By nature, writing is introspective. It is nearly impossible to not insert yourself into what you write about. Words betray objectivity. Experience influences everything. And people, by and large, are nostalgic and sentimental critters. (Coincidentally, Trout don’t have that burden.) A lot has transpired over the course of the past three years in and through …
Today marks three years of Casting Across! For three years I’ve been writing about the quarry of fly fishing: fish, rivers, and personal achievements. I’ve been writing about the culture of fly fishing: literature, podcasts, and gear. The people, places, and things are as much a part of Casting Across as I am. It is …
The astute reader may have noticed an anomaly this week on Casting Across. None of the content was original. Well, it was original in the sense that it was me. I wrote it. Unless you read all the way down to the postscript on the bottom of each article, you wouldn’t have known that both …
You never go fly fishing alone. Even though angling is a pursuit that many gravitate toward because of the frequent solitude, true isolation isn’t a reality for the vast majority of people. It might mean another car in the parking lot. It could sound like the droning of a jet just out of sight. It …
A lot has been written regarding native vs. wild vs. stocked trout. For some reason, people (and even state entities) struggle understanding the differences. Being informed and using the proper words is important. More significant than semantics is appreciating and supporting the science behind the terms. The native/wild distinction is an invaluable one to make …
There are a lot of stigmas attached to fly fishing gear. People have opinions about rods, the name printed on rods, and even the name printed on hats. For better or worse, these stereotypes demonstrate how anglers generally feel about products and brands. Overpriced. Unnecessary. Cheap. Showy. For people who don’t know what they’re doing. This …
The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. -Proverbs 4:7 Are there things to learn in life that are worth more than fly fishing? Of course. But there are things in life that you can learn through fly fishing that brush up against those vital truths. One such thing …
You’d think that it would be easy to write about fly fishing in a new place, for a new fish, for the first time. There is a lot to say about the particularities of the species – how it looks, how it acts, how it is the same or different than other fish like it. …
Picture yourself hooking, fighting, and landing a fish. It could be a trout, a bass, or a bonefish. Regardless of your quarry, put yourself in that moment immediately after it has been unhooked. Things could play out in a few different ways: You could bonk it on the head and eat it later. It might …
Why? Because you’re reading this, for starters. A real trout bum isn’t going to be online, clicking through articles about fly fishing and fly fishing miscellany. A real trout bum would be fishing. If not fishing, he or she would be doing what needed to be done to make fishing in the immediate future possible. …
