In Homage to the Vest

Packs. Whether you carry yours on your sling, chest, or fanny, dozens upon dozens have been engineered for fly fishers. Why?  For years, anglers have been trying to find the perfect piece of gear to carry their gear. In a sport that is so smitten with gadgets, gizmos, and Gink, the contemplative angler is confronted with a conundrum.

Should I be comfortable?

or

Should I carry the whole fly shop with me, fishing like a burdened pack mule?

The fly fishing industry has heard your questions. And it has answered. And that  answer is vest.

Admittedly, the latest and greatest vests didn’t make many catalog centerfolds. Few bloggers have taken the digital space to profile the minds behind vest-innovation. If it is any indication, few Instagram models are wearing anything tan or multi-pocketed these days. But the humble vest deserves to carve out a niche in the contemporary fly fishing scene.

Why? Just take a look at some of the highlight reel of a modern fly fishing vest:

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Big Hunting Creek: Working on 100 Years of Conservation

photo courtesy nps.gov

One could argue that trout fishing has had a significant influence on the course of United States history. President Hoover chose Rapidan Camp, on the banks of the Rapidan River in Virginia, for his presidential retreat. Starting with President Eisenhower, the country’s Commander in Chief rested and conferenced at Camp David. This rustic camp, nestled within what is now Catoctin Mountain National Park, also features trout streams. And while presidents and foreign dignitaries have hammered out international policy nestled in this Appalachian hollow, most visitors to the park are more interested in the local population of trout.

Big Hunting Creek flows through Catoctin Mountain National Park and Maryland’s adjacent Cunningham Falls Sate Park. Since the 1930’s the stream and it’s fish have received protection. Eventually, Big Hunting would become the first catch and release water in all of Maryland. Brook trout are the native salmonids that swim the tumbling pools. Various fishing organizations have stocked rainbows and browns over the decades. Miles of cold, fishable water provide numerous styles of fly fishing. Fast canyon stretches, long glassy runs, and surprisingly deep pools hold trout and the attention of sportsmen. At just over an hour from Washington, DC, the stream has hosted countless anglers – presidential and otherwise.

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Podcast Ep. 167: Current Affairs

Water moves. We all get that. But do we appreciate how and why it moves? Doing so has a significant impact on finding fish, making a proper presentation, and staying safe in the water.

These three reasons alone should give you pause when you ask yourself if you can read water. In this podcast episode, I briefly talk about a few river current observations. There are a lot of great resources out there, but the best thing that you can do to improve your time on the water is to observe.

Hopefully this will give you a few things to think about as you contemplate how the water is moving; both throughout the water column and from bank to bank.

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

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Trout & Feather: January ’22

You can’t feel your fingers. Your breath is fogging up your sunglasses. Your waders are just a little bit frozen. Obviously, it is the perfect time to tie on a dry fly… in the size 22-28 range.

Even when bigger bugs aren’t fluttering around the stream, smaller insects are probably hatching. In long runs, glassy pools, and off-current eddies, trout of all sizes will orient themselves upwards. A midday sun or even precipitation can trigger insect activity.

“However,” you may object, “the flies are really tiny.”

True. But the fish don’t seem to mind. If you’re looking to take trout off the surface in January and February, midges are probably your only option.

There is a link to the rest of the post, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Midge? 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 great interview with angler and tyer Landon Mayer, and the other is a sub-minute clip that will walk you through a simple (but great) pattern.

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

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Stay Upright in Winter Fly Fishing

I broke my net. The net broke my fall. The wooden handle took my full weight as I hit the granite boulder. Shiny rocks looked like icy rocks, so I let my guard down. One of those shiny rocks was actually an icy rock. My feet went out from underneath me so fast that I heard the crack of the net before I knew that I slipped. It wasn’t immediately adjacent to the stream, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

How do you move to, in, and from the water when there’s snow and ice on the ground? Obviously, there are some situations you’ll probably want to avoid. Based upon your mobility and health, you should use your best judgment. That being said, there are a few things that will increase your odds of staying upright and safe.

Here’s one gear suggestion and two practical tips on navigating frozen streambanks:

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Podcast Ep. 166: Fishing Rituals

Opening day. The annual trip to the cabin. A first fish.

Within these experiences is the opportunity for ritual. And rituals simply  consist of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. Maybe there is something that you’ve always done. Perhaps there is something that you’ve always done because it was what your father and grandfather did. Or, the friends that you go to the fishing lodge every year arbitrarily decided that some silly activity is what you do. So you do it.

All of these rituals add to the experience of fly fishing. They connect you with previous trips. They connect you with previous anglers.

They might not translate into catching and fish, but they’re worth having around.

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

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*Actually* Fishing the Gray

Earlier this week I put out a piece called “Fishing the Gray.” In short, it is a quasi-autobiographical encouragement to get out and fly fish in even the ugliest weather. A good number of people read it. Hopefully, if you were one of those people, you appreciated it.

Still, I can’t help but think that some clicked in hopes that they were going to learn about some River Gray and how one could fish it. The header image is cold but idyllic. If I saw that, I’d be interested in learning more. So if that was you, I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to offer up an angling bait and switch.

Today I’m righting what I’ve perceived as some level of wrong. While the (slightly altered) header image is not of a river called Gray, I’ll go ahead and break down how I approach it. Chances are you have a stream like this near you. Maybe our streams have something in common.

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Fishing the Gray

The streambanks, even the stream bottoms, are mostly bare. There might be snow and ice. Days are short but the cold weather lasts for a long time. Overall, things are gray, It isn’t the same as fishing in the spring, summer, or fall. But it is still fishing. Guides and fingers freeze. Fish, and most fishermen, don’t have the same motivation.

So what is the solution? How do you get up and get out when everything is gray?

It comes down to making a choice. The fishing will be slower and the conditions will be less than ideal, but it will still be fishing. Time in front of the television is fine. Time behind the tying vise is good. A good fly fishing book by a warm fire is excellent. But none of those experiences will put you in direct contact with a fish.

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Podcast Ep. 165: Where Do Your Flies Come From?

Today I talk about two topics related to fly procurement:

  • If you buy them, where should you buy them from?
  • Is tying flies economical?

There are as many opinions on both of these questions as there are fly patterns. I don’t pretend to be the expert. But I do have a few simple data points and perspectives that might be helpful as you consider filling up your fly boxes.

And, as always, I’m happy to hear differing opinions!

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

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A Quick Cast Back into 2021

These nine photographs aren’t terribly exciting. What they represent is what I did in 2021. They also represent what you “liked” the most about Casting Across last year.

I don’t obsess over the analytic side of Casting Across. But it can be interesting. One of the things that interests me is what interests you.  I write what I want to write and talk about what I want to talk about. Every once in a while, something resonates with the fly fishing world.

Below are some links that reflect the empirical  side of that resonance.

I’ve listed the three articles that were read the most, the links that were clicked the most, and the search terms that people used the most to find their way to me last year. I can’t say that I’m shocked. But again, it is quite interesting. If you’ve been reading Casting Across since the beginning, or if you’re stumbling onto this fly fishing corner of the internet for the first time, check out what got the most pop in 2021.

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