3 Steps for Careful Fly Fishing

Recently I had a very unproductive morning on the water. Fish were not where they were supposed to be. In this particular river system there are a few sure-fire spots. Nothing rose and nothing spooked. If I had to guess, the brook trout dropped down into the main stem of the river to seek out smaller tributaries before the coming spawn.

The only confirmation came from a few fish in one such small tributary.

However, these fish came from a place well above where any of the transitory trout could access. Above waterfalls. Above obstructions. These fish don’t have options. They’ve been there who knows how long.  These fish were there for me because they have to be there. High water or significant drought might compel them to move somewhere else in the watershed. But it is only the most significant, maybe even traumatic, events that force these trout to move.

Loving small water and wild brook trout, there are dozens of little creeks like this that I’ve fished carefully. I’ve kept them close to my chest with similar custody.

That doesn’t mean I don’t fish them. In fact, I choose to hike up for tiny trout quite often. I play by certain rules, though. Here are three things that I consider as I do what I can to care for these fish and their streams:

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Astral: My New Favorite Fly Fishing Shoe

Outside of your terminal fly fishing gear, footwear might be one of the most important things you’ll purchase. You could make the argument that whatever you’re walking, wading, and standing in for hours on end is more important than a lot of what is in your fishing vest.

Over the past five years I’ve been wet wading in Astral shoes. The Astral Brewer is an excellent light sneaker that was designed for paddlers moving in and around the water. Initially purchased to replace some sandals, they turned into my go-to wet wading shoes. The shoes are lightweight, quick drying, and boast the best traction of any sole I’ve ever used.

They are till going strong five years later. But I decided to add another pair of shoes to my gear closet. I went with the Astral TR1 Mesh. They’re built more like a light hiker than a sneaker. Their form and function seems to be a better fit for the environments  and  fly fishing I find myself in these days.

Suffice it to say, I think I’ve found my new favorite fly fishing shoe.

Here’s how the TR1 Mesh excels in every way that have made the other Astral shoes so great on the water.

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Podcast Ep. 152: Fish Fight, part 2

So much work goes into getting a fish onto your hook. But then what?

A social media post got me thinking about how we fight fish. It is all about getting into and maintaining the right angles. This helps you and it helps the fish. Today I talk about two concepts for staying or getting in the right position when trying to get a fish to hand. One involves your feet and the other utilizes your gear.

After all, you did spend all that time getting a fish onto your hook.

This episode is brought to you by X-Chair. Upgrade your home office by heading to XchairCasting.com  and get $100 off your order.

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

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6 P’s for Taking Someone Fly Fishing

Have you been fly fishing for decades or even just a few years? Consider the volume of knowledge that you have amassed. All of the on-stream experiences add up. Include all the guided trips, books, blogs, and YouTube videos: that is a lot of angling data.

If someone asks you to take them fly fishing, they are not secretly hoping you’ll download all of said data into them while on their first foray into the activity. First, it is impossible. Second, it won’t be fun for anyone. After all, they asked you to take them fishing. They didn’t ask for a study session as if they were being quizzed on it.

Unless you’re a guide or a paid instructor, you should approach these opportunities with the mindset of sharing something you love in a way that gets through to the other person. That often means being outside, grasping the basics of the sport, and catching fish. That last one is surprisingly important, believe it or not. Here are three things that should direct your time taking someone fly fishing for the first time:

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VIDEO: Fly Fishing’s Controversial Gear

Nippers draw more ire than any other piece of fly fishing gear. The reason? Anglers are very opinionated regarding how much one should spend on this relatively simple piece of equipment.

The nipper is a simple instrument. It cuts leader material and should include a small needle for clearing out hook eyes.

You can procure an implement that fulfills all the aforementioned requirements for around $10.  Some say that is too much. Others are fine spending ten times that amount. Again, opinions are strong. Stronger than what is necessary, in my humble opinion.

Today I share a quick video with six different nipper options, ranging from $3-$100. Hopefully it helps you think about what the best option is for your fishing and your budget.

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Podcast Ep. 151: Fly Fishing Accusations, XV

In this episode, I admit that I made a mistake.

Seriously: For years I’ve failed to do one of the things that I emphasize in my writing and speaking. I’ve neglected to define a term. A listener/reader pointed this out, and today I take a stab at correcting it.

I also talk a little about gear in general and one reel in particular. A reader pointed me towards a reel brand’s backstory that I’ve never heard before.

As always, I appreciate the questions and thoughts!

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

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The Piece of Fly Fishing

I went to where I fished. But I didn’t fish.

Recently I spent a long weekend in Virginia. I was in the mountains. I was in the hollows. I was on the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers. However, I didn’t cast a single fly. I hiked, ate, toured, and drove across some of my most familiar parts of the world. The routes and destinations were virtually identical, but the intention was completely different than fly fishing.

Would I like to have fished? Absolutely.

Do I regret not fishing? Not a bit.

Everything has a time and place. And being a well-rounded person, even a well-rounded angler, means being outside with a diversity of interests and purposes. But to see it, you have to actually do it.

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Trout & Feather: September ’21

Let’s not kid ourselves or anyone else. Fly fishing is expensive.

It doesn’t have to be… but it often is. You can get by with only the essentials… but most of us want a few more odds and ends to make it easier or more fun.

That doesn’t mean that you need top of the line everything. There are some things that are worth a few extra dollars. Usually, upgrading some of the most important and helpful gear is going to cost you less than the tank of gas for your next fishing trip.

Here’s my take on three items worth spending a little more for, and three things that you don’t have to break the bank on for quality fly fishing.

There is a link to the rest of the post, entitled  Gear: Spend or Save? 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 streaming as I write this article! Another focuses on the flies they tie and use in Iceland.

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

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Podcast Ep. 150: Special Guests Q&A

“There’s no such thing as a bad question.”

Not true.

But you’re not going to hear any bad questions on this week’s podcast. Today I get grilled by two of of the most avid listeners of Casting Across Fly Fishing. Questions  range from fly patterns to bear encounters to on-stream nutrition.

Hear their questions, my answers, and our back-and-forth on this special 150th episode.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Fewer Flies

Picture your flybox. Close your eyes and do it.

Is it messy? Is it full? Does the messy fullness bring you joy?

Okay: now picture the last flies that you’ve used. Picture the flies that you turn to over and over again.

Is there a disparity between the first and second image that came to your mind? I’d wager that is normal for most fly fishers. There’s our fly boxes and there’s the flies we use. There are plenty of good reasons for countless tubs stuffed to the brims with every pattern that could be possibly used in any given situation. But that calculation gets run infrequently.

You’d be surprised how few flies you can get by with. It might force some efficient packing. It will definitely force clearer focus in presentation.

Below I have three articles. The first shares my top three trout flies (and why I chose them). The second expands the list to six. The final is a podcast wherein I explore the method behind the madness – and I branch out from trout.

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