For most fly anglers, the most exciting piece of gear to shop for and purchase is the rod. Any conscientious buyer will understandably go through a relatively rigorous process of determining what to trust with his money and his prospective fish. In my years writing Casting Across, teaching casting, guiding, and selling rods, questions about …
The fly rod. It is a beautiful, functional, and essential part of fly fishing. But if you’re new to the pursuit, the hundreds of options (split into different weights, lengths, actions, and even materials – mind you) can be a lot to take in. Add a reel and line on top of it? That is …
One of my favorite parts of Casting Across is interacting with readers and listeners. It is always exciting to see the emails come in, whether they contain comments, questions, and, every once in a while, accusations. Also, I feel like if someone has taken the time to hear what I have to say and then …
So I messed up. To my knowledge, I have never deleted an email from a reader or listener. But just today, right before recording, I did. So whoever you are, this week’s podcast starts off with my heartfelt apology and an answer to your question. Along with that little bit of Q&A, I interact with …
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question “what line weight should I use for trout?” The same holds true for smallmouth, pike, striper, panfish… you name it. Every species, and any circumstance you might find yourself in while fishing for that species, can be pursued with a range or rod and line weights. While …
One should carefully approach the trout stream and objectively read the water before tying on a fly, stepping into the current, or making a cast. The alternative is to assume that what has worked for you before will work again this time. The latter is my inevitable default. Particularly when I’m feeling pressured to catch …
I caught my first trout on a fly rod in south central Pennsylvania. The lush valley with its limestone streams was different enough from suburban Virginia to be aesthetically enchanting to an otherwise distracted teenager. Closer streams with less challenging trout were an option. But I was smitten. Without any ties aside from a few …
Every other fly rod was on the vertical rack. Sage, Orvis, Winston: all the names I knew and aspired to collect. But this rod was hung up horizontally. It was a bright amber with deep red wraps. The most striking aspect of the rod was that it was shorter than all the other fly rods …
Why did you pick the fly rod that you did? Was it the label? Was it the price? Was it how it felt when you wiggled it in the store? Or, was it because the rod cast a line in a way that fit your stroke and your fishing? Okay, now: why does the rod …
Bamboo might be what your great grandpa’s rod was made out of. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t fish with it too. And maybe, that means fishing with grandpa’s clunky five-and-dime bamboo fly rod. Why fish with a rod material that is now three generations old? Today I talk through three reasons why you …
