Daily Cast Archive

I go back and looking through Paul’s videos looking for drills but also for hints about how movement influences the cast line.

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There is no denying that we as flycasters can learn from other sports. Both how we teach and coach off course, there we are lacking a lot. And by we I mean the whole collective. Some excellent teachers and coaches have picked up a lot of these things and are applying them. But we can also look at other sports and learn how to move more efficiently. This becomes most obvious when we are looking at all out distance casting.

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Last weekend we had again long days with reindeer work. Daylight is getting shorter yet it doesn't mean that my days are short. Sometimes you get feeling about driving 100 mph and then there is suddenly wall and you hit that. We are now close to hit that wall. Then you are totally out few days.

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This week I’m taking a break from the fly patterns because yesterday, I took delivery of Arthur MacDonald’s new book: Modern Flies & Ancient Lochs. And it’s an absolute stoater!

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I had chosen a nearly direct line of country roads that I’d never travelled before, up across the high fells and moors, dipping down through wooded valleys with small pub and church villages nestled in the dips. In the dawning, early morning mists, with magical soft light. So often I wanted to stop the car and just explore the views and work out how to capture them. it was a photographer’s nightmare, feeling that pang of grief glancing in the rear-view knowing I had driven on unable to stop, and left those brilliant images unexplored, those moments now lost in time. It was a short cut chosen, with potential for long delays I guess.

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Dancing naked around the campfire has successfully delivered the Malaysian monsoon season. Unfortunately there is now flooding in seven states. Next time I’ll keep my pants on. The lake is now rising and hopefully the snakehead are spawning. I have a guest from Germany, Matthias, arriving on Saturday. So fingers and toes crossed it will be perfect timing.

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I have had a moderately successful fall run thus far this year. I have found some fish two handed and single handed, and that’s all I really want any year, BECAUSE IT CAN BE HARD!!! If you are out on The Great Lakes tributaries chasing migratory fish, then you are aware of the obstacles. The river levels vary, the mood of the fish can vary, the fish spend an extended period spawning and swimming hard, the river can freeze over, there could be too many icebergs to safely fish (if you are the cautious sort), depending on where you fish it can be extremely crowed, and things can change at any moment.

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Things feel a little different here. There’s been a sort of vibe shift. I’m not sure it means anything but change is in the air. People in many walks of life are standing up to resist. This was always true on the ground as was demonstrated by the results of the off-year election, but there’s also a whiff of elite defiance in the air. Signs include 527 to 1 votes in Congress to release the Epstein files, MTG’s excoriation of DJT and MAGA while abandoning her seat, and the congressional six reminding the military of their oaths and their obligation to disobey illegal orders. But maybe most encouraging was the Trump-Mamdani presser yesterday following what was forecast as a brawl;Zohran apparently dazzled. He was irresistable. This is even more remarkable in historical context. American Exceptionalism, rather than reflecting some sort of special place in a divine plan, is truly defined by the unique status of the US as the only liberal democracy without a labor party, where socialism and communitarian politics are demonized and virtually forbidden. Trump has embraced a proud democratic socialist and possibly opened up possibilities for renewal here. (Don’t tell anyone but I predicted this - ask Jackie. I knew Donald couldn’t resist a tall, handsome fellow with a great smile - straight out of “Central Casting”). 

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Or more correctly headphones, why? If you use a loudspeaker I will definitely silently judge you, I haven’t seen a fisherman with loudspeakers on the water. But have been exposed to by other people. But the original question. Sometimes I have seen people fishing with headphones and I don’t really get it. What are they listening to? Isn’t fishing enjoyable and entertaining as it is?

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Just yesterday it was Friday and again. Time truly flies when you are behind on your schedule. We have plenty of preparations to do before the season hits us at the beginning of December. And there are always things which are not helping to catch schedule.   Saturday was a slow day and great evening. We had a small celebration as Satu was nominated as woman entrepreneur of the year 2025. She has worked hard to run her business since 2007 and it is really nice that she got recognition.

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Just a quick one from me this week as I’m a bit worse for wear because of time differences and celebrating the most important thing that doesn’t matter. But don’t let that fool you, this week’s fly is a great pattern that’s somewhat fallen in popularity in recent years with the advent of newer, fancier patterns.

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Reality check: Back, three days out from my casting exam, but a moment I hope I will always revisit.   By Grasmere lake that morning, feeling comfortably obscured from the general view by the half drawn curtains of some ancient hardwood on either side, two weathered leathery old trunks along with the sprawling scrubs beneath their boughs, impenetrable tangles of Blackberry and Bracken. Just exposed by a few yards of puddled footpath directly behind about ten feet back; then a fence; then a steep wet grassy slope; then an even steeper wooded slope; then a mountain ridge; then a valley; then a high fell that I once wandered up in a black mood when the world fell apart and came back down a happier and repaired man;  then those Langdale pikes; and behind them the heart of the Lake District, my life’s sanctuaryand happy place. All the good; and the bad’ conveniently behind me and yet easily accessible, and all before lunch if I so wished.

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In the ten or twelve years I’ve been fishing in Malaysia I’ve noticed a shift in seasons. The Wet Season arrives later. And the Dry Season (which should mean virtually no rain at all between February and mid April) doesn’t mean that at all any more. Or at least that’s how things now appear and what was once very predictable is now highly unpredictable. Right now I’m waiting for the rains to appear. This will cause the lake level to rise and trigger the Snakehead to start spawning. This is some of the best fishing of the year. The forecast says rain, so I’m hopeful. But it’s been saying that for weeks.

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Fly fishing seems to have several specialized subgroups. There are individuals who excel at helping others catch fish using flies (sorcerers). Some focus on understanding the various factors influencing their chosen waters and the creatures within them, participating in habitat restoration and public policy (druids). Others delve deeply into the void of great casting, with only a few emerging to tell the “tail” (wizards). Additionally, there are those who skillfully imitate a variety of species by tying feathers onto hooks (witches). The list of different cliques and subgroups in the fly fishing world is surely extensive and likely includes some extreme levels of specialization. I remember the last time I spoke with Peter Hayes; he mentioned, “I really didn’t know how to cast until I started dry fly fishing with 22-foot leaders…”(Jedi)

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I will be heading for Paul’s battleship at year’s end so met with him on zoom for a snake-head-shot status evaluation and left with some training recommendations for the home stretch. The zoom lessons are recorded and I download them for review. I hate that I talk compulsively and endlessly. I can’t believe Paul  has to listen to me, but amidst my blather and nicely summarized in a text, were the drills I needed. I took them to the grass and river over the next few days. Among other goals the exercises work to ingrain some specific movements of my line hand to optimize the sliip-touch-slip backcast and to be in position to slip to a good haul going forward. It’s been a little cold (low 60s F) here in the morning and my SA Bonefish line is a little stiff. It rattles through the guides in a pleasing way and I’ve been getting some satisfying distance going back but somehow losing something going forward. I have 6 weeks to work on it.

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I think quite a lot about fly casting. And I don’t think I’m alone in doing that. Looking at the bickering on the board I can tell that there are at least one or two more that find it quite amusing to think about our narrow field. In today’s instalment I’m going to write about one topic that it is very hard to come to any conclusions about. How to rate a rod. The reason I’ve been thinking about this is a video I recently stumbled upon:

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Warm weather turned frosty nights and some colder days. Not really winter yet perfect weather so ground would dry and good base for winter to come. Lot of things to be done left and time is running out.   Saturday we finally got big garage tent so we could store machines over winter time. I started to assemble it on Saturday as much I could alone. On Sunday I notice that spot were we originally planned it was too small. Even we measured it several times, well garage would fit but using it would be too difficult. Funny how it effects when you take some trees off, truth will be revealed.

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I’m taking a break from the fly of the week this week, because I’ve been out at the Suzuki in Tokyo bay. The gizzard shad are running and the big bass are taking advantage of the food supply, allegedly..

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(from the aptly titled ‘Panic’ by The Smiths)   “Was he worrying your children Madam?” “No the kids wanted to run over to him from the swing park, but I just pulled them away before they reached him” “He was in the playground?” “No to be fair, he’s on the other side of the park, the kids were fascinated..” “And did you say he spoke to you?” “Um, no. No we was talking to some bright pink string on the ground. “ “Bright Pink?!” “It might have been Bright orange. The bit I caught he said “A loop has two legs and a nose”” “A loop has two legs and a nose”… you sure? So he had a collection of plastic plant pots and some bright pink or orange string? …And a tape measure and rucksack. And you think he is a danger to the public, madam?”

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I’ve always found the “where are you from?” question to be a bit strange. Does it matter? Identity from a country is a residue of when humans were living in tribes. Common identity created the cohesive bonding in small tribes, that was necessary in order to survive. Similarly it leads to blind spots in thinking. Religion, flat-earthers, anti-vaxers, racists, political divides, football hooligans, fashion; it’s all the same root “I am one of these and so this is who I am”.

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I was blessed with the opportunity to go fishing with some young and enthusiastic fly fishers this week. I can still hang. Colt and Luke decided that it was worth the 5-hour drive from college to come hang out with me and chase monster trout with streamers. Colt even knew that I was going to be talking shit the whole time he was here and still thought it was worth the drive. To be completely honest, the boys can cast. I really don’t have too much to worry about on that front but trying to ease the how to use big streamers to catch massive fish in a river learning curve can be steep. Now, I’m not saying that the boys didn’t have a good idea of where fish might be, how to present different flies, and how to use different techniques. I am saying that it takes time and experience to pull all of that knowledge together, along with the weather and river currents, and also set the hook, fight the fish, and pray to the fishing gods for mercy.

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Ahhhh the joys of Civic Participation. I voted (early by mail) to redistrict CA in yesterday's bellwether election. I may have underestimated my peeps. It was a top-to-bottom rebuke of the current regime here and everywhere. My friends in NY joyously reprised the days of Fiorello LaGuardia celebrating the election of Zohran Mamdani to the mayoralty.  I’ll try not to smoke too much hopium but it’s better than doomscrolling. Good days have been rare and their effect is overwhelmed quickly by scary stuff. Sunday night I’ll call into the Los Angeles County Superior Court to see if they need me to fill out a jury. I’ll be on call all week. Though the Feds are closed, everyone else is open for business. 

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I have an idea where most of our fly casts fail. From beginner level to highest level of casting. Of course it will be much less common at the highest level, but I still see this problem there also. We could argue that it happens at the delivery, that this is where most casts fail. And yes this is where we will see a lot of failures. Some failures are just pure failure of the delivery. The beginner that has done a lot of spinn fishing will do a janky spinn cast delivery and everything fails. Someone going for a long casts and adding too much power at the delivery.

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Last Friday I almost missed my fishing window. Some issues as always came up and clock was running. Eventually around 2 pm I made it to our lake. Daylight was allready turning.   As I arrived lake it was still dead flat and no rises. I was not really expecting huge amount as it is late autumn. Cloudy, grey, misty.... you name it AND water temperature was 3 celsius, air 5 celsius. I turned boat and got gears ready.

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I thought I'd go back to fresh water this week and focus on corixa or lesser water boatman. They're about as ubiquitous as midges, but because of where they live are maybe less of an everyday item. They're still very useful though.

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On this journey to take my CI exam, I will skip past the trip to the island of Jersey with the BFCC to help on the casting club and gain valuable experience at teaching. My first lessons to the punters in a howling gale, lovely feedback and the small triumphs of getting people through they’re mental blockages, and that look of dawning realisation on faces saying “Wow, at last I can actually do this!”.  I’ll skip past the group dinner that evening and the grateful words from the punters and people addressing me as one of the instructors and strangely not feeling totally an intruder in this circle, I had in some small way earned it that day and loved the experience. And I will hurriedly bypass the next day that dawned darker, more broody and ominous. When my twin kindly mentors, let’s call them Bill and Ben, were to take me through a mock CI exam, entered the room before the first coffee was tasted and that much desired hot buttered toast, was a cold abstract concept, sat on the counter top un-eaten, for the next few hours of relentless questioning.

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Many of you have asked how the Ironman went last weekend. So yes I finished it and that’s all good. And everyone says how wonderful. But actually I’m rather frustrated! I would like to have been a minimum of two hours quicker and preferably three. The cutoff in Malaysia is 17.5hrs and I went around in 15.55, same time now, two years in a row.

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It has been a pretty busy week for me. I gave some lessons, did some guiding, got to do some “scouting,” fishing, and even caught a pretty nice rainbow trout with the ole two handed rod. There’s an entire debate about whether the rainbow trout that live in the Great Lakes are to be considered steelhead or not. The West Coasters maintain no salt no steel. I suppose they are correct, but that means we have to name our rainbows something other than steelhead. Here I am officially promoting the name, “Greater Steelhead.” Since they are not steelhead, but have the same genes, and they are in the Great Lakes, then it only seems right to call them what they are… Greater Steelhead. But I digress. I was also given the opportunity to do a demonstration at “The Early Show” put on by DRiFT in Chicago, IL.

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Jackie and I are back in Pacific Grove, CA to go to my dear friend Anne’s second wedding party. We attended the first on the East Coast in August. She is now hosting another on the West Coast for friends and family that couldn’t make the trip. We’re all off to Big Sur this afternoon for cocktails and dancing into the evening at a barn venue by the river. It should be lovely. The shuttle bus leaves in a couple of hours. 

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This is my one year anniversary FP. This is number 52 and I sent the first one to Paul at November 1 last year. For some reason I still manage to come up with something to write about every week. Didn’t think I would manage that long and not sure how I have done it either. Coming up with a topic each week can be a bit hard but I try to write down all the ideas I get for topics. Sadly some of my best FPs are gone forever. The ones I write in my head while out fishing and that is forgotten when I return back home.

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