A Not-Too-Shabby 2022

Big picture, generally speaking: 2022 wasn’t that great. Look at the news, the economy, and the overall temperature  of our culture. We’re in dire need of a fix. (I do have ideas about that, but such things are for a different forum.)

From a much more narrow  perspective, 2022 wasn’t half bad.

I’ve utilized one of those nifty “look at me” social media tools to compile when people looked at me the most this past year. While the above algorithm-produced collage above doesn’t necessarily  represent my top nine moments, it does give me some good memories to look back on. So, in nine quick quips I’ll share my 2022 blessings through angling.

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Merry (Late) Christmas from Casting Across

Yes: Christmas was yesterday. But I don’t publish on Sundays. And Friday was a podcast day, so that wasn’t an appropriate day for greetings either. So here you have it. One day late:

Merry Christmas from Casting Across.

I do hope that your holiday was filled with all of the things that you desired and more. Family, food, and maybe a little bit of fishing. Most of all, I do hope that you had an opportunity to thoughtfully reflect on why you had a holiday to begin with. Here in an excerpt from my Christmas sermon:

I can say with great joy and with great confidence that the hopeful, inviting message of Christmas is for you because the first angel to appear that night said that He was bringing “good news of great joy which will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

The message of the peace through Christ was for shepherds and kings. It was for Jews and Gentiles. It was for those in 1st century Bethlehem and it will be for all time. It is for the rich and the poor, the black and the white, the lovely and the unlovely: there is no chronological, genealogical, or geographical limits to the good news of Jesus Christ. It is for all the people.

And you and me: we are part of all the people.

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Podcast Ep. 215: Scratching the Euro Nymphing Surface

I am not an Euro Nymphing guru, and this is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the technique/gear/universe.

So it is with trepidation that I wade into what is only meant to be a quick, initiatory overview of a topic that elicits very strong  emotions. But you don’t need to have an emotional response to how anyone fishes. You can use an incredibly productive tactic and some helpful equipment to catch more fish.

I’ll share some quick thoughts, and encourage you to check out some more resources.

Also, use code CASTING right now to save 20% and get free shipping at manscaped.com.

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

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Trout & Feather: December ’22

There have been countless ecological missteps taken by those attempting to protect fish because of errors in identification. Some were understandable, given the technology at the time. Others, including those of the last few generations, really stem from relying on hasty or superficial investigation. Anglers, who are not only the beneficiaries of conservation efforts but also some of the boots-on-the-ground movers, should be versed enough to at least know how to observe.

To be clear: taking the time to observe specific morphological markers in the fish you catch probably won’t translate into catching more or bigger fish. However, the kind of scrutiny that analyzes spot patterns, fin size, and flank coloration is akin to the constant enquiry that takes in the variables that lead to catching more or bigger fish.

There is a link to the rest of the post, Observation: The Angler’s Science after the jump.

But before you do that, be sure to check out the two videos I’ve included in today’s post. One is a (free) grad level class on  a productive fishing strategy, the other

Watch the videos, and find a link to the article, below:

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How Far South to get Good Fishing?

When I attended college in South Carolina, I was perplexed that locals broke out their winter coats when the weather hit the mid-60’s. Growing up in the Midwest, the only change that the mid-60’s  brought about was the addition of long sleeves. Clothing, comfort, and climate in general are all relative. You only have to go a little south in the summer to warm up, and a little north in the winter to cool off.

It also means that you don’t have to travel to the Caribbean if you want to enjoy good fishing in the coldest months. You only have to go as far south as you need to in order to get into good fishing.

I’ll be honest: the majority of my winter angling migration destinations have been in the American Southeast. Florida is an obvious choice. Arkansas can still be chilly, but boasts solid trout fishing. Virginia, while often frozen over, also has spring creeks and tailwaters that are very productive in January. Even if a trip to the Mid-Atlantic  means that I’m simply packing one less layer than I would be wearing here in New England, it feels like a big change.

And going a little south for a big change is often worth it.

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Podcast Ep. 214: How to Start Tying Flies

STOP! If you’re a veteran fly tyer or if you’ve decided that fly tying just isn’t your thing, this podcast is still for you.

There are a lot of “bad first steps” for people who are interested in taking up fly tying. In this episode, I share what I believe to be the first three things you should do if you are considering trying your hand at tying. Similarly, these are the things I think are wisest to recommend to someone who has asked you about fly tying.

After all, you don’t want to miss out on something fun because you didn’t start out well.

Also, use code CASTING right now to save 20% and get free shipping at manscaped.com.

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

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Scents of Water

I parked my car at the familiar gravel pull off. Without waders or fly rod, I walked up the road to a low bridge that crossed the stream. I had plans to write a number of articles featuring the spring creeks I fished so often when I lived in Pennsylvania. Standing on top of the bridge, I took some pictures facing downstream. I crossed the one lane road and took more pictures looking upstream. The photos looked good. But I had a particular shot in mind: a good shot of the creek meandering up through a willow-lined meadow.

This required me to climb down  the side of the bridge and get positioned on the ground, at creek level. Jumped over the guardrail put me right where I wanted to be. It also put me someplace I didn’t expect.

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Cold Weather Fishing Comfort: Beyond Layering

It is easy to stay warm when you’re fishing in the winter. Layer, layer, layer. You can always add another pair of long underwear bottoms or an additional fleece top. This will keep your core toasty in the most brutal conditions.

But the fact of the matter is that regardless of how warm you core is, cold fingers and toes make fishing miserable.

You can’t layer, layer, layer gloves and still tie flies on or feel a rod grip well. You can’t pile on socks and still fit your feet in wading boots. The solution is to fish with better gear. And that doesn’t mean $150 yak wool balaclavas or  battery operated copper-infused beanies. It means picking gear designed for use in the outdoors that is built to mitigate the unavoidable cold of winter.

Here are four pieces of gear that will immediately keep you warmer, which will keep you fishing happier and longer, for under $40 each:

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Podcast Ep. 213: 4 Winter Confidence Flies

Today I talk through four flies that work for me in the winter. Notice I said for me. That doesn’t mean that they won’t work for you. In fact, I think that they will work for you. But I have a lot of confidence in these four patterns.

And confidence matters, because there is no silver bullet fly that you can use for trout in the cold months. But there are certain facets of some popular flies that will appeal to fish that aren’t as active or aggressive in the winter.

Hear what the four flies are, hear why I choose them, and hear how to fish them in this episode.

Also, use code CASTING right now to save 20% and get free shipping at manscaped.com.

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

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Firsts They’ll Remember

I shot  my first duck just over a year ago. I can still remember the anticipation, the excitement, and the moment. The freshness of that memory made watching him shoot his first duck all the more special.

He’s 10. All my boys caught their first fish as toddlers. All my boys caught their first fish on a fly rod as toddlers. Those are fun moments and great memories. But the moment is fun for them like pretty much any exciting moment is fun. That is the joy of being a toddler. And the memories are great for me. For them? The memories exist only as far as they are stories I tell them and pictures they see.

But for him, at 10, there was that anticipation. I didn’t have my license in a state in which he could hunt last season. He watched as friends got their first duck earlier this season. He sat through some early, cold mornings with high flying birds. He watched YouTube videos, helped my process birds I took, and practiced calling in the basement.

That big mallard drake represented something of a unique accomplishment in his decade of life. And it was great, as his dad, to watch it happen.

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