Get back in school with a PDX urban scouting mission
Registration is open for PDX urban scouting with Marc Fryt, yours truly joins a podcast, and we squeeze the last drops out of summer.
CFStronauts:
Just when I thought it would never end, summer's sliding away.
School starts here on Wednesday.
We've got more cloudy and cool days in the forecast, and hints of precipitation after our annual dry spell.
And at Home Depot this weekend I saw such a massive display of animatronic undead ghouls and ancient evils endlessly looping phrases designed to frighten children that it would put cable news politicians to shame.
Soak up those last few rays, figure out how to take advantage of fun fall fishing, and come back to school with us in Portland next month to scout some city spots.
We're on! PDX Scouting with Marc Fryt
Did you read our chat with Marc Fryt, author of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" yet? Wherever on this blue globe you might be, there are lessons in the book to help find fish near where you reside.
But for those of us in Portland, we're bringing the book to life. On Saturday, September 26 Marc is coming to Portland to lead a ticketed scouting workshop around our city waterways. We'll be visiting 3-4 spots around the downtown core that are accessible by car, bike, or public transit, and talking about specific strategies we'd use fly fish in those areas. After a good morning bopping around from spot to spot, we'll end at a food cart pod.
If you've ever wanted to increase the opportunities to fish local, try on some new species for size, or just investigate our local waterways more thoroughly, Marc will bring all the wisdom that went into the book, and then some.
The cost is $95 for CFS members, and $115 for non-members, and includes a copy of Marc's book, "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" ($25 value). It'll be loads of fun, but don't take my word for it. Here's the GOAT George Daniel weighing in:
If you're interested in joining a half-day scouting session with Marc on September 26th, sign up now. Space is limited to eight participants and will fill up fast.
👂 Listen in: Podcast of the week
Ah, finally, a place for a know-it-all like me: A podcast called You Know Too Much. It was a pleasure to join my pals and mavenverse co-founders Pamala Buzick Kim & Eva McCloskey in a super-fun chat, as they put it, "celebrating the deeply specific, oddly delightful, occasionally unhinged things people know way too much about."
What did we talk about? Fly fishing, of course. But we went down the rare-feathers-and-fur-for-fly-tying-materials route, and I got to turn listeners on to my favorite heist thriller in the fly tying genre, "The Feather Thief" by Kirk Wallace Johnson.
Give us a listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Or, you can watch on YouTube.
This Friday: August Casual Casting, Back to School edition
Casual Casting co-host Lisa Amato and I are back at it this Friday, August 28 at Westmoreland Park. Register here to drop by for an open casting session where we find stuff to work on, offer friendly critique towards improvement, and maybe even play some fun casting games.
August 28: Casual Casting
Join us at at a free Friday night casting practice co-hosted with fellow casting instructor in training Lisa Amato. All are welcome, and rods will be provided.
Event calendar
Got an event you want the community to know about? Send it over and I'll include it here. You can see all of our upcoming CFS events on Luma.
August
CFS: August 28, Westmoreland Park, Portland OR
Casual fly casting meetup at the casting pond (Register here)
September
September 12, Clackamas River, OR
Clackamas Down the River Cleanup (Clackamas River Basin Council)
September 17, Bozeman, MT
Montana Stream Access Rally (Keep Our Rivers Public)
September 22, Steeplejack Brewing, Portland, OR
Jesse Lance Robbins is swinging through Portland for a reading! Save the date.
CFS: September 26, Portland OR
Urban PDX scouting with Marc Fryt (Register here)
Leaders ➰
Fishy links to start your week. Got one to share? Hit reply and send it over! 🪝
Fall means spawning browns 🫦 (5 min read)
If you've got a brown trout fishery in your range, think about a pre-spawn trip. (midcurrent.com)
Maybe my favorite Caddis pattern? 🍕 (13 min watch)
I'm a sucker for Craig Mathews patterns, and the Iris Caddis is no exception. It's just an awesome emerger. Here's a variation with a CDC collar to help it float better. (Fly Fish Food on YouTube)
Bamboo is a hell of a drug 💸 (3 min read)
Jimmy Carter's custom bamboo fly rod made by Georgia's William Oyster goes for $34,000 at auction. (flyfisherman.com)
SAFE not worth saving 🥅 (12 min read)
Deschutes River Alliance co-founder David Moskowitz weighs in on the retirement of the net pen hatchery operation on the Columbia, a source of some (misplaced, in his opinion) hand-wringing among conservationists (columbiainsight.org)
The Roadless Rule, however, is 🗺️ (4 min read)
Despite the Forest Service's inability to actually fund road construction, the Roadless Rule should be enshrined into law.
(wessiler.substack.com)
We've raised over $10,000 for the Deschutes River Alliance and sent ribbon maps to supporters in over 14 states! Have you got yours yet?
That's it that's all! Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish. You can also find CFS on Bluesky 🦋, Instagram 📸, YouTube 🎥, or the Fishcord 💬
If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. We all need more fishing buddies. 💌
Read our editorial policy or browse the newsletter archives.
CFS members support and sustain the site, and our community. Learn more about membership benefits. If you're getting value from this work, consider becoming a member and giving back.
