Catch, Release, & Tip: Guides & Gratuity

In fly fishing, and in our culture in general, tipping is expected for many direct services. On top of payment, gratuity is part of the transaction. It is a way to thank the professional. It is a way to compliment quality service. And it is a way to round out that person’s compensation.

However, a  new angler may balk at the idea of tipping after he has the sticker shock that comes with seeing how much a guided trip costs. Yet the very same person wouldn’t object to tipping on a very expensive steak and bottle of wine.

So how much should a tip on a guided trip be?

Generally speaking, 15 to 20 percent is a good place to start. But why? And what about a trip that doesn’t yield many (or any) fish? But aren’t guides already expensive?

Here are five ways to think about tipping your fly fishing guide:

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Podcast Ep. 212: Tailwaters, part I

Tailwaters are a big part of fly fishing. So big, in fact, that this episode organically became a two-parter.

Today I talk about what a tailwater is, where you can find them, and why they are so important for fly fishers. More appropriately: why they are so important for trout. Of course, there is another side of tailwaters that is worth discussing as well.

Most of all, I hope that the 20 minutes of content in this episode get you thinking about dams, rivers, and some of the fishing opportunities that these interesting ecosystems provide.

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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Giving Tuesday is Never Over

On the heels of a long weekend of spending, Giving Tuesday has become a charitable foil to the post-Thanksgiving commercialism. Nonprofits of all stripes capitalize on the awareness that comes along with what has become an internet phenomenon. Initiatives backed with promotions, matching donations, and particular goals seek to bolster funding.

Nonprofit organizations within the outdoors community are no exception.

If you are interested in supporting a program that protects trout or natural resources, great. But you might also want to consider investing in an organization that is raising up the next generation to protect trout or natural resources.

Here are four great fly fishing and outdoors-related nonprofits that are helping kids get outside and learn to steward the world around them:

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Angler’s Coffee: Blending Beans & Fly Fishing

“Last summer I headed out to do something that has been on my bucket list.” Joe Monaghan  continued: “I rented a little Sprinter decked out for camping. I was all by myself and I had no agenda whatsoever. I drove east and started fishing; I started fishing all of western Montana. It was great. I went all over the place, fishing with different people wherever I went.  The fishing was great, but so was sharing that cup of coffee with them in the morning. Even if I was meeting a guide I’d insist we stop and have a cup of coffee. That way we could get to know each other, and talk about what we’d be using and how we’d be fishing.

“Great fishing and great coffee. It’s a good memory.”

Between fishing and coffee, Monaghan has a significant bank of memories to pull from. His home waters are some of the premier steelhead fisheries of the Pacific Northwest. His background is four decades with one of the premier espresso machine companies. “But,” Monaghan said, “I retired from ‘big coffee,’ moved to rural Washington, and made more time for family and fishing.”

That retirement only paved the way to his next pursuit: Angler’s Coffee.

“Angler’s Coffee is  first and foremost about what is in the bag,” Monaghan  explained. “Our coffee is top notch. We’re super dedicated to  coffee. Good coffee isn’t rocket science but isn’t easy, either.  You need to find good green coffee, know how to roast, and process it correctly. From that point its up to the brewer. We ship within a few days from roasting to make it as simple as possible for the person at home. As far as the branding goes? We know the culture of fly fishing.”

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Podcast Ep. 211: Thanksgiving & Fly Fishing

Happy Thanksgiving from Casting Across!

This episode was recorded around noon on Thanksgiving. Consequently, I talk about turkey and what I am thankful for.

We all have a lot to be thankful for. Regardless of your lot in life or how many fish you catch, we all have so much for which we can express gratitude. My advice is that you make that known. True thanksgiving occurs when you share  a genuine “thank you” with someone else.

So after football, pie, and a nap, think about sending a quick text saying “thank you.”

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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I am Thankful

I am thankful for fly fishing.

This means I am thankful to people; not just thankful with some nebulous sentiment. That isn’t true thankfulness. True thankfulness has  a person as the object. True thankfulness can be given and received.

I am thankful to Alan, who introduced me to the sport. As a teenager, he needed to learn how to use a fly rod to fish on a stream with special regulations. He brought me along and here I am over 20 years later.

I am thankful to Jeff. We drove all over creation (Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, at least) together looking for one more trout stream and one more quirky little rural town in which to spend time.

I am thankful to Rod and Mike. They ran the camp that taught me that fly fishing was about more than fly fishing. I learned history, conservation, and the value of seeing the big picture.

I am thankful to my parents. In different ways, they facilitated my burgeoning fascination with getting outside and going to far off places with little else of interest aside from trout.

I am thankful to Amanda. She doesn’t allow me to fish. She encourages me to fish, because she knows it is important. And she knew that over 20 years ago when I asked her to marry me.

I am thankful to my boys. They’re better than fly fishing. But they  like it, too.

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Fighting Supernatural Nature

On a warm, overcast fall morning the fish were jumping all across the pond. With every stroke of the paddle, there was a flash under water or ripples on the surface. Baitfish skittered. Lazy insects disappeared in loud slurps. Fish shot out of the water, presumably for the joy only comprehendible to the simple mind of a fish. It was a beautiful sunrise scene.

Except for the fact that I didn’t have a fly rod. I did have a shotgun. And there were no ducks.

Animals are smart. But they’re animal smart. That is totally different than human smart. Their brains are, biologically speaking, basic. They can’t do math, conjugate verbs, or form opinions on geopolitical matters. They can stay alive, though. That is more important than algebra. Dare I say that it is more important than most of what is discussed on cable news.

So even though I routinely anthropomorphize trout, I am completely aware that they’re empirically vacuous. I know their IQ is unmeasurable. I also know that they possess some supernatural sight beyond sight wherein they can sense my intentions when I enter the woods. Here’s what I mean:

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Podcast Ep. 210: Fly Fishing Accusations, XXI

This week on the podcast I interact with some questions that are the most common interactions I receive month after month, year after year.

Fly line for small streams and fly fishing books are two things that I’m (relatively) passionate about. Consequently, I get feedback about both topics.

I also talk about the (legitimate) passion surrounding nippers.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Seasons Changing

The calendar says that winter doesn’t arrive until late December. The frost on my windshield and the ice on the edges of the streambank say otherwise.

Cold weather means flies can be tied and deer can be hunted. But it also means that there are aspects to fly fishing that open up to us. Taking advantage of the change in seasons can reveal angles of angling that would otherwise be missed.

Today I share three articles that consider the joy of fly fishing amidst the seasons changing from fall to winter. One has to do with football; another shares why fishing might be better in bad weather; the last is about being thankful for fly fishing.

Click on the title or the image below to read the full post:

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Stop the Clocks: Fall Bass

Bass are unaware of Daylight Savings Time. They don’t have an emotional response to the first frost or “sweater weather.” They certainly aren’t swayed by the pumpkin spice-ification of the world. This does not mean that bass, like any other fish out there, are not impacted by the temperature shifts that accompany the change of seasons. What it does mean is that these fish might not be as seasonally sensitive as we are.

The action isn’t going to be the same as post-spawn and summer fishing. The days are shorter and the water may very well be lower. The thermal fluctuations of the water will have an influence on the metabolism of fish: which, in turn, influences the way in which they feed. But they will still feed. And, depending on where you live, there might actually be an uptick in action on warm(er) fall days.

So while trout streams may become more active and attractive in the fall, don’t sleep on your local bass water. The fish are there, are active, and are willing to chase a fly. Here are four things to consider as you bundle up for bass this autumn:

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