This week marks four years of Casting Across; four years’ worth of articles about the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish. What have I learned? Even though the fly fishing community includes an incredibly diverse array of experiences, there are two common denominators that make fly fishing what it is. …
Four years ago I set out to write about fly fishing. I did want to write about fish. You can’t really write about fly fishing without giving your two cents on how to hook a trout every now and again. It establishes credibility. It is also pretty simple. Even more than the fish themselves, I …
What would you say if you were told that you owed every fish you caught an apology? How about that you actually needed to find a fish, confess your sins, and atone for your angling? Recently a seminary (I use that term loosely) shared that they held a service where students prayed to plants. What …
Three years ago, I wrote this quick synopsis of the podcast 2 Guys and A River: “Steve Mathewson and Dave Goetz are the kind of guys that you want to fish with. There is a good mix of humor, practical advice, and anecdotal content in a podcast that is the prefect length for a short …
I don’t want you to feel like you’re being attacked. I am sure that you are really, really into fly fishing. If you were to tell me everything you know, share your angling expense report, and rattle off where you’ve been I bet I’d be impressed. Seriously. No sarcasm. There is a very good chance …
A few weeks ago I compiled a list of the top rated fly shops in each state. The list was just that: top rated, not best. So what makes a fly shop the best? Maybe even better than another that is highly rated online? Admittedly, it is very subjective. Your preference might be dictated solely …
I consider myself an avid reader of fly fishing content. The scope of my interests ranges from literary classics to random posts on social media. For whatever reason, fly fishing writing has a unique penchant to transcend “I caught a fish” or “this is how I caught a fish” and wade deeply into “catching a …
I’m going to keep a good thing going! Last week was all about fly shops on Casting Across. It started with two companion pieces, each listing 25 of the top rated fly shop in each state. That was followed with a podcast episode where I asked, and answered, what makes the good fly shops good? …
Even today, brick and mortar fly shops are an integral part of fly fishing culture. Beyond supplying rods, reels, flies, and tying materials, they offer angling insight and legitimate community. Although there are many factors that lead to fly shops succeeding or failing, there are certain things that most of the truly good shops have …
I’ll go on record as saying that I think “Pro Deals” and “Pro Staff” are totally fine. But just like anything else in fly fishing (or in the rest of the world), abuse can ruin a good thing. Kirk Deeter’s recent Angling Trade piece articulated some of the real problems that exist with this system. …
