Podcast Ep. 63: Split Shot! (& a Wide World of Weights)

That tiny, compartmentalized plastic cup. You probably had one in your tackle box when you were a kid. You need to have one in your fly fishing vest today.

Because if you’re not using weight, you’re not fly fishing right.

But split shot is just the tip of the weight-option iceberg. Weighted flies, poly leaders, and sink tips – what a time to be alive. In this episode, I discuss some of the pros and cons of these options. I also talk a little bit about some nontraditional ways to think about adding weight to your fly rigs.

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

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The Brown Trout with the Bright Red Patch

I remember kneeling in the snow. I can recall the exact spot. It was right at the apex of a gentle bend. There was a log jutting into the water that covered the entire stream’s width but for a few feet. I held the trout firmly. I did so because I didn’t want it to fall onto the snowy ground. I could do so because the girth of its tail filled my left hand. I cradled its belly in my right hand. Overall the fish was lighter in color than it looked in the water. That red patch was more vibrant out of the water. Jeff was just downstream from me. He took the picture. I can remember it all very clearly.

But it is only a memory. I can’t find the picture.

I had seen this particular brown trout for months. At first I was sure that the big fish was a rainbow. Its distinguishing feature was a bright red patch. My mistake makes sense. Usually red means rainbows. But upon closer inspection it was clearly a brown trout. The golden belly. The hooked jaw. The bronze, hunched back.

The gin clear water of the spring creek made these observations simple. But the street went two ways. Any movement beyond a gentle, deliberate cast would force the trout right back under the bank. It moved slowly. It moved confidently. It appeared more bored than intimidated. It certainty didn’t appear enticed.

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Nature isn’t that Special

The day after Christmas, the Orlando Sentinel published an opinion piece by Elizabeth Drayer. She is a lawyer and, as her byline states, a longtime environmental advocate. I haven’t read another word that Ms. Drayer has written outside of this article. To be clear: I appreciate her passion for protecting our natural resources. I believe that Ms. Drayer does care for the environment in Florida and beyond. I also think that her approach is misguided, dangerous, and untenable.

I think this because Ms Drayer suggests granting legal personhood to natural wonders. Or, to put it much plainer: calling things that aren’t people people.

Please entertain a quick reducio ad absurdum, taking this suggestion to its logical conclusion in order to demonstrate the short-sightedness of such a position. If we are consistent, what other personal values should we confer onto nature? Consent? Tolerance? Reciprocity?

No matter how hard you try, a fish, a river, or a patch of soil can’t grant consent. It is impossible to ascertain if a streambank wants your trespassing footsteps. Even more so, you can not arrive at any sort of reasonable certainty that each and every fish you tempt is game for your angling.

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Podcast Ep. 62: Fly Shop Lost

A lot more goes into a good fly shop than some big-name decals on the windows.

Sometimes, a good fly shop has faded sign with a cartoon worm underneath the words “live bait.”

I’m not kidding. What makes a good fly shop is all about the soul on the inside. You need flies, rods, and all the miscellany to make it a store. But it is the people, and what they offer, who give it soul.

On this episode of the podcast, I recount some formative fly fishing experiences from an unlikely angling location.

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

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Bears. Bugs. Bows.

Bears can’t open car doors. Even if a bear could get into the car, a black bear couldn’t do it so fast that we couldn’t start the engine and escape. And a black bear wouldn’t hang on to the roof like James Bond as we swerved down the mountain.

I could close my eyes and try to get some sleep.

But what if I had to go to the bathroom?

My eyes popped back open.

We had driven hours and hours from suburban DC to a weird and wild part of the Mid Atlantic. It’s mountainous. It’s old mining country. Logging roads wind along rivers and up steep valleys and it’s easy to loose track of if you’re in Maryland, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania. And it’s rural. With a capital R.

Rural also meant big rivers. There were plenty of fine trout streams only a short drive from home. The vast majority were just that: streams. Creeks. Runs. I love those streams. Every now and again it is nice to be able to cast. More refreshing is to cast without thinking about being surrounded by trees. In that part of the country, you do have to get rural to find these big trout rivers.

It was so rural that the first two campsites were on roads our little Toyota Corolla couldn’t navigate. Brown signs with a-frame tent logos promised opportunities just down the path. But the paths were equal parts mud, roots, and tire-eating holes. Add in the darkening skies over a thick canopy, and we opted for another option.

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Fly Fishing Books, VII

Everyone has a fly fishing off-season. For many, it is the winter. Others double down during the coldest months. Their work or family schedule might make fishing prohibitive in the spring or fall. An off-season might not be ideal on the surface, but between important obligations and an opportunity to step back it is probably a good thing.

Still, you can stay connected to fly fishing in some simple ways. Having a book on the nightstand or in your briefcase is an excellent way to linger, learn, and live vicariously.  Even a few minutes here or there can really help you get your angling fix when you’re away from the water. It may very well increase the longing, but it is a great way to hold you over during your off-season.

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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Podcast Ep. 61: You Sure You Know Which Fly Rod You Want?

Of course you know which weight you want for your next fly rod. Or do you?

I’m only questioning you because I’ve had to question myself. Sometimes we get stuck thinking about what the marketing, or our fishing buddy, or our biased presuppositions tell us we need in new gear.

While there are countless great articles out there that give some tips on buying your next fly rod, I wanted to come at the topic from a slightly different angle. The bottom line is that you don’t need a rod:  you need  the rod that does the job you want done.

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

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Throwback Gear Review: Teton Reel

Fly fishing gear is a big part of Casting Across. I’ve always enjoyed the aesthetics, the marketing, and, most importantly, the function of fly fishing gear. Consequently, I’ll review new products on the site from time to time. But appreciating fly fishing gear shouldn’t only be about  the latest model or newest technology. The things that you’ve fished with for years – for decades ought to be celebrated as well.

It is in that spirit that I put together this gear review. Although some products are old or even out of production, their value compounds with use, experience, and familiarity. We should enjoy what we use when we fly fish, especially if we’ve enjoyed it for a long time.

It was the spring of 2001. I had just spent a lot of money on my first saltwater fly rod. The 8-weight was intended to be used that coming summer, when I would spend a week in Florida chasing sea trout, redfish, and who knows what else in the Gulf. A lot of time, energy, and, again, money went into getting the perfect rod.

For whatever reason, I treated the reel as an afterthought. As July drew near, it dawned on me that I couldn’t just waltz into a local fly shop with a hundred dollar bill and get something functional. Since it was 2001, I turned to eBay. What ensued was a fast and furious week of trying to find the right reel at the right price. When the dust settled, I had a Teton reel in my hands.

It wasn’t a big name, but the reviews were good. It didn’t have the flashy design of some of the newer reels, but the technology was solid. What’s more, it held an 8-weight line and the price was right.

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Enemies of the Fly Fisher, Vol. 1: The Muskrat

If you Google “muskrat,” you immediately learn a very interesting tidbit. Did you know that Ondatra zibethicus is the only species in genus Ondatra? The only one! Who would have thunk?

Once your mind has adjusted to this startling revelation, scroll down a bit more. That’s where the world’s leading search engine gets real. The sterile veil of science is torn away to reveal what people are really contemplating when they’re inquiring about muskrats:

  • Are muskrats dangerous?
  • Will muskrats attack humans?
  • Are muskrats aggressive?
  • Is a muskrat a rat?

I don’t need a degree in biology, with a specialization in the genus Ordata, to answer each of those questions with a solid yes.

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Podcast Ep. 60: Fly Fishing Accusations VI

Questions, questions, questions. I am well aware that my writing and speaking might leave you with a few things you’re still wondering about.

Which is great.

Go out and experiment. Open a book and read. Show up to a TU meeting. Bend the ear of your local fly shop proprietor.

Or you could always email me or leave a comment on the website. Here I talk about neoprene waders, getting kids excited about fly fishing, and short furled leaders.

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

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