Staring Skyward

What would drive a man to stare heavenward in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

It isn’t a bird. It isn’t a plane. It is a mistake. But let me back up for a minute.

Sight casting for large fish on the flats does something to a guy. Not only are you fishing to the fish that you can see, but you’re also kind of fishing to the fish that you can’t see. Any given cast into the ocean could yield something spectacular. Any cast might turn into a situation where you’re quickly clearing your hand from a whizzing reel knob. That optimistic uncertainty is in the back of your mind. The forefront of your thoughts are dominated by the shadows and silhouettes that appear and disappear right in front of you.

Perhaps it is because I’m a simple trout fisherman at heart, but all of this gets to me. Rash decisions happen. Well-formed casts, aimed at 11 o’clock fall apart when something flashes  at 2 o’clock. The irrationality of it all is that there was a specific reason, a previously seen flash, at 11 o’clock. That is just one example. And it is significantly more reasonable than the situation that lead to my sky bound gaze.

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Headwaters: Stories Following Rivers & Life

“Headwaters.” Dylan Tomine  said the name of his book. I asked him why he chose that title. He  repeated headwaters out loud not because he was thinking of an answer, but because the title and the word have meaning. “Headwaters to me is all about tracing the beginning of something. The book is not so much about a source or a beginning of my life or my fishing. It is more like the process of working from the headwaters down or from the bottom up. The various stories are like the varying stages of a river.”

Headwaters is a collection of Tomine’s  fly fishing writing; an entertaining an engaging collection of fly fishing writing. Some pieces previously appeared in outdoor journals or magazines. Some are being offered up for public consumption for the very first time in this anthology. Aside from a common author, what links the various pieces together is a larger narrative arc. The stories are arranged chronologically, allowing the reader to trace the author’s journey as a fly fisherman, a writer, and a man.

Tomine gives a brief, high-level outline of that arc: “The early stories are classic fly fishing writing. There is travel and adventure. I’m catching as many and as big of fish as I possibly can. But as the book progresses you’ll see that the priorities change. It is fatherhood, the reality of diminishing resources, and, well,  maturity. What develops is a greater concern over the environment and the people I’ve spent time with.”

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Podcast Ep. 177: Reel Talk

Admittedly, I get more excited about rods than I do reels. In fact, I think I geek out more over fly line than I do reels. But that doesn’t mean I relegate reels to the category of nippers, knot tools, and wading boot shoelaces.

Today I cover a handful of reel-centric topics. Whether you’ve got a wheelbarrow tire-sized saltwater reel or a tiny line-holding trout reel, it plays an important role in your fly fishing.

I discuss reel care, spooling know-how, troubleshooting, and a little bit about selecting the right gear. It is hardly exhaustive, but hopefully it will give you a few things to think about.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Vacation

[Gone Fishin’]

More appropriately: gone.

My wife and I have taken a much needed trip away. Work, life, etc. has been incredibly busy for a while now. Nothing new, nothing unique to us. We’re just blessed to be able to head somewhere warm. And, conveniently enough, somewhere with fish.

That will be a post for another day, hopefully. Until then, check out these three pieces from the Casting Across archives.

  • My 6-step travel planning guide
  • A few thoughts on how vacation is good for the mind
  • The most bizarre European angling experience

Read each of them below:

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What’s in Your (Fly) Wallet?

Silicone. Foam. Compartment.  Each style of fly box has its devotees.

Honestly, I think each and every one has pros and cons. The fly fisher with a diverse set of angling interests probably can find use for every one of them. But don’t stop with these three. Mix in an incredibly viable, time-tested mode for carrying your flies.

The fly wallet.

For many fly fishers, their only exposure to fly wallets might come from kitschy still-life paintings of early 20th century gear: gaudy dry flies sitting atop fluffy fleece. It doesn’t seem modern, practical, or anti-bacterial at all.

However, there are modern fly wallets. And they not only have their place alongside the aforementioned storage options – they excel in certain situations. Below I outline four circumstances where I choose wallets over hard-sided boxes. I also share what is, in my humble opinion, the best wallet on the market today.

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Podcast Ep. 176: Fish Where Rivers Meet

Every one of us has our favorite  kind of spot to fish. Riffles, runs, pools; banks, boulders, ledges. There is a reason why you’ll gravitate to such spots regardless of which river you’re on.

One of my favorites is creek mouths; where smaller rivers run into larger rivers. These are intersections for fish and bodies of water. There are enough dynamics going on here to keep things exciting in every season and set of conditions.

Today I walk through some of the major reasons why I like to fish where rivers meet, how I approach them, and some success stories.

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

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Back to (Fly Fishing) School

When it comes to learning fly fishing, there is nothing like in-person, on the water instruction. But if you are unable to find an opportunity to schedule coaching, or if you want something to refresh or reiterate what you’ve already learned, online resources can be invaluable.

It is even better when online resources are high quality. Such is the case with Far Bank Fly Fishing School.

No one has the false impression that Far Bank doesn’t want you to buy their gear. But most of the people at Sage, RIO, Redington, and Fly Water Travel are fly fishers who want you to use their gear. As part of the company’s renewed branding, they have included a significant education and engagement facet. Along with the videos, they have a site that features recommendations for new anglers from across their labels. The six episodes of the Fly Fishing School are at the center of the whole initiative.

The initial batch of videos is called “New to Fly” and covers the following topics:

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FishDay Prepping

Bimini twists are easier at the kitchen table than on the tailgate.

There are some things that are better done before you leave to go fishing. Whether you’ve got a handful of random trips to local streams in your immediate future, or you’re going on that big-ticket trip, your home is the ideal place to prepare for the water.

It might seem romantic to simply throw  your rod, flies, and waders into your trunk on Friday after work for a spontaneous weekend in the woods. But that weekend will go much better if Thursday night included checking knots, ensuring flies have been reorganized, and replacing any used gear. Showing up and having to tie, organize, and hunt down an open outdoors store is not the same as a carefree day’s worth of fishing.

You don’t need to prepare for any sort of angling doomsday. But running through a couple simple mental checks can really keep you fishing once you get your feet wet.

Here are four reasons why you should be a fly fishing prepper at home, as well as one of my top priorities for before I leave my house:

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Podcast Ep. 175: Antique or Old? Fish It!

Do you have a crusty, old, fly rod sitting up in the attic? Or how about in Grandma’s attic? Assuming that you have a decent relationship with said grandma, maybe you should take it out for a spin this season.

There is a lot of fun and functional angling value in acquiring and using antique fly fishing gear. If you know where to look, what to use, and what you’re using, it can actually add a whole other facet to your fly fishing.

This episode is really only a primer, but hopefully it will get you thinking about what you might find as you peruse fishing shows, drive by yard sales, and (eventually) shop a premier tackle auctioneer.

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

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Trout & Feather: March ’22

Let’s face it: We’ve become all too comfortable sitting in front of our laptop in our sweatpants. Even prior to the pandemic, YouTube and other streaming options have spoiled us. Whether it be business meetings, online classes, or fly tying demonstrations, our commitment level has become commensurate with the quality of our Bluetooth headset.

Snap out of it, people. Don’t get sucked into this dystopian cyber-reality. Power down your screen, put on a pair of chinos, and get out with other real people. Someone tying flies, and a few dozen other interested anglers, for example.

 “Why?” you may ask. “I can pause online videos. And they’re free. And, as you mentioned, sweatpants.”

Listen. I am not discounting the value of all of those. They have their times and places. But there is something (somethings, actually) that come with a live fly tying demonstration.

There is a link to the rest of the post,  Better than YouTube 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 walks the beginner tyer through where he or she should start.  Then, Tim conducts an interview with Devin Olsen. The topic? Detecting strikes while nymphing.

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

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