River Apollo, VII

The world of fly fishing has come a long way. The tweed and wicker creel, old white guy image represents vintage advertisements more than present reality.

Paul, while white, a guy, and older, never really fit the prototype for the angling catalog model. Truth be told, he had never owned a wicker creel. Two of his three rarely worn sportscoats, however, were indeed tweed. He had always fished his own way. He didn’t buy into the latest and greatest fly rods. He didn’t wear the high-tech clothing. He didn’t need a big SUV or pickup to work; so why would he need one to fish? Living on the stream, he observed that a lot of folks had more stickers on their rear windows than trout in their nets. He was part of the community. But he lived on the rougher outskirts.

So when the young man stood up and questioned the chapter’s conservation initiative, Paul was relatively immune to the oxygen deprivation that hit most in the room. There was an immediate awkwardness that Paul relished. In general, he enjoyed seeing the establishment  with a finger in it’s chest. That was part and parcel of being from the rough side of the river. In this particular interest, he was also quite pleased to have a cobelligerent.

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Healing Waters: An Important Fly Fishing Book

While there are countless fly fishing books, only a handful are truly important.

Some novels are important because they capture the whole of fly fishing so well, in turn captivating audiences generation after generation. Books that explore technique can be important if they perfectly articulate an aspect of angling or pioneer a new paradigm.  Such volumes hold preferred positions in personal libraries and among the collective catalog of fly fishers.

Healing Waters, the 2023 work of Beau Beasley, is important because it illustrates the power of fly fishing and the tremendous potential for good possessed by fly fishers.

Beasley’s Healing Waters tells dozens of stories throughout  the course of the book. Each story revolves around someone or something that has been impacted by, and had an impact upon, Project Healing Waters. Project Healing Waters was founded in 2005 to  serve wounded service members at Walter Reed Medical Center who recently returned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then it has expanded to  over 200 programs across the country, drawing in any and all veterans in recovery from injuries seen or unseen.

As a retired firefighter, someone who has been around Project Healing Waters, and an experienced writer, Beasley  is uniquely qualified to  share the personal accounts of servicemen and women.  Hearing numerous heart-wrenching accounts took resolve and a lot more work than traditional outdoor writing. But the result is poignant, authentic, and powerful. Indeed, some of the stories are hard to read.  But they are real, and need to be known.

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Podcast Ep. 275: [Cast1] Casting & Presenting Flies

You’ve got a fly rod. You’ve wrangled a few dozen flies into a box. You’ve even managed to get a hot tip on where some trout might be found.

…now what?

Having all the gear and all the intel won’t amount to anything unless you can cast your fly and cast it in the right spot. That is where casting and presentation come in.

In an incredibly brief overview of these two pivotal angling topics, I share a few key things you ought to be thinking about as you approach the water. What casting and presentation both have in common is the importance of getting the essentials nailed down followed by quality opportunities for repetition.

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

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Social Media is the Opposite of Fly Fishing

Why do you think your gear is inadequate?

Why are you unsatisfied with the places you go and the fish that you catch?

What has lead you to question your legal, preferred technique?

How  much time have you spent angry in comment sections?

Why has another angler you’ve never met, and probably never will meet, made you upset?

Is it social media? Well, I think it is safe to say that social media is the opposite of fly fishing.

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385 Fly Shops: Is Yours in There?

Yes. It is an old meme. But it is a good meme. And, to be honest, I couldn’t get it out of my head so it has found itself at the beginning of this post.

Last year I set out to compile an exhaustive fly shop directory. Aside from the fact that I’m convicted that fly shops play an integral role in the culture of fly fishing, I am continually amazed at how well-known, highly-regarded shops aren’t always easy to find online. In the 21st century!

To date, there are 385 shops on the directory. First: that paints a much brighter picture than the dire predictions some industry types paint. Second: I found about 325 of those on my own, using relatively rigorous search criteria.  That means  about 15% of fly shops’ online presences were under the radar. It kinda, sorta confirmed why I set out to do this whole thing in the first place.

With the season coming up quickly, I wanted to put out another call to check my work. I’m happy for you to point out my errors, get things accurate, and make this a resource worth using.

Keep reading to learn more about the directory, find out where you can access it, and how you can help me keep it up to date.

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Podcast Ep. 274: [Cast1] Finding & Reading Water

Water, water everywhere… but is it water worth fly fishing?

Today we’re asking  the question: “Where can I find fish?” The answer has two parts:

  • First, how do you find fishable water?
  • Second, where do you look once you’ve found a river worth fishing?

Books have been written about both of these topics. But this episode will give enough of a head start so that you can get out on the water with a few essential things to look for. Still, it is worth acknowledging that looking for water and reading water are lifetime practices that are part of the fun of fly fishing.

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

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Fish More “just ok” Water

“It looks like the last part of this week is going to be in the mid 50s. I’m considering putting in an hour or 2 on [local river] – would you be interested?”

“YES. Friday?”

“Probably, in the late afternoon”

“Okay. I’ll put it on the calendar.”

“Full disclosure, this piece of river is just ok, and that’s if I’m being polite.”

“Ha. I have a much better chance of catching fish on an ok river than at my desk.”

“Exactly!”

This is a word for word text exchange from yesterday. It is two guys planning a fishing outing. But there’s something else going on. And it is something that I want to preach; something I want to practice, as well.

I want to fish more “just ok” water.

For years, I had the privilege of living near stream after stream with the highest designations the respective states could muster. Lots of fish per mile. Lots of natural reproduction. Lots of special regulations to make you feel like it was only a matter of your skill versus the big, plentiful fish.

All the while, I knew that there were numerous other streams that legitimate fly fishers spent their time on. Even though these guys knew their stuff, they occupied themselves with these “marginal” rivers. What did they know that I didn’t?

Come to find out, it was a few things.

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Reel Change: A Picture of Authentic Conservation


Authentic conservation means getting together and getting dirty. And authentic conservation doesn’t always entail leveling a giant dam or pouring millions into a famed trout river. Sometimes authentic conservation comes down to a handful of  devoted anglers putting time, energy, and effort into their local water.

That is the story of Reel Change, the latest short documentary from Frequent Flyers Fishing.

On a modest Delaware creek,  a committed group of local fishermen are putting in sweat equity to restore a watershed with potential. They call conservation agencies. They place trout in the river by hand. They do it for the coming season, and they do it for the coming generation. Most of all, they do it because they feel compelled to steward their water.

It isn’t glitzy or glamorous, but it is real. And it is the kind of conservation message that ought to  spur others to see change where they fish.

Watch the video below:

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Podcast Ep. 273: [Cast1] All that Fly Gear

“How do you put a fly on that thick line?”

“Can I just wear my hiking boots over my waders?”

These are perfectly honest questions that I’ve been asked by new fly fishers. Multiple times.

Today I talk through some of the other essential fly fishing gear that you need to pursue fish. Once you have a rod, reel, and line, there are still a few more items required.

Again: fly fishing isn’t all about equipment. But knowing what is necessary and how much it matters helps get you on fish faster with less encumbrances.

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

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Slap Happy: Lid Rig Mag Band

In fly fishing, flannel, fanny packs, and clunky footwear are all in. So it shouldn’t be  a surprise that another early 90’s fad is perfectly suited to angling.

Last year, Lid Rig came out with the Mag Band. Essentially, it is a silicone-coated slap bracelet with a magnetic surface. Yes: those slap bracelets. But this uncomplicated piece of gear isn’t a fashion trend. It is a functional little item that you can use in a handful of unobtrusive ways. And sometimes, those very things that are compact and unfussy produce outsized benefits.

Here are four helpful ways to use this simple product from Lid Rig, including a few that don’t involve wrists or being on the water:

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