Casting Across Fly Fishing

Why keep a fly rod in the back of your car at all times?

If you can tolerate it rolling around, you'll set yourself up for some good to great fly fishing at a moment's notice. And if you haven't fished for a while, any fly fishing is good to great.

Recently I had a meeting fall through. It turned into an hour of fishing for brook trout in a brand new beaver pond. The results and the experience were both more than I had hoped or bargained for.

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Maybe your idea of hiring a fly fishing guide simply entails fish.

While I don't think anyone would object to catching fish, there are a few other things that separate the good guides from the not-so-good ones. More importantly, there are some things that separate the great from the good. If you're going to be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars? Great is probably what you're looking for.

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In this week's episode, I answer questions about rods, reels, and leaders.

But they're some awfully specific questions. That being said, I'm confident that you - the fly fisher - will appreciate and benefit from the scenarios that elicited these questions. What pushes us to experiment and innovate is questions, problems, and curiosity.

Hopefully what I talk about today gets you thinking and trying new things out on the water.

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I've written a lot about fly fishing with kids over the years. However, this is my first podcast on the topic.

In just under 20 minutes, I go over three ideas that will probably be helpful as you fish with your own children or the kids in your life. I'm not an expert, but I am a dad who is trying to get my boys to love and take care of the outdoors.

Also, if you don't have kinds in your life: You can translate 90% of what I say into how to fish with a new angler. Including getting them good books!

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This week's episode is a hodge-podge of topics in and around fly fishing.

I talk about choosing between two rod weights, which bug sprays you shouldn't use while fly fishing, and how we should think about conservation in light of COVID.

The only thing that ties any of these things together is that they've been on my mind recently. But chances are, at least one of these brief conversations will get you thinking about your fishing this week.

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Fly fishing for trout with a mouse fly is a really exciting way to revisit your favorite water. It also may very well yield some of the biggest fish... fish you didn't even know swam in your well-known holes.

Using mice is also a pretty straightforward and easy way to fish. But there are a few things worth knowing before you give mousing a shot this season. I talk through three simple things that will help orient or reorient you for chasing big, hungry, carnivorous trout.

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We have the convenience of buying not just rods & reels, but socks & undies, from fly fishing companies. For some that is a great option. For many, that might not be the best fit (size, preference, and/or budget).

While fly shops get a good amount of your business, there are plenty of "outside the industry" options for everything besides the core fly fishing gear. You never know what you'll find in the camping, automotive, or exercise section of the store that improves your time in & around the water.

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If you've been fly fishing for any length of time, there is a good chance that major life events are bracketed by rivers and trout. 

I can certainly say that. And in this episode of the podcast, I do say that.

Although Casting Across has a lot of me in it, I don't usually get too autobiographical. However, I think there are some pretty valid reasons to share a little bit about myself. I'll share where I've been, how I've fished, and what else I do.

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Even if you have been getting out on the water over the winter, now would be an opportune time to take inventory of some of what you have and what you're doing. On this episode of the podcast, I discuss four things that you might overlook as you prepare for all of the fishing that lies ahead. Two have to do with stuff; two have to do with planning.

You may very well be totally fine to just tie on a fly and get after it. But it might also be good to stop, think, and prep for a few minutes.

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Most people in the world think that fishing results in harvesting. And, across a wide spectrum of concerns, non-catch-and-release anglers are the allies of fly fishers. We’re largely fighting for the same things.

Definitely keep advocating for our fish, our waters, and our environmental concerns. But also keep in mind that we’re part of a culture that is bigger than us. There is a lot we have to offer, but there is a lot that we can learn.

Sometimes, that means killing a fish.

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