Go Fishing, for Trout’s Sake

a Shenandoah creek | photo NPS

Luray, VA – Effective immediately, Shenandoah National Park officials have lifted a parkwide fishing closure. Extremely dry conditions and low stream flows prompted the ban on August 31.

Recent rainfall has improved conditions resulting in lifting the fishing ban. However, Evan Childress, fish biologist, added, “Be gentle with the fish and the fragile environment they inhabit. The dry conditions likely reduced spawning success. Brook trout eggs spend the winter incubating in gravel in the streams, so it’s important to avoid walking through those areas to prevent trampling of eggs.”

Anglers are also encouraged to minimize handling and time out of the water to reduce stress on the fish. 

For nearly a third of this year, there was no fishing within Shenandoah National Park.  That is a long time. And that period encompassed the ever-alluring fall fishing season. This year, anglers couldn’t ethically adore brook trout in full pre-spawn regalia.

It was unfortunate. But it was the right call. Here’s why.

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Fly Rod FAQs

One of my favorite parts of Casting Across is interacting  with readers and listeners. It is always exciting to see the emails come in, whether they contain comments, questions, and, every once in a while, accusations. Also, I feel like if someone has taken the time to hear what I have to say and then gone through the effort of reaching out then the least I can do is respond. SPAM filters aside, I do think I’ve gotten back to everyone who has sent something my way.

There is one topic that I hear about more than any other. Fly rods.

After fly fishing for a long while, selling rods, and teaching casting, I do think I know a few things about rods. Enough to satisfy all but the most technical engineering questions, at least. It is fun to give my two cents on what might fit someone’s needs. I like to help people think through the variables of making a purchase: use, budget, preference, etc.

And while the last thing that I’d want to do is circumvent this kind of interaction, I do think it might be helpful to catalog some of the most frequently asked questions. I anticipate that this will become a dynamic/static page on Casting Across. The plan is to introduce a new round of “questions and answers” every once in a while before integrating them into the growing list. If I’m feeling industrious, I may even add in helpful links from the back catalog of the site.

So, without further ado, here are the first five Fly Rod FAQs:

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Podcast Ep. 266: Fly Fishing… From a Boat!

Watercraft and fly fishing go together. But which watercraft are best suited for the job? And, consequently, your hard-earned money?

Today I dip my paddle into the wide, deep river of watercraft that one can employ in his pursuit of fish. There could be an entire podcast series on this topic, but hopefully this will serve as a sufficient introduction.

Whether you’re starting out or whether you have been fishing for years, this primer on a half dozen types of  boats can help you think about how you can get to fish easier.

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

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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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