Who is Last Cast Alan?

Unlike a lot of people I fish with, I didn't grow up with fishing. My parents were Romanian immigrants, and not at all familiar with the outdoors. I grew up in and around major cities, and it wasn't until my late twenties that I was exposed to country living when I attended law school at Indiana University in Bloomington. While studying for the bar exam, I picked up an Ugly Stik spinning combo and would fish the lake while walking my dog on the trails.

Shortly thereafter, I moved to Miami, made friends with two awesome women who taught me a bit more about fishing. One day, they broke out their fly rods, and I decided to dip a toe into that pool, and instantly got hooked. The complexity, the flies, the direct connection from the fish to the fly to the line in your hand; all of it. I went out and bought a TFO starter kit, and went fishing every chance I could. Peacock bass and other ciclids in the canals, fishing the surf before the beaches got crowded, wading the flats, dodging gators in the Everglades; I just loved being out there. I became an urban angler, always having a rod on me, fishing for whatever would take a fly.

But I wasn't happy in Miami, despite having some incredible friends to fish with, and began looking for greener pastures. In 2018, I packed up my stuff and moved to East Tennessee, swapping out the salt and Everglades for mountains and rivers. I was so excited to explore as much as I could, I didn't really focus on learning how to fish for trout. I split my time between backpacking and fishing, threw some dries or dry droppers, caught a couple fish (mostly by blind luck) and left it at that.

A few years later, COVID hit and I got sick, but worse than most and for a lot longer. After some poking and prodding by some doctors, I was tested for and diagnosed with Lyme Disease. I'd likely had it for years and COVID had brought it to the surface. I went through about half a year of treatment, during which I'd been essentially house-bound. When I came out on the other end, I think I was in a pretty deep funk and, other than an occasional outing, I didn't really fish. I lived a sedentary lifestyle, gained weight, fell out of shape, and likely into depression. Over the following years, my wife would remind me every now and then that it was time to get back out there; that I needed it in so many ways. She was, of course, 100% right, but I think I was in a dark place and just couldn't get it together.

Fast forward to the end of 2025. I'd been diagnosed with ADHD, and with some medication, I was finding it a lot easier to organize my life, set goals for myself, and actually see them through to completion. My wife and I were talking about goals for the new year, and she brought up getting back into fishing. But this time, I was ready to hear it. I had some wins under my belt. Okay, challenge accepted: What should my goals be?

1. Become a competent fly angler.

   
   

2. Become more knowledgeable about my local waters.

Obviously, these were very broad goals, and I wasn't entirely sure how to define them, nevermind meet them. But I knew the only way I'd figure them out is to spend more time on the water. And so I did. And I started making mistakes. And I'd go home and try to come up with ways to fix them. And before long, ADHD hyperfixation kicked in and I was constantly thinking about fishing. Constantly. Keeping me awake at night. I needed something to funnel this off-water energy.

Enter Last Cast Life.

What is Last Cast Life?

I'd been fishing for four hours with no success. I'd look around, see some bugs, maybe a couple fish rising to the surface. Changed flies a couple times. No takes. "Alright, last cast...actually, let me add some split shot real quick." I clamp on a small piece of tin about five inches above my fly. Cast it into a seam and I see my indicator slow down.

"That's it; that's the strike zone slow down I've been hearing about. Maybe just a few more...last casts."

Two hours later, I'm making last casts all the way back to my car.

Last Cast Life is that gravitational force that pulls anglers back to the water. It's the challenges that are encountered, the problem-solving that goes into overcoming them, and the rewards of doing so. It's the idea that there isn't really a true "last cast;" it's just what we say to coax ourselves off the water for the day. And I don't think I've ever gotten off the water the first time I tell myself "Alright Alan, last cast." It takes quite a few.

It's that energy, that lifestyle, that I never want to lose again.

Sure, sure, but what does it all mean, Basil? What do you want Last Cast Life to be?

Great question. Right now, it's a stream of consciousness; a place for me to write about the experiences of being an angler that has decided to commit to perfecting his craft. I'd like this to be the place where I explain my process for becoming a better angler, and document both the successes as well as the failures. I'd also like this site to contribute to the knowledge base of fly fishing. If I feel as though a particular topic has not received the attention it deserves, I'll write about it here. That means instructionals and gear reviews. On occasion, I will also use the site as a platform to talk about topics and opinions that are pertinent to fly fishing, whether it be the industry, the culture, or the environment.

Long story short, Last Cast Life is about the ride. Let's see where it takes us.