How to Fish: Classic Angling Cinema

If you’re only attending  fly fishing film festival screenings, you’re missing out on some top-notch angling media.

If you’re only watching Star Wars and Marvel on your Disney+ subscription, you’re also missing out on some top-notch angling media.

Because one of the finest short films to document the fisherman is the 1942 picture entitled, How to Fish. It features Goofy. Yes, that Goofy: the anthropomorphic dog.

Along with How to Fish, there are a number of other excellent entries in the series: How to Play Baseball, How to Play Football, and How to Swim being standouts. But How to Fish is truly worth every fly fisher with the streaming service’s time. In a short 7 minutes, it successfully communicates some timeless truths about the pursuit.

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Trout & Feather: July ’22

How do you talk about fly fishing?

Over the years I’ve sold fly fishing gear, taught fly casting, and instructed teens in fly fishing. Recently, I’ve taken a few opportunities to write about fly fishing and talk about it on a podcast. The more I talk about fly fishing, the more I think about how I talk about fly fishing.

There are different situations, and people, that you’ll encounter. In my humble opinion, there are some tried and true tactics for communicating what fly fishing is and how it works. Here are three common circumstances:

There is a link to the rest of the post, Talkin’ Fly Fishing after the jump.

But before you do that, be sure to check out the two videos I’ve included in today’s post. In the first video, Tim interviews a smallmouth guide about line choice. In the second, Tim shares some suggestions on cameras if you’re interested in demonstrating your own tying skill.

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

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Podcast Ep. 193: Trash Fish?

We’re living in a pretty sensitive day and age. So please know that I’m using the term “trash fish” in the most respectful and endearing way possible.

(But fish can’t read, so I shouldn’t be too concerned about offending any of them.)

Chances are, if you fish for some of the less desirable and non-traditional species, you’re used to the sideways looks when you mention your excitement. I am with you. There are some great fish out there that transcend the bass and trout circles. They eat flies, they fight hard, and they might even taste pretty good.

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

Coffee for Fly Fishing

I’m convinced that I’ve discovered the best cup of coffee you can have.

It is the cup of coffee you have when it is the only cup of coffee you can have. Flavors, origins, and brewing techniques are all second-order variables compared to the situation in which you are drinking the coffee.

While some people don’t drink coffee, I’m confident that it is a small percentage of the population. In my experience, this is an even smaller minority within the fly fishing community. But there are a lot of different directions you can go with coffee as you incorporate it into your fly fishing routine. No one says that there is only one right answer, but understanding your options can increase your appreciation. Or maybe at least justify your actions.

We’ll take a look at five cups of coffee, in no particular order:

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The Fishing Library You Didn’t Know You Had

Nothing beats a good copy of a good book. There is a sensory aspect to reading words off a tangible, printed page. Furthermore, that is the way that it has been done for nearly three millennia.

But a digital book is not only the next best thing; sometimes it is more convenient.

I can say with great confidence that, if you live in the USA, you are within the geographical designation of a library system. There is also a very good chance that said library offers digital resources like Hoopla or Libby. If you have a library card, you’ll have free access to these services and the innumerable ebooks and audiobooks.

For our purposes, it is pertinent to mention that there are quite a few quality fly fishing titles available.

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Podcast Ep. 192: Storing Fishing Gear, part 2

If you don’t care about taking care of your stuff for the sake of your stuff, at least take a little bit of energy for the sake of the resources you have and your gear’s performance.

Today I share three more gear storage tips that are especially helpful in the middle of the season. An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. When boots run upwards of $200 and rods can quickly near a grand, a few minutes spent making sure everything is where it is supposed to be can save you money, heartache, and from adding to the local landfill.

As always, if you have tips or ideas that I don’t share feel free to send them my way!

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

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Bad Habits & the Same Streams

We’re all creatures of habit. If, like me, you happen to be a fly fishing creature, you probably possess a certain set of idiosyncratic habits.

One of my bad habits involves lacking the self control to break habits. For example: I often talk a big game about exploring new water. It’s fun, I say. It’s a challenge, I say. I say those things. But if I only have a few days to fish on a certain period of time I usually default to the same flies in the same pools in the same stream.

At a recent angling opportunity I was all ready to take a fun, yet cowardly turn to a tried-and-true creek. It would have been a safe choice. As I was plotting my course to the water (read: picking where I was going to get breakfast and lunch) I noticed another creek.

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And there is Only One Fish Pic

It is impossible to capture the experience of being outdoors in words. Well-written prose will communicate a lot. However there will always be moments that get left out, or, more likely, moments that words can’t adequately describe.

Similarly, photographs are good but limited. While a picture might be worth 1,000 words, an image devoid of context can’t really share the precise words intended by the one who saw the moment in reality.

But in trying, we are able to revisit moments ourselves and share something of what stands out as we head into the woods and waters.

…like that fantastic, unparalleled, invigorating first cup of coffee as you head out in the early morning hours.

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Podcast Ep. 191: Fly Shop Stories, I

There are a lot of people out there that put their blood, sweat, and tears into fly fishing. Most of those folks are fly shop owners and employees.

While I only put a few years into working fly fishing retail, I really accumulated some invaluable know-how, experiences, and gear. Lots and lots of gear…

I also have some good stories. Again, my time selling rods, reels, and dog beds is only a drop in the bucket compared to most folks. But I think you’ll appreciate some of what I have to share. There are some stories, a few tips, and even some awkward moments.

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

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Redington Butter Stick: Staying Gold

Five years ago, I fished my first contemporary fiberglass fly rod. The Redington Butter Stick had just received an update. The new rod featured an adjusted taper and a new, soft white color scheme. I fished the 4-weight, and was pleased with how approachable the casting stroke  was after years of faster graphite rods. A few years later I came to own the 1-weight, which has a prominent place in my rod rotation for small-stream trout.

This year, Redington relaunched their popular fiberglass rod series. Along with a new handle and reel seat, the rod returns to the popular yellow color scheme. Also, the rod now comes in a convenient four-piece configuration. Those aspects are all fine and good, but what really matters is how it fishes. I put the new Butter Stick through the paces that any respectable 4-weight should see: panfish and mountain trout.

If the last fiberglass fly rod in your hands was built in the 1960s or cost less than $25, the warm yellow aesthetics might be familiar. But you’ll really be impressed with the responsiveness of this blank and how it casts.

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