How can you retreat without running away? As a pastor, this is a question that I regularly think about; for those who come to me for counsel and for myself. What do I mean, and how does fly fishing fit in? First, it is important to define retreat. There are times when it is very important …
Every 10 episodes I read and respond to listener and reader feedback. This 25th edition of this facet of the Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast includes the most diverse sources to date. Today I interact with a Facebook comment, a YouTube question, and a conversation at Dunkin’ Donuts. Yes. A conversation at Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m …
“One more cast.” Of all the softly spoken magic spells in fly fishing, this one might be the most frequent incantation. Part desperation, part closure; the idea of a final presentation has a certain hopeful romance to it. The fish can’t tell that you’re about to call it a day. But the thought behind the …
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 …
Take a look at the photo above. On the surface, it isn’t that remarkable. The trout is pretty enough… but it isn’t particularly large. The tackle in the background, on first glance, is standard fare. And there is nothing immediately distinctive about the scenery. The perceptive observer might notice something about each of the subjects …
Fly fishing is about a whole lot more than catching fish. I’ve expressed that sentiment in quite a few ways over the years here on Casting Across. This week’s podcast touches on that theme in a few different ways. While I do give some practical, “tips-n’-tricks” information at the end, the majority of the ~20 …
This week I was doing some research on how safe fly fishing is compared to other outdoor activities. Good news: it is safe. Bad news: it puts you in a position where you’ll be facing 2 of the 3 most common causes of death outside. Take a listen to the podcast to figure out what …
If you Google something to the effect of “dying in a national park,” you’ll get quite a few nifty infographics. Each one will show you that bears are not going to be the way you meet an untimely end if you do end up shuffling off this mortal coil while recreating on NPS property. Bears, …
