Maybe grandpa told you not to talk or you’ll scare away the fish. Perhaps you watched a super artsy video on YouTube where the anglers moved in slow motion. Whatever the reason, you’re convinced that trout are the smartest creatures on this planet. And not just smart: paranoid. They do nothing but wait and watch …
It is impossible to cast a three-weight around a magazine rack (or the digital equivalent) without hitting an article promising “X Many Tips to Slay More Fish!” Who doesn’t want to slay more fish? Slaying, of course, is the whole point of this little fly fishing enterprise that we engage in. Even if slaying is …
In June, July, and August, we all have a love/hate relationship with the sun. There is a lot more daylight, but the tradeoff is an oppressive heat. Some parts of the country can get downright steamy, forcing anglers to wear oxymoronic lightweight layers. At the same time, there isn’t another time of the year where …
The statistics on how little our culture reads are discouraging. I’m not on a campaign to change the course of literary appreciation through the fly fishing community, but appreciating the sport naturally extends to what has been written. Three months ago I put together a list of four books on fly fishing that I recommend. …
Most Fridays on Casting Across are devoted to other people’s contributions in the fly fishing community. Articles, pictures, social media accounts, videos, podcasts, products, and more will be featured on The Last Cast of the Week. Today, I’m sharing items from The Potomac Conservancy, Field & Stream, and Orvis Company Stores. If you’d like to …
Have you ever heard someone complain about their local stream not having good hatches? Sure, they fish there enough, but they would really enjoy fishing if there was a blizzard-like mayfly emergence. Or if there was a consistent, by-the-calendar caddis hatch. If you probe deep enough, you may discover that there actually are some tricos …
Who would win in a fight? It is the ubiquitous question of college dorm rooms, bars, and long car trips. Variations have found their way into sports (who can throw farther?), politics (who would govern better?), and historical debate (who would conquer more?). Anglers haven’t spared fishing from being part of these hypothetical exercises. Between …
I’ve always enjoyed fishing small streams. Along with so many other anglers, the intimacy of little creeks is enticing for so many reasons: the remote locations they are often found in, the solitude that they afford, and quite frequently, the wild trout that they contain. The trout are, of course, the focus. But unlike larger …
According to the internet and common sense, fish have small brains. Eating food, making baby fish, and not being dead are really all they have/need to process. They don’t get hung up on existential hypotheticals, five year plans, or even if their new sling pack really meets all their needs. The cerebral existence of a …
“Fish have to eat.” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve said that. If you’re a fly fisher, and you’ve gone out in the winter in pursuit of fish, you may have offered that same phrase as part of your explanation to a skeptic. Friends, family members, and concerned passersby might be puzzled …
