

Inevitably there will be something on this list that will make someone in your life happy. Or, perhaps this list will encourage you to drop  few hints for the gift-giver in your life.

Have other things that would suit this category? Let me know below.

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

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Better Gear or Fly Fishing “Flattery”

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

– Oscar Wilde

“Sorry, we’re not allowed to read newspapers. They angry up the blood!”

– Grandpa Simpson

I find myself darkening the doors of social media less and less. These days the drinks aren’t worth the barrage of scum and villainy. But every once in a while I pop my head into the porthole of one of the wretched hives on my iPhone. Today was one such day. I’m sure with a few taps, scrolls, or swipes I could have quickly come across any number of violations of the ten commandments. Today it was the conspicuous disregard for the eighth that caught my attention.

That’s the one about not stealing, for those keeping score at home.

It had nothing to do with a CVS getting looted in San Francisco or the glorification of the uncanny valley nightmare fuel that is the latest Grand Theft Auto. It was a fly fishing company. A fly fishing company ripping off another fly fishing company. Again.

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5 Fly Fishing Gifts For Any Angler

It isn’t easy to buy surprise gifts for a fly fisher.

Sure, you can ask which fly rod he wants. You can simply request a list of the gear she needs. But you probably aren’t going to walk into a fly shop and pick out a reel because it is pretty or a pair of wading boots that might coordinate with  a favorite hat.

That doesn’t mean you can’t strike out on your own and buy something exciting and useful. In fact, there are a lot of fly fishing gifts than any fly fisher would enjoy receiving.

Today I’m sharing five fly fishing gift ideas. They range from tiny to large, in prices from $6 to nearly $500. But I am confident that if you know a fly fisher (or are a fly fisher looking to pass along some hints) there will be a number of great options.

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Podcast Ep. 264: 3 Fly Fishing Lies

There are a lot of misconceptions about fly fishing out there. Some of them are repeated enough with such careless disregard for the truth that I’m comfortable in calling them lies.

Today, I address three of them. Two have to do with technique and angling itself; one has broader social implications.

Whether you’re a new angler who is struggling against these things or a veteran who needs to think about combatting them, hopefully I frame the discussion in a way for you to navigate yourself and others towards the fly fishing truth.

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

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Giving… Everyday

In your mind, put yourself at the end of November. You’re looking at an email inbox. What do you see?

Along with Black Friday deals (which may or may not last the better part of the final quarter of the year), you’ve probably received dozens of opportunities to take advantage of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday specials. You’re becoming jaded. Sure: you are shopping, but you’re becoming jaded with all the commercialism and materialism and all that. But it isn’t like you want to spend more money, right?

There is probably another chunk of emails that came through right as the weekend was wrapping up. Giving Tuesday. And if you’re reading this, I’m more than confident that a handful of those pleas for benevolence came from outdoor or outdoor-adjacent causes.

But that was yesterday. Or last week. Or 11 months ago. I hear you.  At the same time, you’re above all that marketing hype. Right?

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4 Fly Fishing Trip Questions

The fly fishing trip. It is the thing of budgets, daydreams, and wonderfully exhausting weekends.

But before you get online and compare lodges and guides, mark of time on your calendar, or buy an entire new load of gear, there are some calculations that you go through. Or, at least, you should go through.

If you are new to fly fishing the idea of taking a prolonged adventure might be exciting but intimidating. Where to start? What to look for? These are good, legitimate questions. Finding the right location and picking the right outfitter are big decisions. But there are some decisions that are actually upstream from all that research. And truthfully, there are some questions that you ought to consider even if you have been  fishing and fishing-vacationing for decades.

Here are four categories of decisions you ought to run your next fly fishing trip through:

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Podcast Ep. 263: Fly Fishing Thanks, 2023

It is Thanksgiving. And I am thankful.

Today’s episode is all about what I’m thankful for. It is about fly fishing. And it is personal.

But as is the case with a lot of what I put out on Casting Across, I hope my personal musings about fly fishing will resonate with you. Whether they run parallel or perpendicular, I think there will definitely be some benefit as you listen and consider my ramblings.

Happy Thanksgiving from Casting Across!

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

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Black FlyDay

Here’s to a new tradition. Here’s to giving thanks. Here’s to the trout.

It is the day after Thanksgiving. It was a good holiday. The meal is over. The family is still in town. The sales are in full swing.

All of these things are fine and good. In fact, they’re great. Leftovers, loved ones, and a day off to  knock out a good chunk of that holiday shopping. These three Black Friday  customs may comprise a significant part of your annual late-November calendar. Those, and fighting over whether it is time to decorate for Christmas or not.

Once more: all of these things are fine and good. But do you have a few hours for sneaking out? Perhaps it is while everyone else is sleeping off their turkey and pie. Maybe it is instead of fighting crowds at WalMart. In fact, it would probably be easier if you’re not there grumbling about Christmas decorations in November.

The new ritual could involve some late fall trout.

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