Fly Fishing Books, XI

“What do you want?”

Whether it is Christmas, a birthday, or an anniversary coming up, you know you’re going to get this question. You might have some really practical thing that you need. Or, you might want something fun. Something fly fishing-related, even. But for many, picking out gear is an incredibly personal process. It has to fit. And it doesn’t have to just fit you, it has to fit the rest of your stuff and how you fish.

Do you know what is one-size-fits-all? Books.

I like to keep a running list of fly fishing books that catch my eye.  My wife has access to said list, and shares it whenever someone needs a little help come gift-giving time. Or, if I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket the list reminds me of something that piqued my interest.

So, want something that piques your interest?

As I’ve done for all of the entries in my “Fly Fishing Books” series, I’ve spread the selections over three rough categories:

  • Guide (regional, site specific)
  • Technical (methods, locations, fly tying)
  • Literature (novels, biographies, history)

Check out one kind of each book, why I suggest it, and a bonus read below. And follow the links in the headings to get a copy for yourself.

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The Last Time You’ll Fish

From a big picture of respective, there’s always going to be a last time that you fish somewhere. I don’t mean to be morbid. But the fact is that we are finite. Our days are numbered. There’s only so much that we can do. And fly fishing, as pleasant as it is, does not exclude us from this unalterable equation of mortality. For a moment, let’s back away from this more existential facet of the conversation.

At a very practical level, there are places that you have gone fishing that you will never fish again. Unless you have kept some meticulous, obsessive records, there’s a good chance that certain waters are just not going to warrant another visit. Fly fishing puts us in random places. Spontaneous trips to tiny ponds. Skipping around the coast into the next inlet or bay. Taking an afternoon to tread up a feeder creek with a name that we never take the time to learn.

Sure, there are also some waters that don’t hold any allure. You got skunked. It was ugly. You decide to put a period on that story. Or, best case scenario, you had a once in a lifetime opportunity and you made the most of it. You would gladly go back; it’s just not likely to happen. Whether you treasure the memories or not, there are some places that are one and done.

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Podcast Ep. 162: Fly Fishing for the Holidays

Disclaimer: I’m not advocating that anyone abandon their family during the holiday season.

However, if you’re able to integrate a little fly fishing  in the Christmas and New Year interval you should definitely go for it.

This week I discuss some of the reasons why the period from late December to early January is great for getting out on the water. The calendar, as busy as it can be, is really working in your favor. There are some weather and fish peculiarities that you have to work with, but that is worth it. I do get into some of my favorite techniques for winter, too.

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

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Achieving Punctuated Tranquility

This fall I’ve taken some of my own advice. For years I’ve been encouraging those who read or listen to Casting Across to diversify their outdoor experience. It isn’t that I assume everyone who fly fishes only goes fly fishing. I just know that there have been times in my life when I’ve been primarily focused on getting out on the river, fly rod in hand, seeking to catch a trout. Actually, that might be a generous assessment. There are times when I was exclusively focused on catching trout. Whether it was stage of life, circumstances, or some other conflation of variables is neither here nor there. That is the way it was. It wasn’t bad, but looking back it was imbalanced.

Then along comes duck hunting.

Don’t get me wrong: Casting Across isn’t shifting away from fly fishing. I can’t even imagine that there is going to be a glut of waterfowl content any time in the near future. But sitting on a stump before first light just staring at the water and the sky is good for me and for my fly fishing. And it isn’t that duck hunting is any better than my hiking, camping, or paddling. The stillness forces me to think. The short season, hunted in pre-dawn spurts, gets me outside for a little bit on a regular basis. The lack of doing a lot lets me do a lot of observing.

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Trout & Feather: December ’21

That is me. And I’ve obviously caught a largemouth bass. Aside from those two facts there’s not a lot of certainty I have about this picture.

Why should that matter to me? Or, more pertinently for the reader, why should this photographic mystery matter to you?

I have a good reason why this all matters to both of us. But first, let me provide some background information: I have a small photo album with a wooden cover that sits on my dresser. It is there because it has always been there. For something like 15 years, this gift has wedged itself snugly in between a humidor, a Chicago Bears stein that holds loose change, and the spot reserved for my wallet. Inside are a number of fly-fishing photographs. There is a picture of my first trout, my first steelhead, and my first trip to the Appalachians. There is a picture of me being instructed in casting by the late Leon Chandler. There are also pictures, like the bass shot in question, that have lost their backstory.

15 years ago, I deemed it worthy for inclusion. Today? I’m not sure why.

There is a link to the rest of the post, Thousands of Words after the jump.

But before you do that, be sure to check out the two videos I’ve included in today’s post. One is a serious look at Tim Cammisa’s fly tying essentials. The other? Well, serious isn’t the word I’d use…

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

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Podcast Ep. 161: Is Invasive a Bad Word?

This week is a quick sprint through a sticky subject: which species deserve to live in any given area?

In part, I’m responding to an article that questions the demonization of invasive species. Generally speaking, their point is a good one. However, some of the implications of the article are troublesome.

As anglers, we have a responsibility to steward our resources.  This means making decisions on when to interfere, when to remediate, and when to simply let things be. This all matters, because healthy fish populations depend on such choices.

Listen, think about it, and let me know what you think.

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

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The Heroes of Fishing Stories

The best heroes are flawed. The simplest explanation for this is that we can identified with such a person. Sure, there are plenty of deep literary nuances that a reader with an analytical mind can probe and ponder while reading about protagonists with obvious shortcomings. That is fine. For most of us, we read ourselves into the main character. We want to be the hero. And we know that we are flawed.

Any fly fishing story worth its ink has a hero. The dragons of these tales usually aren’t fish. The journeys are hardly comparable to a trip to Mordor. But there is still a person, and it is through those eyes we see places and ears we hear words with which we can relate. Norman Maclean, Nick Adams, and even the non-fictitious John Gierach spirit us away to rivers where we’ve never been.

The thing is, they might be rivers where we’ve never been; but we can be there. That means the heroes of fly fishing stories are not that different than you and me. Their exploits, while remarkable, are usually only the products of circumstance and observation. Because the most memorable stories containing the most heroic anglers aren’t just about big fish.

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Interview: Rethinking Waders

Outside of a rod, reel, and line, the most important (and expensive) gear for the fly fisher is waders and boots. Along with keeping you dry, waders and boots ensure that you stay comfortable and safe. For those good reasons, these items also end up costing more than everything aside from rods and reels.

In the last quarter century, wader technology has come a long way. Canvas gave way to neoprene, which eventually relinquished it’s crown to breathable nylon. Wading boots went from oversized molded forms attached to the bottom of waders to footwear designed with the same rigor as high-end hiking boots. What fly fishers are wearing in the water today is a far cry from what their grandparents donned in order to walk into the river.

But fly fishers aren’t the only people who wade. Conventional anglers, waterfowl hunters, and countless others who spend their time outdoors waist-deep  in something want the best gear possible. Consequently, there is a lot of gear out there. Knowing your options, even if it means flipping do a different section in the catalog, might help you as you walk to what you want to be doing outside.

Recently I talked to Kevin Gentle, a sales manager at the  outerwear fixture Frogg Toggs, about what is out there for people looking to step into the water. Here are some highlights of that conversation:

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Podcast Ep. 160: Fly Fishing Accusations, XVI

You write, I respond. And it is one of my favorite parts of Casting Across.

This week I discuss net storage, what to wear inside your wading shoe, and fishing alongside someone who thinks existential thoughts. These three reader/listener comments were really good, and I  think that you’ll benefit from my answers to their questions. And, as usually happens, some of the tangents pursued along the way.

I also mention some of the changes that you’re currently hearing and seeing on the website and the podcast.

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

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Give the Gift of Fly Fishing

If you look back at previous years’ gift guides, you’ll find some common themes. I always recommend small businesses, American made items, and some of my favorite gear. As much as possible, I attempt to source items that span the price spectrum. Often, I try to showcase things that I have used over a prolonged period of time. Something else that you’ll see, article after article, is one quasi-intangible gift suggestion.

Give the gift of fishing.

I usually follow up that suggestion with a few general ideas on how to make that work. But today, I’m going to give some specific ideas on how to make it work. Take them completely, if you will. Or, alter them in a way that suits you or the recipient of what might be the best gift of this holiday season. Because going fishing might be a whole lot more than a wow, thank you on Christmas morning.

Here are a few things you can do:

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