Last Cast Roadmap: Where are we going?

Fishing, of course! Yep, sorry for the radio silence; I've been juggling work, adult stuff, tying, fishing, and brainstorming to figure out what this site is going to look like for the next 6-12 months.

About Me

I'm not a fan of the About Me section of the site. I filled it in primarily as a placeholder, and I think it's time to re-write it. We'll go with something like an interview format, and I'll try to include some more pictures.

One Rod to Rule Them All

I'm going to be paring down my rod collection and condensing them to a single rod to handle as many fishing styles as (reasonably) possible. I'm targeting a ten foot four weight rod in moderate-fast action that will allow me to fish dries, dry dropper/indicator nymph rigs, small streamers, and tightline with a mono rig. This rod will be the foundation upon which most of the content for this site will be based for the rest of this year and into spring of next year. Once a rod is selected (probably in the next week or two), I'll write an article on how I made the decision.

Technique Deep Dives

At the start of this project, I chose to focus on indicator nymphing almost exclusively, largely because (1) it was the technique that was most foreign to my fishing background, and (2) it was winter and that's where the action was. I also found that it focused my off-water research and preparation, which is great for someone with crippling ADHD. I focused almost exclusively on indicator nymphing until I reached what I called "minimal competence." Once I figure out how to define that other than "I'll know it when I'm there," I'll write an article to define it. However, it worked well, and I'm going to mirror that approach as we move through the various fishing seasons.

Indicator Nymphing

I wish I could get a do-over on this. I didn't get to write nearly as much as I wanted to on my journey through learning how to fish indicator rigs. However, I did take copious notes, and I'm going to re-create the process as best as I can in a multi-part series recounting my experiences. Ultimately, I did reach a point to where I felt minimally competent in the technique. Which is fortuitous timing, because as we reach the middle of an unseasonably warm spring, we're getting ready for...

Dry Fly Fishing

I'm both incredibly excited and a little nervous about this section. On the one hand, it will be great to add a new technique to my repertoire, moving beyond a one-trick pony bobber angler. On the other, I've spent the past couple days getting a forest view of dry fly fishing. I had heard it can get extremely technical, and but actually getting the picture for myself is grounding. There's going to be a wide breadth of information to process to become minimally competent, and I'm excited to start learning that. However, keeping up with it and presenting it here in a cohesive manner will be a bit more difficult than indy nymphing. But we're going to do it, and do it right!

Carp

We entered this year in a moderate drought, and so far, spring is looking exceptionally warm and dry. I think there's a very good possibility our trout waters will get too warm to fish. If so, we're going to deep dive into fishing for carp. I chased grass carp in the canals of South Florida, but was never able to land one. This year, I'd like to do some homework and really put some brainpower into this.

Streamers and Tightline Nymphing

As summer winds down into fall, we'll head back to subsurface and focus on streamers and tightline nymphing throughout late fall and winter.

Miscellaneous Stuff and Things

• Design and adopt a logo for the site and social media;

• Learn and apply better photography techniques;

• Establish a system for creating quick audio/video live content;

• Explore Twitch and YouTube as possible live streaming platforms;

• Article Ideas

  • Building community and forming relationships with local anglers;

  • Getting involved with organizations like Trout Unlimited;

  • Physical fitness and safety on the water;

  • Mentoring new anglers; and

  • The importance of stewardship and the protection of local waters.

Thanks to everybody for following along, and stay tight out there!