Fly Fishing towards the Illogical

This time I wasn’t simply fishing. I found myself explaining why  I was doing what I was doing. Not how to cast. Not why a dry fly. Why. The reason why I was fishing. For someone who writes and talks about that very subject three times a week,  and who has been doing so for nearly six years, I found it surprisingly difficult in the moment.

He’s astute. So I shouldn’t have been surprised that he was asking such questions. Furthermore, he’s well aware there are bigger fish in more accessible locations. But I had driven him two hours away and lead him four miles into the woods for these fish. Smallish fish; and small fish manifesting a rare discerning palette. And I had just told him that I was about to scale a cliff and drop down into a cave to make an attempt at one of these picky, diminutive brook trout.

Again, I can’t blame him for asking the obvious question. My fly fishing has the tendency to dangerously veer towards the illogical.

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Podcast Ep. 148: Late Summer Fly Fishing Whatnot

So, how did you spend your summer break?

To be fair, most of September is still summer. And there is a lot of great fly fishing to be hand well into the fall. But the natural flow of the seasons means there is a hinge between the 8th and 9th months in the calendar.

This week I discuss where I’ve been fishing and what I’ve been using. I also talk about my recent reading, listening, and social media habits. I’d be interested to hear what you’ve been up to, too.

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

This episode of The Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Use the code CASTING at checkout for 20% off your entire order and free worldwide shipping.

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Fly Fishing Gear: When Bigger is Better

This spring I bought a new pair of running shoes. Unbeknownst to me, they’re considered “maximalist.” Instead of the stripped-down and barely there shoes we’ve grown accustomed to see on the feet of marathoners, this trend overbuilds a number of shoe components. While still lightweight, these shoes provide a ridiculous amount of support and cushion. But they look, feel, and perform very different from a minimalist running shoe. For some people, this alternative footwear choice might be the perfect way to go.

The same is true when it comes to fly fishing gear.

By and large, fly fishing, running, and all outdoor equipment has gravitated to smaller and lighter over the past few decades. Participants push themselves further and further. Technology, usually borrowed from sectors that depend on innovation, continues to open  doors and create options. As a result, we’re able to pack more or move with less encumbrances. No one argues that those are both good things.

However, sometimes less isn’t more. Sometimes you need a little more bulk, a little more capacity a little more substance. Thankfully, there are some options that fit those criteria out there. Here’s three big items that I think are worth considering:

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Fish Together for More Fish

From time to time I like fishing alongside a friend. Being in the woods and on the water is often pursued for the purpose of solitude. But there are plenty of reasons for being within earshot of another human being that you happen to know.

Yes, you get camaraderie and all of the good things that accompany shared angling experiences. There are also reasons why you might want to not be alone, even if you want to be alone. You can also problem solve with twice the efficiency. Pragmatism might not be your first reason for fly fishing with a companion, but it should be something you capitalize on.

At the simplest level it looks like this: “How about you fish a dry and I fish a nymph?”

An arrangement like that allows a team of people to ascertain what fish are interested in eating. If angler A has more success than angler B, B can snip off his fly and follow A’s lead. With even the most rudimentary and limited communication an incredible amount of information can be relayed. The trial and error of depth, color, and speed can be accomplished twice as quickly.

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Podcast Ep. 147: Reaching for a 3-Weight

I know. I talk about light fly rods a lot on Casting Across.

Part of the reason is because I really, really enjoy them. And the other part is because some of you still need to learn that they are really, really enjoyable.

In all seriousness, in today’s podcast I talk about the versatility of a shorter and/or lighter fly rod. They’re not just gimmicks. They’re really helpful for casting line, presenting flies, and playing fish. I also go down memory lane, sharing some anecdotes about my first times seeing and fishing with these rods.

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

This episode of The Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Use the code CASTING at checkout for 20% off your entire order and free worldwide shipping.

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Laughing At Form: Fly Fishing Function

This image popped up immediately upon searching for “stereotypical ugly fishing gear”

Today, like every day, I opened my email to see a litany of messages from fly fishing companies. Each got a quick glance. One gave me pause. There was a new pair of wading boots that was being touted. New technology. New angling opportunities. New! I bet they work really well. But they sure are ugly.

Perhaps I’m being overly critical. Maybe I’m superficial. After all, fish don’t care. Fly fishing isn’t a fashion show. Only vain and inefficacious anglers give a second thought to how they look. Or it is conceivable, that if given the choice between something hideous and something less-than-hideous, people can take a moment to choose.

Styles come and styles go.  In my 25 years of fly fishing I can finger at least three distinct color palettes that dominated the catalog pages: British khaki and forest green, tan and sage, steel and navy. We’re not at neon and floral prints… yet.

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Smallmouth: A Fly Gear Primer

Smallmouth bass are an excellent species to pursue with a fly rod. In fact, smallmouth techniques have more in common  with traditional trout fishing than with popular largemouth bass practices.

While trout gear will get the job done in many situations, the angler who chooses to chase smallmouth with regularity will want some species-specific equipment. Making such changes will give you an advantage as you fight smallies. More importantly, you’ll be able to cast and present flies much more efficiently.

Here are some preliminary suggestions for smallmouth rods, reels, lines, leaders, and flies:

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Podcast Ep. 146: Camp Close to the Fish

There are two schools of thought when it comes to sleeping on a fishing trip. Some people want comfort: resorts, hotels, your own bed. Some people want quick: tents, cabins, someone’s futon. Both approaches have their place. Your budget and your destination might be the determining factors. But the benefits of quick are cost, effort, and proximity to the river.

If you can, and your car allows for it, there are a lot of benefits to spending the night car camping. You can’t get any quicker than that.

Today I discuss why you’d (potentially) want to sleep in your car, as well as how and when I choose to go that route.

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

This episode of The Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast is brought to you by MANSCAPED. Use the code CASTING at checkout for 20% off your entire order and free worldwide shipping.

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Art of Appreciation

There are many talented fly fishing artists out there. I am always impressed at the diversity represented in the depictions of something as simple as a brook trout flank. Light spots on a dark background. Orange bellies and white tipped fins. Vermiculated backs leading to square tails. But they are presented using different media, different techniques, and different visions. One fish, many interpretations.

Trout in particular, but fish in general, inspire people to depict them in some way, shape, or form. There were cave paintings of fish. There are fish adorning the walls of the great art museums of the world.  There are countless Instagram accounts featuring digital and physical angling artwork. Whatever the next thing might be, fish will be in it because fish demand portrayal. Their color, their shape, and their lines move our hands and minds.

Even someone like me, with a modicum of talent, can put something halfway presentable together.

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National Parks: Fish Your Water

Less than a decade after he accepted Robert E, Lee’s surrender at Appomatox, Ulysses S. Grant signed a law making Yellowstone the first national park in the United States. In the following decades, more landmarks and wild places were protected by the federal government. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Organic Service Act. With  that action, the USA now had an  agency that would “promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations hereinafter specified by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

For fly fishers, it is good that “the wild life therein”  includes fish.

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