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:

read more

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.

read more

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.

read more

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.

read more

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:

read more

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.

read more

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.

read more

Fly Fish out of a Backpack

Most anglers turn to tried-and-true options for carrying their essential gear on the water. Vests, chest packs, and slings have been standard fly fishing equipment for generations.

But there are other options that folks have used to great success that might fit you or how you fish.

For a number of reasons, fly fishing out of a backpack could be perfect for you. Multi-liter capacity packs aren’t just for overnight hikers, gearheads, and people who can’t leave a single box of flies at home. A backpack might make the most sense for certain people and the way that they pursue fish.

Below I explore why the capacity, versatility, and comfort of a backpack make it a great option for fly fishing. I also answer the biggest question people have: but how do I get to my stuff?

read more

Podcast Ep. 149: Fly Fishing, Come Fall

Fall is, without question, the objectively best season of the year. In my opinion.

Whether you are mourning summer or waiting for the water to freeze over, you have got to admit that fly fishing really shines in September, October, and November. Depending on where you live in the country you might experience some of the best fishing of the year.

In this episode I discuss four things that you can and should think about when fishing in the fall. Included is a refresher on avoiding redds – something that we should all be aware of.

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

read more

Costa Untangled: Good for You & the Oceans

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that you should but a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses because of what the frames are made of. I think you consider Costa Del Mar sunglasses because their glass lenses are, by far, the best money can buy. In my experience, they’re clearer and more durable than any other lenses I’ve worn in decades of fishing.

However, if a pair of frames from the Untangled Collection happens to fit your needs or your face? All the better.   Here’s how Costa describes this series of sunglasses:

Every year, an estimated 640,000 tons of discarded fishing material makes its way into our waterways. Discarded fishing nets are the most harmful form of plastic pollution in our oceans. But, in partnership with Bureo, we’re helping to change that. Made of 97% to 100% recycled fishing nets, our Untangled collection of sustainable frames includes Core Performance and Beach Lifestyle options that are as good for fishing as they are for the ocean.

Long story short, instead of random plastic frames they’re using repurposed plastic recovered from the ocean. These sunglasses aren’t saving all the whales or sea turtles. Costa and Bureo aren’t salvaging anything close to 640,000 tons of nets and garbage. By purchasing these premium shades, you don’t automatically become a better person.

But they’re great sunglasses that  are doing something.

read more