The Gift Guides… They’re Coming

The neighbor to one side of you still hasn’t removed all of the fake spiderwebs from her bushes, and the neighbor on the other side is staking illuminated reindeer down in his front yard. Thanksgiving (the superior holiday, mind you) is a turkey and pie speedbump that simply launches our culture headlong over Black Friday and towards Christmas. And there is no stopping it.

You may have already received the emails. If you are on a fly fishing distribution list, if you have ever bought something angling adjacent, if you have ever stepped foot in or near an outdoor establishment; know that your @whatever.com is squarely within an entire horde’s sights. All you are is another credit card number susceptible to clever marketing.

They’ll offer you free shipping. They’ll offer you 12 days of percentages off. They’ll offer you the world. And like a farm-raised turkey used to being greeted by the friendly farmer, you’ll yield.

Because it is fly fishing stuff. And we all want it under the tree.

Here’s how to navigate the coming onslaught of ads masquerading as gold, frankincense, and myrrh:

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7 Years of Casting Across

In early October, 2015, I grabbed up the domain name and social media handles for “Casting Across.” For that month I fumbled my way through website design, font choice, and how the internet really works. I polished up some rough drafts I had kicking around on my hard drive. I began to go through my digital photo library. By the end of the month, I had launched a little website where I planned to explore the quarry and culture of fly fishing.

This past weekend marked the 7th anniversary of Casting Across.

Casting Across was created for these main reasons:

  • I wanted to share the minutiae of fly fishing: the small experiences, pieces of gear, and moments that we all appreciate but don’t get a lot of recognition.
  • I wanted to write without inhibitions. Vocationally, as a pastor, I am joyfully constrained by my  subject matter. Fly fishing writing allows me to say whatever, however I want.
  • I wanted to keep a foot in the fly fishing world. After working at a fly shop and running a camp for years, I missed being involved with a diverse group of great people.

Over the past seven years, I can say for certain that all of those goals have been accomplished. And I look forward to how they continue to be met in the future. Today, I want to share some of the most popular articles over the history of Casting Across. I also take a stab as to why they’ve been well-received by you.

Here are some highlights from over the past 7 years, and a few of my thoughts on each:

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Podcast Ep. 207: Minimalism? How About Maximalism

We’ve all seen that guy: he’s got the entire Orvis catalog hanging from his vest.

…okay, I’ve been that guy. Maybe you have too.

In a lot of ways, fly fishing and other outdoor pursuits have shifted away from carrying more to taking a minimalist approach. It is a great thing. You can move lighter and faster. You can spend more time honing skill. You can focus on the experience.

But there are some situations that warrant more. So how do you do that well? Can you carry a lot without being encumbered by fly boxes, gadgets, and angling miscellany? I think so. I talk about it this week.

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

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This Land is Your Land (So Fish It)

Earlier this week I posted an article about fishing in National Forests. A good number of people found it interesting enough to read, and I hope that it was also a useful reminder that there are millions of acres of public land that are accessible. Last year, I put together a similar article regarding National Parks. In a similar vein, my encouragement is to look for angling opportunities alongside of all the other outdoor recreation in federally managed lands.

The truth is that there is a lot more out there. A lot more land that you can fish, use, and enjoy.

With the most robust federal entrance pass (which I explain below) you get access to the following:

  • National Parks
  • National Wildlife Refuges
  • National Forests & Grasslands
  • Bureau of Land Management Sites
  • Bureau of Reclamation Recreation Sites
  • Army Corps of Engineers Sites

Of course, there are countless options for cultural, historical, and other outdoor-related activities that dwarf the available fishing across these diverse locations. But that isn’t a bad thing. It just means there is something for everyone. And there is still a lot of fishing. It usually just takes an inquisitive mind and the ability to click around federal websites and maps.

What are each of these federally managed lands?

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Fly Fishing Your National Forests

There is a good chance that if you’re reading this, you enjoy National Parks. These special tracts of land  feature some of the most breathtaking and unique natural treasures across the country. Consequently, in 2021, the National Park Service saw nearly 300 million visits.

If you’re looking for quiet or solitude, that number and what it represents could potentially give you pause. If you’re looking to fish in certain places at specific times of the year, you might have a better chance of hooking a fellow tourist than a rising trout.

But what if a park eliminated over half of its access roads? What if there were limited visitor amenities (such as bathrooms and ranger stations with WiFi)? What if there were thousands of acres that could only be approached by foot, paddle, or off-road vehicle?

That all exists. And it is yours to enjoy and to fish. Just like all US citizens have National Parks, we have their wilder and more rustic cousins: National Forests.

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Podcast Ep. 206: Tiger Tiger, Hybrid Trout

They’ve been around for at least 75 years, but Tiger Trout have experienced a surge in popularity over the past decade.

But what is a tiger trout?

In this episode, I briefly talk about what makes a tiger a tiger, why we’re in the business of putting them in rivers, and how we should think about having these hybrids swim alongside native fish. Even if you’re not a scientist, there are certainly some aspects of ecology and conservation that you’d do well to pay attention.

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

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Casting Across on the Guy Jeans Podcast

This past week I had the privilege of being a guest on the Guy Jeans podcast. Guy and I talked about brook trout, smallmouth bass, and fly shops.

Guy Jeans owns and guides out of the Kern River Fly Shop in Kernville, California. At about 3,000 miles away, you can’t get too much farther from New England than Southern California. However, we both fish for mountain trout and have a great appreciation for the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish.

Even though I talk on the Casting Across Fly Fishing podcast on a weekly basis, interviews like this are always great as the interviewers always pull out new information or ideas. I suggest you give it a listen, along with some of Guy’s other episodes.

Find all of the links you need right here:

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VIDEO: Sunglasses for Fly Fishing

Outside of a rod, reel, line, and flies, there are only a few pieces of gear that deserve the designation essential.

Sunglasses certainly fit the bill.

If you think that polarized  sunglasses are just for spotting fish, I’d like to walk you through a few more significant benefits. Also, I would like to advocate for thinking about sunglasses in the same way that we think about other necessary gear.

In this video, I walk through four considerations that you might want to take into account as you’re picking out a pair (or two) of sunglasses for fly fishing:

  • Why you should be wearing them
  • What makes a pair work for you
  • How having multiple sets is wise
  • Why I’ve picked some sunglasses I own

Click the link below to watch:

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Podcast Ep. 205: 3 Fishing Things You Don’t Need

I like fly fishing gear. I really like it. But I’m also not unreasonable.

There are only a few things that you absolutely need to go out, catch fish, and have fun. If you’re using ads or catalogs to compile a list of things that are necessary, there is a good chance that  you’ll be quickly overwhelmed. But knowing what is essential and what is simply nice to have matters.

Today I’m sharing three things that might seem essential. But they’re not. I give my reasoning, which might be as helpful as the list of items itself.

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

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Bad Fish: Competing & Cheating

Ohio DNR

The late luchador, Eddie Guerrero, once said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

I’m not sure how one cheats in professional wrestling. However, that sentiment has been echoed among competitors across a number of sports. So it is no shock that the latest, hottest duo to hit the Lake Erie Walleye Trail has been busted for eschewing any semblance of angling ethics.

The pair, who had been winning tournament after tournament, was finally caught following a September 30th weigh-in. For the uninitiated, a weigh-in is the point in the competition when the empirical rubber hits the road. How much do each team’s fish weigh. Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky were in the business of tipping scales, so it was no surprise their sack of walleye was heavy. What was a surprise, however, was the rigid innards of one of their fish.

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