Fly Line: Clean, Replace, or Upgrade?

Fly line is the underappreciated member of the fly fishing gear trinity. Rods and reels get all the hype. A lot of that is deserved. But your rod is really only as good as you can cast it – and you can’t cast it without fly line.

“Any old fly line will work” isn’t a good mantra. The reality is, good fly lines run from $60-$120 dollars. That is a fraction of a fly rod.  Finding the right line and then taking care of it is as important as anything else.

Improving your casting distance and accuracy might be a lot easier and economical than buying a new, top-of-the-line line. Cleaning helps a lot; you just have to do it and do it right. Finding a line you love and grabbing a replacement when it is on sale is a great idea. Or, finding that a new (maybe top-of-the-line) line could very well make enough difference to warrant a purchase.

Here are the benefits of all three approaches, along with a video where I go into more details:

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Fly Fishing Books, VIII

“What is the best fly fishing book?”

That question is just as absurd as someone asking what the best stream or best fly might be. In literature, as in fishing, there is a lot of room for subjectivity. So fishing literature? There are as many opinions as there are titles.

Still, some books have had staying power. A title that sticks around in the community’s collective consciousness for 10, 25, or 50 years might be worth reading. A book like that might have some dated elements, but they are overshadowed by the quality of the content.

In this entry in the Casting Across book review list, I am offering up books published in 1960, 1999, 2004,  and 2020. They are all a part of my library, and I have enjoyed each one. (In fact, I have enjoyed one of them so much I have sought out multiple editions! I am sure it is easy to figure out which that may be…) They might not be the best fly fishing book, but they are all worth readying.

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. 84: The Right Fly Box for the Job

You can keep your flies in anything. At the end of the day, it is how you fish your flies – not where you store them – that ends up catching fish.

Of course, for only a few dollars you can get the right fly box. It might lead to better organization. It could even mean your flies stay protected. And, it could be argued, both of those might mean catching more fish.

In this episode I walk through the styles and types of fly boxes I think are most beneficial for a number of patterns and uses.

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

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Leaving Fish to Find Fish

“What’s wrong with the creek?”

It was a legitimate question. We were catching fish. We always caught fish. Not dozens, but a dozen maybe. Although it was a pretty pressured fishery, it consistently produced trout.

“We just want to try something different,” I said.

The man behind the counter gave us a mildly exasperated look. I think he knew. He knew that what we had was pretty good for where we were. That our experience was nothing to sniff at. He was often the one we went to for information. What have they been hitting? Where were people catching them? Simple stuff that we appreciated, and needed, as teenagers. Now, we wanted something else. Not more, necessarily. Just different.

He pulled out a DeLorme Atlas. The edges of the maps were frayed and the cover looked as if it had been folded over on itself daily for the past decade. He opened the map to the area where we were currently standing. Then, he turned the map toward us. He leaned over the counter a bit so that we had the same perspective. Using a finger, he traced a route back into the mountains. We’d go over a ridge, through a small Appalachian crossroads, and into a hollow.

“That’s probably your best bet for big fish. Well, second best. The creek out back is as good as it gets.”

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Floatant: Before & After You Cast

To fish dry flies right, you need floatant. A little dab from these tiny tubes will keep bugs riding high and looking natural.

But like anything else in fly fishing, there are various kinds of floatant products that have been created. These other tubes, tubs, and bottles do a lot more than just float your flies. Some dry them off. Some help your leader float. Some aren’t just for dry flies. Some even add a little sparkle to your presentation.

In two short videos, I walk through nine different floatant products. Some are intended to be used primarily before you start casting, while others are designed to help your fly after you’ve been fishing for a bit.

Full disclosure: I never carry nine kinds of floatant on my person while I’m fishing. But based upon conditions and preferences, I’ll always have two or three items in my pack. By thoughtfully using a few different products in tandem, I’m able to achieve the desired results. Most often, that means efficiently and effectively keeping my dry flies right where fish want to see them.

Also, all the products featured in the videos are from Loon Outdoors. You can absolutely find similar floatants from other companies, but I personally use Loon and appreciate the diversity of their offerings.

Check out the two floatant videos below:

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Podcast Ep. 83: Cabins, Covid, & Casting

What makes a good fishing cabin?

Maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t have to be a cabin to do what you need it to do. Today, I talk about how I’ve been finding fly fishing trip lodging for a while now.

Also, I start of the podcast by talking about healing, documentaries, and another podcast. It is a little bit of everything, but it touches on a diverse range of fly fishing experiences.

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

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Trout & Feather: June

June marks the second month that I’ve been contributing to Trout & Feather. The article is called Why (& How) You Should be an Amateur Fly Fishing Historian.

Reading historical accounts of fly fishing is going to pay off. It might mean improved success on the water. More often than not, the reward is going to be in what you learn and how that impacts your time on the water… regardless of if you’re catching fish or not. In this article I give three reasons why digging into the history of fly fishing will be beneficial, and three great ways to get started.

I’ve also chosen two great fly tying videos to feature this week. One is a simple fly with a great story. The other is about a tricky part of fly tying. That video is closing on a quarter million views!

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

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Whiskey Leatherworks: Small Batch Iconic

“Montana iconic.”

This is how Allyson Earnest, co-owner of Whiskey Leatherworks, describes  their Cutthroat Belt. “It features the intricate pattern of the fish, but also the precision that goes into the way we work the leather. It is the perfect kind of thing to wear in Missoula… or anywhere else!”

The pattern is eye-catching. Underneath the artist-designed fish prints and past the hand-forged buckles is the heart and soul of Whiskey Leatherworks: individually crafted goods from the highest quality American-sourced leather.

In 2013, Dan Earnest wanted a creative outlet. During the day he was in and around the woods and water as a hydrogeologist. Always building, he began to work with leather in his garage in the evenings. Things progressed from there and the idea to create something that others could buy quickly followed. Allyson remembers the  next step in the process well, “Danny wanted to make a 100%  American-made product. There is a lot of good leather out there, but we looked and found the best. It was actually a real challenge to finding someone who could make buckles. But we did. We actually found a local metal smith who could do it (Nathan Kimpell of Missoula).”

Once that happened, they set up shop and began to develop that Montana iconic look.

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Podcast Ep. 82: How to Fish Better & Longer

There are some ways that you can get more casting in. There are some ways that your casts can be better at the end of the day. There are some ways that you can cast to fish that haven’t seen as much pressure.

And they all involve moving; just a little bit more.

In this episode I talk about how a little bit of attention to fitness can translate into better fishing. The bulk of the discussion focuses on getting deeper into the woods and away from the crowds more efficiently and effectively. This might mean running, jogging, or just a little bit more of a brisk walk. I also discuss gear selection for times when you’re moving a little bit faster.

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

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Some Good News, through Fishing

Honestly, I’ve vacillated on what today’s post would be about. This isn’t a website where I expect you to get your cultural commentary. But from where I’ve been and where most of us have been, casting techniques and fly rod reviews just didn’t seem right.

Still, I’m going to focus on the outdoors.

Instead of words, I’m going to share some good deeds. Recently there have been innumerable keyboard strokes with varying degrees of value. Some go beyond social media sentiment and actually do something.

Here are three stories of people and organizations who are doing real, good works. They are promoting love, unity, and opportunity through the joy of being in nature. They are reaching out to the marginalized because it is the right thing to do.

The Mayfly Project and Elevate Youth impact kids from diverse backgrounds with genuine, unconditional compassion. That’s a motive we need today. That’s a motive we all need every day. That’s why these three stories are worth reading:

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