It was the most subtle of sensations, but it was different. I was walking through tall, wet grass alongside a spring creek. The sodden blades had soaked my shoes and bottom eight inches of my pant legs. My toes were wet, and I could feel the dampness on my ankles. So I was quite surprised …
Let’s talk about leaves. “Why? What to leaves have to do with fly fishing?” you might ask. First, you need to read Trout Are Made of Trees to your child, grandchild, or self. So, there is that. More than the scientific benefits of understanding the relationship between foliage and fish in general, there are some …
Fishing quotes. Angling maxims. Phrases you are tired of seeing printed on the kitschy doodads that friends and family “saw and thought of you!” But even worse than a knick-knack emblazoned with these tiresome sayings is actually having someone speak them to you. With serious intent in heart. That, my friends, can be too much …
I’m not a dog person. That doesn’t mean that I dislike dogs. I just don’t have one. And if I did, I don’t think I’d be a “dog person.” You know. Dog bumper stickers. Life Is Good shirts with funny dog situations. Glamor shots at the mall of my dog and me. Dog people stuff. …
Last week I published “Gone Fishing: Skunk.” For those of you who have been following Casting Across for a few months, you might be aware that I post the Gone Fishing series from time to time. If you are uninitiated, these posts are photographs only. No words. No trademark wit. No wading through obtuse vocabulary. …
Fridays on Casting Across are devoted to other people’s contributions in the fly fishing community. Articles, pictures, social media accounts, videos, podcasts, products, and more will be featured on The Last Cast of the Week. Today, I’m sharing items from Blue Lines, Fiberglass Fly Rods / Fiberglass Manifesto, and The Fly Shack. If you’d like …
Taking a trip to go fly fishing is a special experience. Whether it is a monthly occurrence or something that happens only once a year, taking an excursion of at least a few nights to fish is distinctly enjoyable. There is a lot that goes into that distinctive experience. Being away from home, work, and …
I woke up that morning in the apartment that my wife and I rented in downtown Florence. The noises of the nuns bustling about in the courtyard below were the first reminders that I wasn’t home. After getting everything prepped – train tickets, extra pants and socks, a wad of Euros to pay and tip …
I started fly fishing at a young age. With a few silver spoon exceptions, teenage anglers generally share a particular trait while on the water: Don’t lose a fly, at any cost. This means that sleeves get rolled up to the shoulder to pry a streamer from a log at the bottom of the stream. …
There are a few moments in fly fishing that exist crystallized in your mind. A first fish, a large trout sipping a dry fly, a trophy tarpon. These events stick with us as anglers for a lifetime. They find their way into our subconscious, rising up from the depths as we warmly regard times on …
