Something rarely discussed in fly fishing is planning ahead for what happens next when you hook a fish. With all the words written regarding casting technique and fly selection. little is mentioned pertaining to proactive steps for landing and releasing fish. And these days, you can throw photography into that quick sequence of events, too. …
Tag: Technique
Podcast Ep. 306: Taking the Best Fish Pics
In the realm of Casting Across, visual media serves the written and spoken word. Still, a nice picture helps. Today, I talk through some things that are important to consider as you photograph your fly fishing. From gear to approach to subject matter, I hit on some tips that might make your camera roll or …
Podcast Ep. 305: [Cast1] Releasing Fish Well
You’ve managed to get on the water. You’ve figured out how to get the fly in front of a fish. You’ve somehow convinced it to bit said fly. You’ve fought it your your hand or net. Now what? If you’re interested in the common practice of catch and release, there are some things that are …
Podcast Ep. 298: Tenkara
*Trigger Warning* I know some people have Tenkara Derangement Syndrome. Breathe deeply, you’ll get through this. Whether you’ve dabbled in this Japanese style of angling or not, it has made a modest splash in the American fly fishing scene. Depending on where and how you fish, it may be a good fit for your gear …
Podcast Ep. 294: Deciphering Fish Body Language
Thousands of aquarium aficionados concerned about the stress levels of their tropical fish can’t be wrong. And from an anecdotal angling perspective, I agree with them. You can gain insight into what a fish is going to do by watching it’s body language. While it isn’t an empirical exercise, there are some tells in fish …
Fishing the Post-Dusk Rise
There is a frantic and fun aspect of late spring and summer fly fishing that only lasts about 45 minutes. Although fish often rise all evening and all night, the moments around twilight often see the water boiling with copious feeding activity. It can be amazing. But it can also be intimidating. Fishing in the …
Podcast Ep. 288: Using Fish
There is only so much fly fishing practice you can get on your front lawn. And while the surface tension of your pool might help with improving your cast, your children won’t take kindly to being asked to pretend to be fish. Thankfully there are rivers filled with fish. And some of these fish are …
Podcast Ep. 287: Topwater Trout… Not Dry Flies
I’m not talking about how you can throw buzz baits and frogs with your 5-weight. But I’m also drawing a distinction between dry flies and another way to chase trout. Think about fishing with mouse patterns, and you’ll understand where I’m going. While I do discuss mice, I cover three other active ways to fish …
Catching Virtually Inaccessible Fish
Fishing new water is always exciting. Particularly when there is a high degree of certainty that there will be plenty of trout, exploration is enjoyable. A recent morning on a new stretch of river was filled with probing undercut banks and drifts through deep runs. Slow and deliberate observation was the ticket to identifying spots …
Podcast Ep. 264: 3 Fly Fishing Lies
There are a lot of misconceptions about fly fishing out there. Some of them are repeated enough with such careless disregard for the truth that I’m comfortable in calling them lies. Today, I address three of them. Two have to do with technique and angling itself; one has broader social implications. Whether you’re a new …