Trout & Feather: September ’22

Digital media is phenomenal. Even for an activity as niche as fly fishing, there are streaming videos, eBooks, and a cornucopia of online options. The information is dynamic, engaging, and relevant. But a day will come when the power is out and the devices aren’t charged. Alternatively, you might want something that is a little more timeless… or simply quieter.

Thankfully, there is a rich literary heritage within fly fishing. The landscape of the sport would be unrecognizable without the works or Izaak Walton, Norman Maclean, and John Gierach. Generations of anglers have learned of far-off destinations, followed fly tying instructions, and daydreamed of rising trout through the pages of a book. Books are not only educational and entertaining; their ideas and the tangible items themselves connect us.

Even with all the digital resources out there, every fly fisher should consider curating their own analog angling library.

There is a link to the rest of the post, Analog Angling Library after the jump.

But before you do that, be sure to check out the two videos I’ve included in today’s post. In one, Tim from Trout & Feather makes a good case for starting from scratch with your nymph hook inventory. Then, in a throwback video from almost ten years ago, Tim walks through a fun variation on a popular pattern.

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

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Podcast Ep. 202: Concentric Circles of Conservation

Everyone says that conservation matters. But how can you show that you mean it?

You don’t need to dynamite a dam in the PNW or be the lawyer that puts Pebble Mine down for good. You can just be a guy with a bag of trash, a Saturday devoted to counting fish in a ladder, or a member of a town committee. Big stuff matters. So does little stuff. And any stuff that transcends online platitudes and bumper sticker-conservation is worth pursuing.

Today I share a few circles of action that are worth your time and energy.

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

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Be a Better Bad Caster

“Throw a tailing loop.”

I stared at Dave.  “On purpose?”  was my confused reply.

“Yes,” he urged, “cast with a tailing loop.”

My next cast was perfect.

“No. Again.”

My next cast was perfect.

“No. Again.”

Getting frustrated, I jerked my fly rod back and forth quickly.

“There it is! Good job!” His praise was real. “If you want to be good at casting, you need to be able to make all the casts, ” he explained. “You need to feel why the wrong things happen. If you can do that, you can replicate them so you’ll know what to avoid. And you’ll be able to explain it to others, too.”

I watched Dave throw tailing loops and open loops; casts that jerked right and others that curled left; casts that snapped back at him and casts that petered out well before they unrolled. “If you can do that, when you want to do that, you know how to cast,” he said.

And he was right.

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The Smiling Trout

“What do you do  in your spare time?”

“Ah guh higsing.”

“What?”

“Uh, I go fishing.”

Dentists asking questions while  their hands are in patients’ mouths is a well-worn trope. But this comically befuddling stereotype is as sure as a thing as being told to floss more.

“Yeah, there is great fly fishing around here. I like rainbow trout, myself.”

“Ugh hugh.”

“Spit.”

“Thanks,”

In this little Pennsylvania town, most people were aware of the local trout fishing opportunities. They knew that folks came from hundreds of miles to stalk spring creeks. Dentists, needing to be active members of the community, were no exception. All three dentist offices I visited in my years living there had, at the very least, a copy of Field & Stream in the waiting room.

“Keep up the good work. Try to make sure you floss more. Oh, and don’t bite your line with your teeth.”

Along with a $25 copay, I got a mixed bag of feedback. I brushed well enough to warrant a positive comment. Flossing that morning for the first time in the past six months obviously didn’t qualify as “regular flossing.” And apparently I was not supposed to use my mouth to clip tippet.

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Podcast Ep. 201: Fly Fishing Accusations, XX

There have been 200 episodes, and hundreds more articles, of my opinions and perspectives that you could call into question.

And every once in a while, someone does.

More often than receiving accusations,  I get questions and comments from readers and listeners. On today’s podcast, I interact with three (four, really) that I thought were worth sharing.

These editions are fun. Again, I get to respond to you. Also, it is a nice change of pace to discuss three or four topics in quick succession. I hope you enjoy it!

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

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Rusty Flybox: Sucker for Marketing

I’m a sucker for good marketing.

Before you judge, let me explain what I mean:

  • I appreciate a well thought-out sales pitch.
  • I gravitate towards people who are passionate about what they make and/or sell.
  • I like good more than I like bad. Can you blame me?

While hype and reality don’t always line up, hype can be the result of something real. Fly fishing gear is no exception. Some things might be overpriced. Some things might overpromise. Some things might simply be what the cool kids are using. But some things are both good and represented well by those responsible for selling them.

This makes me happy. And so I write about it. Here are three examples. Click on the title or the image to view the whole article.

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Killing Fish to Save Fish

The Colorado River and its surrounding lands are known for natural beauty and abundant outdoor activities. About 50 miles upstream from  Grand Canyon National Park, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area encompasses Lake Powell in Utah and the water below the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona.

The winding river, with countless channels, coves, and tributaries, provides limitless opportunities for anglers. Some of the most prized species in the country swim in the deep canyons. Rainbow trout, black bass, walleye, catfish, and stripers can be found and fished for throughout the system.

Remarkably, anglers can keep 20 smallmouth bass a day. There is no limit on how many striped bass one can harvest; and the same fish can be used as bait. Below the Glen Canyon Dam,  there is no limit on any sport fish aside from rainbow trout. As one browses the various regulations and environmental plans associated with the Park Service at Glen Canyon, it becomes clear: state and federal groups want fish to be killed.

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Podcast Ep. 200: A Rare Full Studio

200 episodes!

First of all, thank you for listening. Whether this is your first or 200th download, I truly appreciate that you take a few minutes out of your week to hear what I have to say about the quarry and culture of fly fishing.

As I’ve done every 50 shows, today I break away from the traditional format. While I’m usually a solo outfit, today I bring in three experts to talk. We discuss fly fishing and the outdoors in general. And we dive into one of the most important questions that any angler must answer: what is the best snack to pack when you head outside?

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

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Then, Everything Froze

The trout was holding just on the far side of a deep cut in the middle of the stream. Flitting back and forth, it would dart into the fast water to quickly eat an insect before returning to the gentler current. I watched the fish range a good eighteen inches into the swifter flow. My cast wouldn’t need to be perfect. It would just need to be close enough. I had already caught a handful of fish on a weighted, peacock hurl-bodied nymph. It seemed like the pattern for the day. This fish was certainly game to eat something.

Viewing the fish like a hawk, mentally preparing to set the hook even before I made the cast, I swung my rod behind me. I felt the weight of the line pull the rod tip back;  quickly followed by the tightening flex of the  mid-section. At the precise point required to project the line with a trajectory that would place the line 20 feet in front of me I shifted my forearm and wrist forward.

Then, everything froze.

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Officially Labor Day, Unofficially…

Due to their respective locations on the calendar, Memorial Day and Labor day are considered as the unofficial beginning and end points of summer. While Memorial Day has  deep and somber implications for all Americans, Labor Day is a much more light-hearted affair. I’m not downplaying the impact that workers and tradesmen have had on our nation. If anything, these men and women would appreciate you busting out your red, white, and blue swim trunks while you grill hot dogs on a paid holiday.

All that said, I’m recommending you treat this Labor Day as an unofficial get out while the getting is good for outdoor activities. Winter is coming. So go hiking, camping, paddling, and fly fishing while you still can. Do it today, on the holiday. Do it this weekend, while everyone is watching football. Do it on the first chilly morning when all social media is buzzing about sweaters and pumpkin spice. Do it now, on Labor Day.

Sure, there is plenty of charm in the colder-weather versions of wilderness pursuits. But we pine for wet wading and sunshine, not long underwear and 5:00pm sunsets.

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