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:

read more

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.

read more

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:

read more

Changes at Casting Across

Since I started Casting Across in 2015, my desire has been to share the things I enjoy about the quarry and culture of fly fishing. I set a standard for myself: three posts a week. So, for six years I’ve been publishing content every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every once in a while an article gives me difficulty. But by and large, writing has been a consistent and fun part of life.

Something else that has been consistent with Casting Across is a lack of marketing. I’ve maybe sunk $50 into ads in the past six years. I think I’ve read one article on optimizing my site’s appeal on search engines. There have been sponsors, but they have all been short-term, handshake deals. Since this isn’t my job, my focus has been on what you read and not how you read it.

Recently, I decided that things needed to change.

read more

Podcast Ep. 159: Happy Thanksfishing

Happy Thanksgiving from Casting Across!

On today’s episode, I share three things that I’m thankful for. Each one is directly tied to fly fishing, but there is a lot more involved. I’ve found that some of the best angling memories that I’ve made and the most profound fishing moments I’ve experienced have a lot more underneath the surface than just fish.

Hopefully I can give you a few ideas of how you can get out on the water, but also get some perspective on what it means.

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

read more

Rusty Flybox: Showtime

Earlier this week, I shared three things that you’ll get if you go to a fly fishing expo.

To be honest, there are a lot more than three.

Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve marked certain winter weekends off on my calendar.  What started as a chance to learn more about fly fishing turned into a great opportunity to buy new gear. But that shifted into a weekend of catching up with acquaintances and meeting new friends in fly fishing. Ironically, I feel like I’m back at the place where I learn a lot when I spend time at a show.

Today, I’m revisiting three older posts about fishing events. One is my passive-aggressive/humorous thoughts. The other two are interviews with other people sharing their reasons for going: one is with my kids, the other is with The Fly Fishing Show CEO.

Read all three articles here:

read more

The Fly Fishing Show: 3 Things You’ll Get

In the last 20 months, most fly fishers have been able to get out on the water without too many hassles. For all the inconveniences and serious caution that we’ve had to endure, the rivers and the fish haven’t been significantly impacted.

However, there are plenty of other fly fishing activities that have been on hold.

Even though the quarry has been generally accessible, other aspects of the culture have taken a pretty consequential hit. Although it might sound about as counterintuitive to what most people are looking for in fly fishing, group gatherings play a crucial role in what we do. Fly tying nights, conservation banquets, and outdoor expos are all important for our sport and important for us.

For thousands and thousands of fly fishers from California to Massachusetts, The Fly Fishing Show is one of the most noteworthy gatherings of the year. There was no show circuit in 2021, but everything is full steam ahead for 2022. Here are three things you will get if you attend a stop of The Fly Fishing Show in your region this winter:

read more

Podcast Ep. 158: Good Fish Pics

Taking pictures of fish is totally fine. But there are a lot of ways that you can mess it up.

While I’m not a professional photographer by any means, I have figured out a few important things when it comes to taking pictures of fish that I’ve caught. The top priorities are:

  • Don’t take a bad picture.
  • Don’t hurt the fish.
  • Definitely don’t do both.

This week I talk through a half dozen simple tips for ensuring that your amateur photos of your angling victories are worth keeping on your phone.

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

read more

Go Big this Holiday Season: Shop Small

You don’t have to buy anything to have a Merry Christmas. You certainly don’t have to devote copious amounts of time and extravagant sums of money to celebrate the season, your family, and the incarnation.

But if you do decide to go that traditional and joyous route? And if you so happen to be a fly fisher or someone who is shopping for a fly fisher?

You could do a lot worse than shopping small.

I am not ethically opposed to big brands and big stores. I fish with plenty of gear from the biggest labels in the industry. Furthermore, I am awfully happy when physically or virtually browsing around Bass Pro. If you’re looking to find unique items, to support independent business owners, and knock Christmas morning out of the park?  Patronize a small(er) company.

Just below the break I’m going to promote a handful of businesses that I think are worth your hard-earned dollars. First, I think that it bears mentioning that this 2021 holiday season is different for a few reasons. A number of variables have made it such that supply and demand are out of whack. Bottom line? You’ll be doing yourself and small business owners a favor if you order early and have a little patience.

Here’s where you can get some distinctive and exciting fly fishing items this year:

read more

Written on Water: Stories of Maine’s Grand Lake Stream

Grand Lake Stream sits only a short canoe ride from the Maine/New Brunswick border. For centuries, anglers from all over Maine, New England, and points much further away have come up to explore this remote tip of the country. They are rewarded with smallmouth bass, brook trout, and the much-coveted landlocked salmon. There are plenty of options and ample breathing room in which to explore, too. With 11 interconnected lakes, there is more water than woods.

This wild, idyllic setting is where Randy Spencer is fishing guide, author, and chronicler of oral history. All three come together in his most recent work, Written on Water.

Written on Water is a fishing book. But it assumes that genre in the same way that A River Runs Through It is a fishing story; or To Kill a Mockingbird is a crime novel. People are at the forefront of Spencer’s narrative. The woods, the water, and the fish are characters, too – albeit in a supporting capacity.

“Among the guides,” Spencer says, “we have this saying that it is all about the context. All we have to do is get out of the way and let people enjoy the view.” He’s witnessed magic happen among the incredibly diverse clientele that comes up to experience the Maine woods. “I see the same story play out over and over again. Without fail it repeats itself: that level of decompression. The beauty of our natural resources gets to someone who is wrapped up tight. To watch this happen to someone? It startles them. They’re spoken to in a way they haven’t heard for a long time, or, they are just hearing for the first time.”

Those stories, and the stories of the people who heard that voice decades ago and chose to stay in Grand Lake Stream, are the stories in Written on Water.

read more