Podcast Ep. 229: Investing in Tomorrow’s Fishing Today

What kind of fishing investment am I talking about? The kind in people: yourself, those around you, and those who will be fishing tomorrow.

Today I share a little bit about the most prominent influence in my life related to angling and conservation: the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp. I can honestly say that my week at that camp (and a string of years as it’s director) made a significant impact on how I fish and think about fishing.

Hear me share my story and how you can get involved.

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

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Genuinely Getting Fly Fishing Work Done

The gents over at the Tailer Trash Fly Fishing podcast tout themselves as “The most genuine fly fishing podcast in the world.” When they do the kind of thing that they’re doing at the Marine Discovery Center this April, they make a pretty good case for that claim.

The format and/or content of T2F2 might not be your thing. (Empirically, that puts you in the minority: it is one of the most popular fly fishing podcasts out there.) But the Space Coast crew puts their money where their mouth is. They are all about fun, community, and legitimate conservation. In a world of virtue signaling and repost karma they are genuinely getting fly fishing work done.

One of the local outlets for this work is the Marine Discovery Center. This local organization is dedicated to education, conservation, and  exploration in the Indian River Lagoon. The ongoing partnership formed between the MDC and the Tailer Trash guys reflect the podcasters’ commitment to supporting their local natural resources while simultaneously building community.

If you find yourself within a short drive of New Smyrna Beach, check out the Marine Discovery Center. If you’re free on Saturday, April 15th – you could do a lot worse than attending this event with these guys:

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Project Healing Waters: Trout Stream Camaraderie

“Everyone says it, but it is really true for our veterans: trout don’t live in ugly places.”

Joe Cresta didn’t hesitate when asked why fly fishing is such an effective avenue for helping veterans. Cresta is the New England Regional Coordinator and Chair of Project Healing Waters‘ Advisory Council. PHW is a country-wide, fly fishing-focused nonprofit that seeks to facilitate the emotional and physical wellbeing of veterans. “But there’s a lot more to it than being outside and catching fish,” he continued.

“For so many of us, life goes from 100 miles an hour to zero when we return to civilian life. We enjoyed the structure of the service; outside of that feels like the wild west. We enjoyed the camaraderie of the military; we don’t always have that anymore.”

PHW 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 which work with veterans from the Korean War to those who come home from duty today. Knowing that not all wounds are visible, the only requirement for participation is a disability rating from the VA or a referral from a doctor.

“Once they’re in,” Cresta says, “they get that structure and brotherhood that they’ve been missing.”

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Podcast Ep. 228: You Can have a Fishing Record

No – not that kind of record.

While you are more than welcome to try to catch the largest fish in a particular line class, I’m talking about record-keeping. What kind of records, you ask? Well, I have four that I discuss on this episode of the podcast.

Whether you have a fancy Moleskine  journal or (like me) use Excel, there is some information that can be beneficial to you if you take a few moments to record it. And who knows: maybe it will help you catch a world record fish.

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

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Fly Fishing Gear for Life

I used to have regular stuff and fishing stuff. There was a hard line of demarcation that was basically drawn by where a certain article of clothing or piece of gear came from. Orvis and Cabela’s stuff was fishing stuff. Eddie Bauer and Target stuff was regular stuff.

Then one day I realized that my fishing sunglasses were infinitely better than the sunglasses I kept in my glovebox. Why was I compromising? Why didn’t I want clearer, lighter, and more comfortable sunglasses while I was driving? Sure, they could get dropped or sat on. But they don’t have a finite number of uses built in, such that walking around town in them would cause them to spontaneously combust.

Once I came to this (obvious, simple, etc.) realization, it completely changed the way I bought and used gear. Here are a few thoughts on the matter:

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Don’t Step Past Bootfoot Waders

In the fly fishing community, the consensus on wading gear is waders and boots. Find breathable waders that fit and pair them with a good pair of boots that fit too. This way, you not only stay dry: you stay comfortable and can move safely. For the vast majority of anglers across a wide variety of conditions this is the way to go. But in frigid tailwaters or mid-winter steelhead rivers there is one variable that becomes as important as comfort and safety.

You have to stay warm.

All trout water is cold. Sometimes, it gets so cold that it is unbearable or even dangerous. No matter how many layers you put on, there will be some limitations based upon your waders:

  • You can only fit so many warm layers under your waders.
  • You can only have so much air circulation in your wading boots.

Why do those matter? And what can you do about it? Let me explain:

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Podcast Ep. 227: Fishing Streamers like its 1923

Dry flies looked about the same 100 years ago. Streamers? Things were a little different.

We hadn’t gotten around to articulated flies that use half a bucktail yet. But we still caught fish. And the flies that were being fished worked. Plus, you could cast them on your regular trout rod. All was well in the world.

And it still is. There is no reason why you can’t fish a Mickey Finn, Grey Ghost, or Edson Tiger today. In fact, I suggest you do. So much that I recorded a whole podcast on the worthwhile enterprise.

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

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Fly Casting: Where to Go to for Better

The previous post on Casting Across explored a few quick ways to practice casting. Anyone and everyone should feel like it is okay to head out to the yard and work on fly casting. When it comes to form, there is some that is certainly better than others. When it comes to habits, there are some that are good and some that are bad. But for the vast majority of your fishing all that matters is getting your fly where you want it.

As you practice fly casting (or as you pay attention to how things are going on the water), you will inevitably notice some shortcomings. It might be literally coming short of your target. It might be an accuracy issue. It might be that you struggle when there is an obstacle, when the current is fast, or when your fly is heavy.

At this point, it is time to look for help. In the last article I gave two, simple resources. Today I want to share a few more options for improving your fly casting. Here are four places to look to become better with a fly rod:

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Casting Practice Makes Better

Practice makes perfect.

That is a great sentiment. But when you’re dealing with wind, big flies, and overhanging trees there is no such thing as perfect. However, with enough practice and on-stream experience you can get much, much better.

And while river hours are nice because they translate into fish, the fish are a great reason to only do what is immediately necessary. If you want to hone skills that aren’t right in front of you or work on something for that trip coming up later this year, you probably need to spend time on the grass.

But how?

Here are three simple “casting drills” that will work on techniques that every fly caster needs to know. And if you know them, you can probably improve on them:

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Podcast Ep. 226: 6 (or 12) Preseason Gear Checks

A little can go a long way. When it comes to your fly fishing gear, taking a couple of hours can keep your equipment functioning well and actually improve your time on the water.

In this episode, I quickly run through six things that you can do to take care of your gear and get it ready for the upcoming season (or tune it up during the season). I also add six more quick steps that aren’t as vital, but are nevertheless helpful and probably worth your time.

All in all, most fly fishing gear will give you season after season. “Fishing hard” doesn’t mean that your stuff will fail after a year of use. A few simple steps will keep you and your equipment happy and hooked into fish.

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

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