Casting Across Fly Fishing

The vast majority of your dry fly presentations ought to be made upstream, with you standing slightly to one side of the fish. This optimizes your cast, your mending, and your hook set.

But what if you can't do that? What if there is a fish that is downstream, under cover, and slurping bugs off the surface with wanton slovenliness? What then? Do you miss out and chalk it up to the "rules" of dry fly fishing? Do you go home, bested by the trout to which you did not cast?

There is good news. You can cast downstream to rising fish using a dry fly. And although it isn't optimal, you should know how to do it. And today I'm talking about it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, I'm breaking with tradition for this one. I'm not calling it "Fly Fishing Accusations XXX." 

That said, there are some interesting segments in this episode. I get a little fired up about how people feel the need to police the fishing gear designed to solve problems. I also circle back to fallfish, tenkara, and remote fishing ethics. Standard fare, if you've been around here long enough.

As always, thanks for listening and writing in!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

300 episodes. That, my friends, is a lot of my digitized voice out there on the internet.

Today I'm breaking free from my rigid, one-note format. I've got a guest. In fact, I have the most special of special guests. My wife of 21+ years. Her perspectives on nearly every topic are worth listening to - take it from me. That said, enjoy this podcast.

And it goes without saying at this point: Thank you. Thanks for listening, reading, and being part of Casting Across as I hit this milestone.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In case you've been living under a rock (like a caddis nymph, perhaps), I'm going to be the bearer of bad news and inform you that fly fishers have the reputation of being quite the opinionated group of individuals. And as the maxim states, opinions are like... well, they're like waders that have been sitting in the trunk too long. We've all got them and they have the potential of stinking.

My purpose isn't to simply offer counter-arguments. It is to point out the unnecessary nature of some of the more prevalent antagonistic perspectives in fly fishing.

Let that last cause sink in for a second: prevalent antagonistic perspectives in fly fishing.

The fact that such things exist is reason enough to talk and think about them for 20 minutes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*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 collection.

Although only a fraction of my time on the water includes using Tenkara gear, I've come to appreciate it for some special circumstances. Today I share what a few of those are, and why you might consider picking up one of these small, versatile rods.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I wouldn't say that I get too worked up about what people say in and around fly fishing. But the extreme ends of gear perspectives bug me.

One says that the most expensive gear is the only way to go.

The other says that whatever you can find is all that you need.

As is the case with most situations, the moderate middle wins the day. Today I'm taking through how a recent shift in how I shop for running shoes has reminded me that taking a moment to do some real research can have a significant impact on your time and comfort. And time and comfort ultimately translate into more, better shots at fish.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a good chance that you have some habits when it comes to approaching certain types of water. After a few decades of pursuing brookies, browns, and cutthroats in mountain streams I have developed a simple little scheme for identifying what they're keying in on.

Today I share the three dry flies I use to decipher how to get on the most and the biggest trout. It isn't foolproof and there are certainly exceptions. That said, it has produced above average results and taken out a lot of guesswork for me. And, I don't have to carry multiple fly boxes while I'm miles into the woods.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Independence Day from Casting Across!

On today's episode, I'm sharing a tangentially-related collection of topics. While I do discuss giving trout some space in the hottest weather, the bulk of the podcast is about the great situation we find ourself in the United States. Things aren't perfect. They're far from it. But that is the human condition, after all. That said, our angling opportunities and access here are exceptional. We have that foundation to build on, so we shouldn't squander it by not engaging in free speech together.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 behavior that can clue you in as to when to keep going, change tactics, or just keep on moving. I cover a handful of observations in this episode. As usual, there are countless resources on this and hopefully these 20 minutes will pique your interest.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm not being dramatic. Nor am I being flippant.

You can truly get yourself in some serious moral peril while fly fishing. Waist deep in moving water miles away from other people? Yes, it is fun. But yes, it is not without risks.

Today I cover four areas of danger worth thinking about as you head outside. They may be common sense or well known to you, but they also might not be. If that is the case for just one listener, it is worth it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices