I had never been fly fishing, but I decided that a fly fishing vest would be a good investment. In junior high, the multi-pocketed khaki vest certainly didn’t have anything to do with style. Tommy Hilfiger t-shirts, baggy jeans, and puffy white Filas were preferable. As is probably the case with everyone, I must have …
You will find some real interesting characters in fly shops. After nearly two decades of formal, empirical anthropological research, I’ve developed an efficient classification system and taxonomy for the types of individuals one encounters in fly shops. As a former fly shop employee, an occasional customer, and a curious observer of awkward situations, I believe …
Winter provides fly fishers with plenty of opportunities. For some, it is one more season to chase anything that swims. For others, it is a brief and anxious respite. Regardless of your intensity, winter is a great time to take stock of your gear and get it all ready to roll for the coming spring. …
There are two unavoidable truths that solidify fly fishing as a 12 season activity: Fish eat all year long. You don’t have the patience to sit the winter out. Let’s be honest, though. It doesn’t make sense. It is cold. The fish are lethargic. There’s no hatches… or sunlight. But what else are you going …
This was the worst fly rod ever. Or maybe not. I don’t know. You might like it. But I didn’t. To be honest, there was a time when I liked it. That is why I bought it. I could cast it a mile. In the fly shop parking lot. In my back yard. Even a …
The year was 1990, and I can remember it like it was yesterday. I took my first trip to this exotic destination. Even at the age of 6 I’d been to plenty of far off locales. In fact, I’d been only a stone’s throw from the area in question numerous times. But this was like …
Casting Across isn’t a travel agency. That works out pretty well for you, because that means my expertise in the realm of fly fishing getaways is available at no cost whatsoever. No thanks are necessary. Your angling enjoyment is all the gratitude I need. Below is my six-step process for planning and executing a fly …
Virtually everyone has a good time at fly fishing and outdoor shows. What isn’t to love about an exposition hall filled to the rafters with the people, places, and things that make fly fishing what it is? However, some people like to take the difficult path. You might have a natural proclivity for pessimism. You …
The ultimate holiday of the year is nearly upon us. Children are waiting with anticipation. My refrigerator is over capacity. Magic is in the air (mingled with a smidge of stress). Yet even with all the enchantment of snow and reindeer and yuletide and whatnot, I’m unable give everyone a unique, personal present. However, I …
“Running silent, running deep, we are your final prayer…” That is a line from Iron Maiden’s Run Silent, Run Deep off of the 1990 release No Prayer for the Dying. Decent song, decent album. It is nothing near as good as 1988’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. But I digress. The song, and the …
