River Apollo, III

This is, as the title says, the 3rd part of the story. Read the beginning of River Apollo here.

Paul never wanted to be a mascot for anything. One time he came close. (That is, in fact, a significant part of his life. But it is significant enough to wait for a more opportune time. It is the kind of story one shares after an unwanted guest leaves.)  However, living in a prominent house on a prominent trout stream put him in the crosshairs of various foundations, associations, and causes. Every good cause needs a face, and his weathered visage was apparently good enough for both cold water conservation and historical initiatives.

Paul how’s the fishing?

Paul was already irritated by the knock. Then he was further irritated by the fact that Gerry King was the one from which the knocking originated. The phrasing of the question, which sounded as if there was no comma between “Paul” and “how’s the fishing” irritated him to a point where he knew he must consciously smile and be pleasant so as to not slam the door in the face of the regional VP of Trout Unlimited.

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Straying from Black Lines

Anthropologists believe that a cave painting in the Czech Republic is the earliest example of a map that we have. The markings seem to represent local mountains, valleys, and rivers. The features on the map pointed to the fields they farmed and the forests they hunted. There was time, care, and investment represented on that stone wall. Those ancient peoples depended on their map and everything that it meant to their culture and their survival. What is still unconfirmed is which sections of the map’s river are designated as catch and release water.

Regardless if Neolithic man denoted special regulation waters or not, it is true that generations of anglers have relied heavily upon maps. And there are a number of options for today’s angler.

Printed out maps from fly shops contain timely, hand-scrawled notes and up-to-the-minute corrections. These documents don’t pretend to replicate scale. Simplistically rendered houses and fences attempt to serve as complementary, distinguishing features around the focal point. A nondescript squiggly line representing water.

Slightly more technical, topographic maps provide a wealth of information. Elevation lines to determine stream gradient. Routes to access points. Land designations. Quaint fish-with-a-hook icons. Customization is important: Highlighter to designate special regulations. Asterisks to mark parking options. Grease stains to recall where one may get barbecue.

Online maps provide layers of options (subject to data availability). Guidebooks  cover nearly everything, albeit in encyclopedic bits. Apps synthesize all manner of data.

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Podcast Ep. 236: Fishing Centimeters Down

Dry flies, nymphs, and streamers. They work just fine, but there are plenty of ways to fish these flies.

One of the most effective ways to fish dries and nymphs is in the surface film or just below the surface. While a high-floating dry is romantic and bottom-ticking nymphs get a lot of hype, fish absolutely hone in on bugs drifting high and tight.

Today I talk through three ways to make this valuable presentation. Nothing requires fancy gear or a different box of flies. Using what you have, you can target some hungry (and usually visible!) fish.

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

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River Apollo, II

Read part I of River Apollo here.

Only once had Paul encountered a bear on the little creek that ran in front of his property.  It was years ago and well upstream from his house. The gentle valley that the stream flows through intensifies ever so slightly; enough that things feel close and tight in a semi-subconscious way. It was making its way across the face of a hillside roughly 75 yards away from him. He watched it, frozen and fascinated. The wind shifted and the black bear stopped, lifted her nose, and ran directly away from him. It was fast and it made a lot of noise.

The intensity of the sounds around him immediately brought him back to that moment. Even in broad daylight, a stone’s throw from his garage, the idea of being the first victim of a bear attack in this area in modern times was very real. The potential news headlines and memories all flashed through his mind in the seconds it took before he saw the two white tails  bounding through the trees. Deer. Loud, spooked deer. Deer, he thought, are so loud when you’re not looking for them. They’re supernaturally silent when you are looking for them.

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Casting Across on Fish Untamed

As is the case in all facets of life these days, podcasts serve as de facto commentary for the fly fishing community. Fly Fishing podcasts have been something that I’ve written about on Casting Across since the website launched. The Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast has well over 200 episodes catalogued. And I’ve been featured as a guest on a handful of podcasts, as well.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Katie Burgert from Fish Untamed. We talked about how I got into fly fishing, why I started Casting Across, and what kind of reading can turn into great angling experiences.

Even if you listen to me week after week, you’ll definitely hear something new and different as I answer Katie’s questions. Listen to the episode, and learn more about Fish Untamed, below:

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Podcast Ep. 235: 3 Beginner Items to Keep

As we evolve in our pursuit of fish, our gear evolves with us.

There are some items that we inevitably obtain as beginners that we either discard or simply disregard. Today I talk about three of those things. While you might not pay them much attention, or they might not be a regular part of your time on the water, they (or the concept behind them) still have value.

Sometimes the simple, little things can have a big impact on your efficiency on the water.

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

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Mere Conservationism

Often, the content you hear on the Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast comes from written articles on this website. However, this post is a synopsis of a recent episode. 

The polarization of our culture is understandable. The century-plus erosion of a common worldview has caused the foundation necessary for cooperation to crumble beneath our feet. The culprit? At one level, it is the lie of neutrality and personal autonomy. Seeing ourselves as disconnected from transcendent values and objectivity is bad for individuals. And what is bad for individuals is bad for the interpersonal and physical ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, there are countless victims being sucked into this ever-increasing epistemological sinkhole.

One so happens to be the environment.

If your response to that is “No! It is [insert opposing viewpoint] policies!” you’re proving my point.  There is a time and a place for argument and debate. Real questions need to be asked and answers. Core presuppositions must be addressed. Personal, political, and religious/philosophical values should be tested and tried. But as we’re pointing fingers, or better yet sitting and having a civil conversation over a drink, let’s get some work done.

I’m calling that Mere Conservationism.

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River Apollo, I

Paul awoke to the pink-orange of sunshine on his eyelids. He had fallen asleep on the bank. The gnarled willow tree protected him from the late afternoon sun, but a bare patch in the branches allowed the light to penetrate to where he lay. Just below the branches and just above the horizon. The day was almost over and the day had just begun.

This wasn’t the first time that Paul had fallen asleep on the bank of the small creek. The creek formed one side of his property’s boundary line. He had two human neighbors, a state highway, and a spring creek. He was pleasant to everyone. He was friendliest to the trout in the spring creek. The sounds of their home was his constant companion. The gentle water’s gurgling, occasional trout or muskrat’s splashing, and chorus of birdsong was the background to which he woke and he fell asleep. Even when he was in his bedroom; not streamside.

Falling asleep can happen when you’re laying down and when you’re still and when you’re tired. Paul was always tired. He was rarely still, and thus he didn’t lay down to often. But watching trout feed from the damp streamside grass was a rare exception. Ticks, poison ivy, and muddy clothes were all possibilities. The trout were there and required more urgency. Fish did rise to the stream’s “hatches.” But these intermittent moments brought in countless out of state anglers and really did nothing but put the wiser, larger fish down. read more

Podcast Ep. 234: Mere Conservationism

If you haven’t noticed, our culture is pretty polarized.

Ah for the days when we fought about Pepsi or Coke, Yankees or Red Sox, and flies or bait. Alas.

But just because there are some major rifts between politics, religion, and worldview doesn’t mean that we can’t come together to improve riparian habitat and pick up trash out of a local river. Maybe, just maybe, if we take a mere conservationism approach we can do those things and have a genuine, in-person conversation with one another.

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

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The Globe, the Swift, & My Inbox

Last week, The Boston Globe published “How a tiny Massachusetts river has become a star in the fly-fishing world: Cold water, big fish, bigger crowds.” And now I have a few things to say.

First: That title. Whew. I got quite a bit of reading done without having to break the paywall.

Second: A lot of my family, friends, and acquaintances here in New England must still read the Globe. I wish I could catch fish with the same frequency I landed this link via email and text.

Third: I’m all for a major Boston newspaper’s spot-burning.

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