Grabbing the Right Forceps for Fly Fishing

Forceps or pliers should be found on every angler on the water. They cut line, crimp barbs, adjust split shot, untangle knots, tighten knots… and release fish.

It is a plus that you can get functional forceps for under $5. I’ve owned plenty of $5 forceps over the years, and many of them have served me well. At the same time, you can get some really good forceps for between $15 and $25. Those extra few dollars will not only often get  you better performance, but it will probably buy you a couple of helpful features.

Below are over five considerations worth thinking about as you browse the fly shop – either online or in person. Chances are that any pair you pick up will work. But if you take a few minutes, you might be able to find that almost-perfect pair of forceps or pliers for your fly fishing:

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Podcast, Ep. 120: Fly Fishing Accusations, XII

One of the biggest drawbacks to the last year has been the significant reduction in organic conversation. Sure, there are still opportunities to get together. It just isn’t as easy.

However, I’ve had an uptick in online interaction with listeners and readers of Casting Across. I’m always happy to get messages, and I do my best to respond in kind.

As I have done since the beginning months of the podcast, I’m taking this “10th” episode to read and interact with some emails. I touch on flies, forbearers, and faith.

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

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Fly Fishing Controversies: A Media Statement

“Hey Matthew, what do you think about…”

I’d be lying if I said that my inbox was inundated with questions about my opinion on various things in the fly fishing community.  But it does happen. Moreover, it happens quite often when hanging out with angling acquaintances.

Between Casting Across and my own general interest, I’ve made it a habit to read, watch, and listen to a lot of what goes on in and around fly fishing. There is so much good. There are so many positive things. I’d wager that an overwhelming number of fly fishers just love to grab their rod and go catch a few fish… and that is the sum of their experience. So I keep Casting Across pretty upbeat. Even when I am critical, I try to keep the door open for education or redemption.

Still, there are a handful of controversial topics. These days they pop up online for mass consumption. But they’re not any different than what was discussed at the fly shop counter or lodge bar years ago.

Today I’m quickly commenting on 8 current hot topics within fly fishing. I’m not the authority, but I do have a few thoughts:

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Lid Rig: Hats Off to Innovation

The Lid Rig is a stainless steel nipper that uses magnets to attach to any appropriate surface. Opposing magnets also pop the jaws open, eliminating the need for a spring. The sharp, precision aligned jaws will cut through monofilament, fluorocarbon, and even braided backing. The Lid Rig retails for $74.95.

Understandably, that last bit of information gives people pause.

Scott Wilday, the man behind Lid Rig, gets it: “Honestly, I was shocked when I realized how much people were paying for what are essentially fingernail clippers.” But as an angler, he also gets it: “I know why so many people buy them and use them. Because there is something there: something cool, something that works, something you’ll use.” And at under $75, the Lid Rig comes in on the less expensive end of the premium nipper scale.

Plus, Wilday set out to design the Lid Rig to separate it from the other quality nippers on the market. “I like the people in fly fishing and I like the fly fishing industry. So from the start I asked, ‘What is a problem I can solve?’”

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Podcast Ep. 119: 3 More Things I Wish I Knew – Fly Tying

If you think the first fly to come off of your vise is going to look like something you’d mount in a shadow box, you’re going to be pretty disappointed.

Truth be told, there are plenty of reasons why beginner fly tyers get frustrated, stall out, or give up. I have done all of those in the past 20 years.  However, I really made some efforts to get this fly tying thing figured out over the past 5 years or so. I’m no expert, but I’m more proficient and happier… and my flies look better, too.

Today I share three things that have made me a better tyer. Had I known them 20 years ago, who knows where my flies would be!

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

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Trout & Feather: February

Fly fishing isn’t necessary in the same sense as food, shelter, and health are. But the peace and respite it provides are invaluable for us. So we’re planning on going fishing.

Whether it be because of travel restrictions, health concerns, or financial limitations, going fishing has meant staying fishing for a lot of people. Thankfully, many people have options close by. It might take reframing what fishing looks like for you. It might even take some of that invention that pops up when things get complicated.

This month, on Trout & Feather, I share three ways to reframe your approach to fly fishing in “Leaving the Beaten Path (Out of Necessity).” Each involves staying close to home, while leaving the beaten path that most anglers stay as close to as possible.

I also feature a few videos from Trout & Feather. Both feature the famous? infamous? sucker spawn in their header image. I’ll leave that there and let you scroll down to see why I chose them.

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

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Rusty Flybox: Tying Time

I’m sure there is a complex behavioral theory that describes my own, personal fly tying. Basically, the more I tie the more I enjoy tying. The more I enjoy tying, the better my flies seem to look. (Note that I said seem.)

And while the long, dark nights of winter are by no means the only time one can and should tie flies, there is no time like the present.

Today’s posts all involve fly tying.  While I’ve considered adding step-by-step instructions for  some of my favorite patterns and techniques, I’ve opted instead to talk about tying concepts:

  • The prominence of hackle
  • The pros and cons of types of weight
  • The things beginner tyers should know

To read the entire article, click on the image or title below:

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Podcast Ep. 118: One Box to Rule Them All

I know. You like your flies. Dozens of patterns; hundreds of individual fish catching pieces of potential.

But really, how many do you actually use?

While it isn’t for every angler (or every situation), cutting down the flies you carry on the water can actually streamline your fishing. It will certainly make packing and organization much  simpler, but it can actually help you zero in and focus on fishing better.

Today I share my reasons for slimming down assortments in certain circumstances, as well as some examples of how I have done it.

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

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Fly Fishing Books, IX

I like to think of Casting Across as a platform that gets you to do something.

That isn’t meant in some kind of manipulative or creepy sense. I just don’t envision you reading my writing and listening to my podcasting as ends unto themselves. They’re meant to be a step unto something else. I want you to go fishing. I want you to explore. I want you to try a new cast, a new fly, or a new book.

The best books are books that get you to do something. I can say with certainty that all four books I’m recommending below will encourage you to  go and to do. One author went halfway across the country. Another simply reached across his desk. Both endeavors can certainly be worthwhile.

As I’ve done for all of the entries in my “Fly Fishing Books” series, I’ve spread the selections over three rough categories:

  • Guide (regional, site specific)
  • Technical (methods, locations, fly tying)
  • Literature (novels, biographies, history)

Check out one kind of each book, why I suggest it, and a bonus read below. And follow the links in the headings to get a copy for yourself.

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New Spin on an Old Finn

Who hasn’t seen a Mickey Finn? The fly has a history that goes back at least 100 years. It has enjoyed staying power for the simple reason that it catches fish. Consequently, it is a fly that you’ll find in assortments sold to beginners as well as on the vises of seasoned experts.

Living in New England, I sometimes feel obligated to fish the Mickey Finn. Even the most contemporary guidebooks list the  yellow-and-red streamer as one of the key patters for fabled brook trout waters in New Hampshire and Maine. And the fly has produced for me. But it has primarily been productive on those larger rivers of renown. Most of my fly fishing takes place on smaller creeks and pressured streams. The Mickey Finn hasn’t been as productive for those selective, finicky fish.

Instead of trying to force-feed trout a fly that they should be eating (if they knew what’s good for them), I spent some time deconstructing the pattern. Why does it work? What is essential? And, most importantly, how can I adapt it to the fish and scenarios I most frequently encounter?

This is a pursuit that anyone, with any amount of fly tying skill, should consider. Most flies are only a variation on a theme. Innovation is often only modification. And a slight alteration to a famous pattern might mean more fish for you.

Here’s what I did to the Mickey Finn:

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