If you fly fish for trout, you can fish 12 months out of the year. There are a handful of very important caveats to that statement, but it is true nonetheless. Exceptions aside, it is key to understanding some of the reasons why fishing changes throughout the year and why. In another surface-level introduction, I …
Tag: Winter
Podcast Ep. 261: Cold Fly Fishing Encouragement
The weather outside is frightful. Or, at least it will be. And you’re all ready to fish in it. Right? If you have the gumption and the warm socks, there is no reason why you can’t fish in the coldest months out of the year. Today I tackle two big hurdles that people face when …
Calendar Ready: The Fly Fishing Show 2024
October is a relative plateau on the calendar before a fast, precipitous drop into the busyness of November and December. By the time you skid to manageable pace in the new year you’re playing catch up while also gasping for breath. And, for much of the country, this is being done underneath a blanket of …
Don’t Step Past Bootfoot Waders
In the fly fishing community, the consensus on wading gear is waders and boots. Find breathable waders that fit and pair them with a good pair of boots that fit too. This way, you not only stay dry: you stay comfortable and can move safely. For the vast majority of anglers across a wide variety …
Podcast Ep. 222: 4 Ideas for Offseason Action
Yes. I know that for most fly fishers there is no “offseason.” But at the bare minimum, contending with shorter days and impossible weather will render the December-February period less intense than June or September. With that big caveat out of the way, I want to share what this episode is about: Redeeming the time. …
Gone Hunting: Last Day
The wind and the snow/rain weren’t ideal, but it was the last day of the season. The birds hadn’t been behaving in any sort of discernable pattern, but it was the last day of the season. None of us had a whole lot of optimism, but it was the last day of the season. It …
New Year’s Days & New Year’s Trout
There are a lot of ways that one can ring in the New Year. As a teenager, most of those significant midnight moments involved doing what was most significant to me. And that was fish. My best friend and I would drive up to Southcentral Pennsylvania from Northern Virginia and go to bed around 8:00pm, …
Not Safely Wild
A park like Shenandoah has everything going for it. …everything that could lull you into a state of lackadaisical passivity. Countless amenities with ample signage, easy highway access, and throngs of tourists make a popular east coast park seem overwhelmingly safe. Shenandoah National Park is a place where your grandparents picnic. It is a place …
Merry (Late) Christmas from Casting Across
Yes: Christmas was yesterday. But I don’t publish on Sundays. And Friday was a podcast day, so that wasn’t an appropriate day for greetings either. So here you have it. One day late: Merry Christmas from Casting Across. I do hope that your holiday was filled with all of the things that you desired and …
How Far South to get Good Fishing?
When I attended college in South Carolina, I was perplexed that locals broke out their winter coats when the weather hit the mid-60’s. Growing up in the Midwest, the only change that the mid-60’s brought about was the addition of long sleeves. Clothing, comfort, and climate in general are all relative. You only have to …