Podcast Ep. 365: Don’t Blame the Wind

Heat, cold, and high water make fly fishing tricky. Wind makes fly fishing downright difficult. The physics of a fly cast and windy conditions are at odds with one another,  impacting our particular kind of angling in a very specific manner.

Without denying the challenge of fishing in the wind, I want to share three simple steps to mitigate the effects of blustery air on your fly line. There is nothing new or novel here. However, there is the encouragement that a sustained breeze doesn’t mean you have to head home (or bust out the spoons and jigs).

Oh, and stop blaming the wind for the knots that your tailing loops cause.

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

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VIDEO: Consistently Fishable Spring Creeks

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But come on… a glassy spring creek flowing through a picturesque meadow? You can’t say that isn’t a stunning sight. Especially if you are a fly fisher who likes challenging trout and year-round opportunities to catch them.

Mike Lawson’s Spring Creeks came out in 2003. There were fly fishing books on spring creeks that came out before it, and there have been titles on the same subject matter that have been released in the past 20 years. However, Spring Creeks might be the most comprehensive volume on the topic; certainly of those with a focus towards western rivers.

Whether you fish out west or on the east coast – or even if you only fish spring creeks occasionally, this book is worth picking up for some excellent explanations of how to target some uniquely tricky trout.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can pick up your own copy  below:

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My 3 Biggest Catches

This article is the 1,571st post on Casting Across. I’m not sure how high that stack of 1s and 0s is, but I know that if you make the font big enough it would reach to the moon and back.

I’m not going to give a big, fancy introduction to this particular post. Below you’ll find the three biggest trophies of online content I’ve landed? released? stocked? in the 10 years of Casting Across. One nearly broke the website from the traffic it generated. The other two are apparently search engine darlings that funnel people to my writing consistently, year after year.

More than all that quantitative  whatnot, these three articles represent a great cross-section of Casting Across content. Get a glimpse of each, along with a touch of commentary, below. Then click on the image to read the whole piece.

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Podcast Ep. 364: Ten Years

Well, I’m still here.

Ten years after putting a little orange and grey website about fly fishing together I continue to do my darndest with three posts a week on the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish. On this week’s “very special episode” I share some reflections on what this decade has meant. There has been some work, some fishing, and a lot of great memories made.

Hopefully, it will encourage you: encourage you with fly fishing, with this crazy niche culture we have, and with any ambitions for creativity you might be considering.

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

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VIDEO: Streams of Legacy

Just over ten years ago I was asked to contribute to a project that sought to raise funds for the purchase of a plot of land in south central Pennsylvania. Michael Klimkos was putting together a book for the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy. The group was looking to capitalize on the history of the land, specifically the stream that ran through it.

Just under ten years after Casting Across launched, The Letort: A Limestone Legacy was published. The land was eventually acquired. And now one of the branches of the Letort’s headwaters are protected  for the first time in over a century.

This book is more than fundraising, though. It is a quick and comprehensive history of a little spring creek that contributed a lot to American angling.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can start a search for your own copy  below:

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10 Years of Casting Across

I realized that I enjoyed writing in 3rd grade. I can distinctly remember the classroom in suburban Chicago where I learned about narrative and persuasion, introductions and conclusions. Like many people, my zeal was somewhat diminished as the scale of assigned words increased exponentially in high school and undergrad. But sometime in my first seminary program something clicked. Perhaps it was the content. Maybe it was this new expectation on concise quality over quantitative drudgery. It could also be that, at this time, I was beginning to write about fly fishing as well.

Living in Pennsylvania and serving as a director of a Trout Unlimited youth camp, I was asked to write about our program. Local newspapers, regional fly fishing outlets, and TU national asked for articles and blurbs about what we were doing. Putting this passion of mine into digital words was fun. Yes, there was a simple thrill in seeing my name on the printed page. More than that there was the joy that came through sharing something that I worked on, thought over, and cared about.

The requests slowed down significantly when I moved away from PA and the angling circles in which I was embedded. Full time ministry and a growing family made plugging into similar communities less of a priority. I was still writing, but it wasn’t about fly fishing. It was not as if there was something missing. More accurately, there was an itch I couldn’t ignore. And, as usual, there was my wife pointing out the obvious. “Why don’t you just write?”

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Podcast Ep. 363: Can Confidence Catch Fish?

What are confidence flies? Of course, it is a thing people say. But is it a real thing?

I maintain that it is. And these flies don’t only give you a leg up when you’re fishing them: I think that we can learn a lot about how to fish any and every fly if we pay attention to how we’re fishing our confidence flies.

So while  the topic might seem a bit philosophical or abstract, there is truly something to explore for a few minutes. After all, would you rather fish with confidence or with apprehension?

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

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VIDEO: America’s Fly Fishing Fountainhead

One of America’s original vacation destinations is also the birthplace of American fly fishing. New York’s Catskill Region is thick with rivers, fish, and angling history.

In Steve Francis’ Catskill Rivers, the reader is introduced to what makes this area so special and historically significant. He first explores the region in general, and then touches on each of the prominent rivers individually. It is an older volume (the first edition came out in  1983) but it holds up as a great introduction to the significance of this special part of the country.

For the student of fly fishing history, this is a must-have addition to your library.

Watch what else I have to say about the book and find out where you can buy your own copy  below:

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The Fly Fishing Show: 2026

One of my 2025 presentations.

In just under three months, the calendar turns over and 2026 will be upon us. For many anglers, one implication is that the season for fly fishing expo shows is upon us.

While there are a number of small and even large fly fishing expos coming up, The Fly Fishing Show has six events spanning three months. If you find yourself anywhere near the nation-wide locations on the appropriate dates, it is worth planning a day or two at the show. And since we’re less than three months out, there is no better time to put it on your calendar than right now.

I’ve been an attendee, worked booths, and been a presenter. And I have no hesitation in saying I’m a fan.  Over the years  I’ve written extensively on my experiences at these events (there’s a link below). Keep reading to see five quick reasons why I think you should make plans to head to a stop of The Fly Fishing Show, along with a list of the locations and dates:

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Podcast Ep. 362: Midge Miscellany

After perusing a handful of books about tying and fishing midges, and in anticipation of turning to these tiny flies for much of my winter angling, I thought I’d share a potpourri of midge information today.

While even tying them on might seem like a chore, the part that midges play in most trout diets makes them impossible to ignore. Even the biggest fish will gorge themselves on bugs that match a size 28 fly pattern. Getting comfortable with fishing these flies goes a long way. And today I discuss some of the tying, fishing, and storage tips that have helped me over the decades.

Whether you’re a believer in midges or not, listen and get excited about angling with the smallest flies out there.

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

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