Walking the exhibition hall at The Fly Fishing Show is a great example of the diversity of interests within fly fishing. Saltwater and freshwater, tied flies and materials for tying, established companies and small businesses are all represented. There are also nonprofits, antique dealers, booksellers, and artists. Fly fishing is certainly about catching fish utilizing …
Notice that this is not the “2025 Official Fly Fishing List of Products.” Those are all fine and good. But I’m doing something just a little bit different this season. Today I’m sharing five ways to think about gift giving (or gift requesting). These categories of gifts run the gamut from flies to personalized matted …
It is awfully nice to be the first one to unwrap the plastic from a smooth cork handle or to wipe the excess factory grease from a disc drag. It is also nice to save a few hundred bucks. In this installment of Casting Across, I’m talking about finding and evaluating used gear. I’m focusing …
Fly fishers are notoriously difficult to shop for. Picking out a rod is both pricey are personal. Flies are nice, but ones that will be used have the tendency to be quite specific. Floatant and split shot are serviceable stocking stuffers, but hardly under-the-tree fare. So what to do when the holidays come around? Is …
Assuming ten dollars a pound, I’m quite a few ducks and geese away from paying off my new shotgun. But that is okay. Why? Well, for one, I can’t even begin to think how in the hole I am when it comes to fishing gear. I have killed some fish over the past few decades. …
You can absolutely nab some excellent deals if you shop sales, wait for next year’s model to come out, or trawl auction sites. This can be a lot of fun and you can certainly find some amazing things. But you can also strike out a lot and damage your eyes from staring at a computer …
Recently I’ve been thinking through backup and/or redundant fly fishing gear. What should I own? What should I bring with me? What should be on my person when I’m on the water? Ultimately, these are not the most important questions. I get that. Casting skill, the ability to read water, and presentation trump gadgets and …
Giving and getting gifts are both good. But in an arena like fly fishing, things usually need to be just so. This makes shopping for fly fishers hard at Christmases, birthdays, graduations, Father’s days… year-round. But there are a few things that ought to be a hit for anyone, any time. And in today’s podcast …
It isn’t easy to buy surprise gifts for a fly fisher. Sure, you can ask which fly rod he wants. You can simply request a list of the gear she needs. But you probably aren’t going to walk into a fly shop and pick out a reel because it is pretty or a pair of …
Last week I rolled out the Casting Across Fly Shop Box. This online resource is intended to be a growing, dynamic, comprehensive list of all the fly shops in the lower 48. Even after scouring the internet, I’m aware that there are shops that I’ve missed. The call was put out to readers of Casting …
