Casting Across Fly Fishing
The Casting Across Fly Fishing Podcast explores the quarry and the culture of fly fishing. Each episode, I'll discuss some aspect of fly fishing - the people, places, and things that go into the pursuit of fish.
Episodes
October 9, 2025 • 28 mins
It is awfully nice to be the first one to unwrap the plastic from a smooth cork handle or to wipe the excess factory grease from a disc drag.
It is also nice to save a few hundred bucks.
In this installment of Casting Across, I'm talking about finding and evaluating used gear. I'm focusing primarily on rods and reels, but the principles apply to pretty much anything the angler might need. Buying used can be a great way to snag a ...
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October 2, 2025 • 26 mins
Today's podcast features a question, an accusation (maybe), and a response to a dozen or so comments. All in less than 25 minutes!
I discuss "traditional" nymphing tactics and encourage you that you already fish this way. Then, I field a statement made about how we cut the tag end off our knots. Lastly, I take a quick dive into a topic that transcends all others. The thing is, each and every one of these segments is very "Casting ...
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September 25, 2025 • 24 mins
Maybe you've noticed that there are a lot of books about fly fishing.
You needn't have consumed the loads of literary content on Casting Across to know that fly fishing and writing go together. Whether it be gripping narratives, applicable techniques, or pertinent stream guides, a book will help you in some way, shape, or form with your fly fishing. And they go a long way in tethering us to one another and the anglers who came be...
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September 18, 2025 • 27 mins
I enjoy putting together gear reviews. Not only is it interesting for me to think about how a particular piece of equipment works, but my perspective might help someone make a purchase that benefits their time outdoors.
And in my humble opinion, there is no item more fun to review than fly rods.
Today I walk through how I go about putting a fly rod review together. I approach the process in a particular way, with a handful of dif...
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September 11, 2025 • 27 mins
Outdoor activities are inherently risky. While your home is likely where you're going to get hurt or run into trouble, being in wild places can lead to potential hazards.
Some have to do with critters. Most have to do with other people.
Even though there is a small chance of something problematic happening if you're on the river, there is still a small chance. With a few simple steps you can do a lot to mitigate those risks and p...
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September 4, 2025 • 28 mins
Not all fly fishing presentations can be bushy dry flies over trout that will range five feet to rise with abandon. Because of the ridiculous quantity of foodstuffs in most rivers, fish are looking for a reasonable offering that is within a few inches of their noses. And since fish live underwater that means nymphs drifting at the right depth.
Getting all that to happen involves more than experimenting with split shot. In fact, I'...
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August 28, 2025 • 25 mins
I own some positively diminutive fly rods for angling in the mountains. And I revel in the plethora of options when it comes to 9-foot 4-, 5-, and 6-weights. But every once in a while the right tool for the job is just a little bit longer.
Today I share four reasons why a longer fly rod might be the ticket for your fly fishing. That might mean taking a 9-footer up in the mountains, or that might entail fishing with a 9'6" rod.
Th...
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August 21, 2025 • 27 mins
I like questions. When I get the same question a handful of times in quick succession, that topic gets shifted to the top of the subject matter pile.
Recently, a number of fine fly fishing folk have asked me about what I consider to be the essential gear for minimalism or travel. In this episode I give my answer. But before I go over the what I discuss the why. This is because your reasoning for carrying less may necessitate a com...
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August 14, 2025 • 25 mins
Some hot weather and a spur of the moment decision turned into an excellent 24 hours of father-and-sons fly fishing time.
In this episode, I talk about the great time that my boys and I had in Manchester, Vermont. The occasion was the American Museum of Fly Fishing's Summer Festival. There were vendors, exhibits, and competitions. (And there was food.)
Needless to say, a good time was had by all. This is the kind of event that is...
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August 7, 2025 • 27 mins
If there is one truism in fly fishing, it is this: Everyone can work on their casting accuracy and distance. In fact, the more I develop as a fly caster the more I see room for improvement in these areas.
Today I share my thoughts on two ways to think about improving your fly casting. Neither necessarily costs money, and neither will take much time to consider. But with a few tweaks you'll probably see some marginal improvement.
...
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July 31, 2025 • 26 mins
This week I have two - yes, two - bona fide accusations.
Now, I assume they were made with the best intentions. Still, I do appreciate the opportunity to interact with a little pushback. One has to do with mountain trout fishing and the other pertains to fallfish. My two favorite topics.
I also share how I'm prone to sarcasm.
As always, I appreciate all my readers, listeners, and viewers. Please keep the feedback coming!
Lear...
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July 24, 2025 • 26 mins
Just because you put a fly rod in a baby's hands doesn't mean he'll grow up to be a fly fisher. But in the case of my eldest son, it is working thirteen years in.
Recently he asked to go on a fishing trip to one of the places I fished most as a teenager. That got a quick yes from me. Although we had some inclement weather (not our choice) and fished some challenging water (our choice), we had a great time.
As has been my practic...
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July 17, 2025 • 23 mins
It is ridiculous that I even need to write it, but please know that content on Casting Across comes from a regular, old human being. I have nothing against robots... in fact I want them all to know I really appreciate them when they eventually take over.
Seriously though: there is a lot of fly fishing writing out there that is actually AI generated. I don't think it is prideful to say that Casting Across is better than that.
Tod...
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July 10, 2025 • 26 mins
In what is effectively a trip report from my most recent jaunt down to Virginia, I cover all the topics in the episode's title and more.
I don't assume that you have a vested interest in what I do in my leisure time... well, aside from fly fishing. However, I do think that you and I have a lot in common. At a bare minimum, we can enjoy that together. Potentially something I did will give you some ideas for what you can do.
That s...
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July 3, 2025 • 26 mins
Times have changed... I think. It doesn't seem like there is the same kind of animosity from fly fishers directed towards folks tossing worms and lures. While there are some real potential problems with certain types of fishing (deep-hooking with treble hooks, litter from bait containers, etc.), there is no reason to vilify an entire group.
More pragmatically, there is no reason to jettison an entire approach to catching fish.
To...
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June 26, 2025 • 25 mins
One of the simple joys of fishing in the summer is walking into a creek in shoes and shorts. It doesn't give you any kind of angling advantage, but it is awfully satisfying.
And while the simplicity and carefree nature of wet wading shouldn't force you into making all sorts of purchases, there are a few things that are worth choosing if you want a more comfortable and safe experience. Today I'm talking about some of the options yo...
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June 19, 2025 • 26 mins
Trout are trout, right? Especially if two brookies or cutthroat are swimming only a few hundred yards from each other, they're going to behave, eat, and look the same. Right?
Maybe. But if you're talking about a fish in a mountain stream versus a fish in the mountain lake that feeds said stream? Maybe not.
Mountain trout ponds or lakes offer some beautiful, fun, and diverse angling options for fly fishers on the east or west coas...
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June 12, 2025 • 27 mins
You can catch so many panfish with the flies in your trout fly box. So many. In fact, give me a well stocked trout fly box over a typical panfish fly assortment any day.
But... having some of those poppers helps. And make sure there are a few leggy nymphs. Oh, and a couple of crayfish-looking streamers.
Today I round out a two-part series of panfish fly fishing gear ideas. They're such a fun group of fish to pursue, and for many ...
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June 5, 2025 • 26 mins
You absolutely can (and should) fish for panfish with whatever gear you own. Fish for trout, stripers, and peacock bass with whatever gear you already own, for that matter.
Of course, you'll have a slightly easier and more enjoyable time if you have equipment that is either specifically designed for the particular pursuit or within a relatively appropriate spectrum. And while panfish have a low bar for angling entry, a focused e...
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May 29, 2025 • 25 mins
This episode drifted. And while I'd like to say that is a clever fly fishing pun, it wouldn't be super appropriate because this week we're talking about retrieving flies.
The original outline was about all kinds of retrieves, but as I talked about what was most effective I kept returning to one simple truth: slower retrieves usually catch more trout.
Fast retrieves do have a place in the skill set of the angler. But when you're f...
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