The Angler’s Glossary

“Everything that can be said, can be said clearly.”

This quip from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein should be taken to heart by politicians, lawyers, and anglers. A great gulf exists between common linguistics and the semantics needed in the tackle aisle at the local sporting goods store. And not even Merriam-Webster can help a beginner fisherman decipher what the overly-read enthusiast says when asked “what are you using to catch them?”

The Angler’s Glossary from Mike Klimkos is a great resource for wading through the language of fishing. The book is an illustrated  collection of terms relating to fishing and the science behind it. An essential part of the formation and development of the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation & Fly Fishing Youth Camp (the first Trout Unlimited teen camp), Klimkos has had a vested interest and role in teaching fishing for generations. Growing from a project seeking to systematize the complex terminology around hooks, he expanded his efforts to create The Angler’s Glossary.

A book like this functions at three important levels:

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Podcast Ep. 233: 5 Strike Indicators

Strike indicators! Bobbers! Strike indicators! Bobbers!

Like Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, the argument rages on and on. I don’t intend to settle it. I simply intend to cast into a good-looking run filled with fat trout hoping that my fly is suspended at the right depth.

Today I talk about 5 strike indicators that I use. There are loads more, but this is a short podcast.  Hear about what might be a good fit for your time on the water and your angling preferences.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Guided

There’s more to booking a guide than Googling, submitting an inquiry, and showing up at a boat ramp.

To get the most out of your trip (and to be the best client) there are a few things worth considering. Today I share two articles and a podcast about the before and after of going on a guided trip. When is the best time to book a trip? How much should you tip your guide? How should you communicate with your guide?

These are all worth thinking about if you’re investing your hard-earned money, spending your time, and working with a fly fishing pro.

Check out each article by clicking on the image:

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Trout & Feather: April ’23

There are plenty of reasons why you might hire a fly fishing guide. The most common reason is that you’re taking a trip, so you want to optimize your angling opportunity. It might also be the case that you have to have a guide to access a particular stretch of water. Or, you could be genuinely interested in learning something from a reputable waterman.

Whether the cost of a day in a drift boat is a splurge or chump change, the investment of time with a guide necessitates that you do more than reach out to the first person Google hands you. With a few simple steps, your day out with a professional has the potential to yield a lot more than a good number of fish.

There is a link to the rest of the post, A Guide Guide 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 an “unboxing” of sorts. The other? It’s a dozen minutes of Tom Rosenbauer.

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

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Podcast Ep. 232: 7 Ways to Carry Your Gear

There are as many ways to carry fly fishing gear as there are pieces of fly fishing gear. And that is saying a lot.

How do you keep the stuff you need (or that you think you need) on you when you’re on the water? It might not be a big source of concern for you. But maybe you’re new to fly fishing. Maybe you need to carry more. Perhaps you need to carry less. It could just be that what you’ve been doing has been hurting your shoulder or back.

I have some experience in the trial and error of trying different ways to carry gear. Today I walk through 7 options.

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

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Fly Fishing from a Box

All-inclusive is good. There are plenty of situations where making one decision is preferable to making a handful of decisions. Add in the fact that all-inclusive usually means you’re getting a deal along the way, and it is definitely a route worth pursuing.

When shopping for fly fishing gear, rod and reel kits are a legitimate all-inclusive option for those looking for a new outfit.

Thanks to many major angling companies, pre-assembled fly fishing outfits are no longer seen only as entry level gear soon to be outgrown. Getting all you need so that you can go fly fishing from a box is a legitimate way to go. While such a purchase might be right for someone new to the sport, it doesn’t mean that she’ll be compromising. Fly fishing kits work. For a number of anglers and a variety of circumstances, such an all-inclusive box of gear is the perfect solution.

Here are three reasons why you should consider “fly fishing from a box”:

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Throwback Gear Review: Simms Freestone Waders

Fly fishing gear is a big part of Casting Across. I’ve always enjoyed the aesthetics, the marketing, and, most importantly, the function of fly fishing gear. Consequently, I’ll review new products on the site from time to time. But appreciating fly fishing gear shouldn’t only be about  the latest model or newest technology. The things that you’ve fished with for years – for decades ought to be celebrated as well.

It is in that spirit that I put together this gear review. Although some products are old or even out of production, their value compounds with use, experience, and familiarity. We should enjoy what we use when we fly fish, especially if we’ve enjoyed it for a long time.

If you’ve ever read online reviews for waders, you’ve probably had a minor existential crisis. (Or at least a minor shopping crisis.) Every pair of waders has its share of detractors. Every pair of waders has a series of reviews chronicling the leaks, tears, and ruined fishing trips foisted upon its unsuspecting waders. “$500 and I had to throw them IN THE TRASH!” Or some other, similar online assessment.

Yes: there are less reputable manufacturers. Yes: even the best brands will miss something. But usually the mainstream outdoor companies produce functional, durable waders that will take care of you for seasons if you take care of them.

My Simms Freestone waders aren’t part of my first or second-string gear lineups. But they do still work. And they’re twenty years old.

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Podcast Ep. 231: 3 Steps for Introducing Fly Fishing

Today I’m sharing three practical tips for introducing someone to fly fishing.

For you, it might be a child, a friend, or a spouse. Simply putting them next to you in the water probably isn’t enough. I walk through three things that are worth thinking about: exploration, opportunity, & access.

Whether you’re just getting into fly fishing yourself, or you’re shooting to get someone involved with you this season, listen to how you might want to go about introducing fly fishing.

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

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Best of Show, According to You

There is a lot that you can do at The Fly Fishing Show. Seminars, classes, and other educational opportunities are worth the price of admission. Booking trips or getting ideas for the upcoming season is a great way to kick start the year.

But let’s be honest: looking at gear is one of the best parts of wandering the exhibition hall.

To create some friendly competition, and to highlight the best of the best, the Consumers Choice Awards were instituted last year. Show attendees have the opportunity to vote for products that impressed them the most.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that these are the best products. But, it does indicate which products showed well at the Show. And that does count for something… Even if it is just another look.

Check out the Consumer Choice winners for 2023 here:

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The Day After

We flew in during a thunderstorm. Layovers and small-engine  craft made the segments of the trip feel like puzzle pieces that didn’t quite fit. Travel can often feel like a chore. At times it has more of a trial feel. The early darkness from the late summer storm took away the sense of place from that wearying day of transit. We had arrived. We miraculously arrived with all our gear. But there was to be no fishing that afternoon. And as evening quickly came over the lodge, the only way we could perceive the river and the surrounding environs was in momentary freeze frame lightning  flashes.

The dawn of the day after was when everything clicked. No flights to catch. No gate changes or missed meals. Just a river full of fish and opportunities. That first day was so crazy, so busy, even so exhilarating. But we experienced where we had arrived on the day after.

I can’t help but think that was how small group of men and women in first century Palestine felt nearly 2,000 years ago today.

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