Fly fishing · Fly tying · Bourbon
The cast.
The cask.
Take it slow.
A place for craft, restraint, and ritual — on the vise, on the water, and in the quiet decisions between.
Open bottles tell better stories.
What we’re about
The three crafts
I
The cast
Reading water. Feeling the drift. Knowing when to change one variable — and when to hold still.
II
The vise
Every fly is a decision. Silhouette over shine. The bench is where ideas are tested before they meet the surface.
III
The cask
Good whiskey rewards attention. A small batch, poured slow, at the end of a day on the water.
On YouTube
Current series
Dry Fly Study
Dry flies are not just patterns — they’re decisions. Each part isolates a single variable to explore how a fly behaves, how it reads, and why it earns trust.
- Part 1 — SilhouetteSilhouette over shine.
- Part 2 — FootprintSame silhouette. Different footprint.
- Part 3 — BuoyancyNothing floats forever.
- Part 4 — StabilitySome flies recover.
- Part 5 — DriftSome flies disappear.
- Part 6 — RefusalRefusal isn’t failure.
River Notes
The bridge between bench thinking and real-world decisions. What you do after uncertainty shows up — and the discipline to change only one thing at a time.
- #1 — After a refusalDon’t panic. Don’t restart.
- #2 — Confidence flyTrust beats novelty.
- #3 — When not changing is the changeStillness is a choice.
- #4 — What I change secondSequence matters.
- #5 — Fewer fliesRestraint creates confidence.
- #6 — Open bottles, open waterRitual over performance.
The Shelf
What’s been opened
Not reviews. Notes. What earned its spot after a day on the water.
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill 90th Anniversary
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 107 proof
A milestone bottle worth sitting with. Rich and layered — the kind that rewards patience.
Peerless Distilling Co.
Peerless Toasted Bourbon
Kentucky Bourbon — 108.6 proof
The toasted barrel does real work here. Complex and warm — earns its proof.
H.K. Young Bourbon Co.
H.K. Young Toasted Barrel Finish
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 91.4 proof
Grain to glass with a toasted oak finish. Clean, approachable, and easy to pour twice.
Jefferson’s Bourbon
Jefferson’s Reserve Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 100 proof
A store pick that earned its spot. Dried orange, warm oak, and a finish that lingers.
Redwood Empire Whiskey
Rocket Top Straight Rye
Straight Rye — Bottled in Bond · 100 proof
Northern California grain to glass. Spicy and earthy — worth the pour.
Michter’s
Bomberger’s Declaration
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 108 proof
108 proof with enough weight to slow you down — which is the whole point. One open, one sealed.
Buffalo Trace
Stagg Batch #24C
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 128.9 proof
Uncut, unfiltered. The kind of bottle you pour slowly and think about. High proof done right.
Jack Daniel’s
Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old
Tennessee Whiskey — 107 proof
This isn’t the Jack you know. 12 years and 107 proof changes the conversation entirely.
Old Forester
Single Barrel Rye Barrel Proof
Rye Barrel Strength
High proof rye that rewards patience and a splash of water. Floor 3 selection.
Jim Beam
Old Overholt Cask Strength 12 Year
Straight Rye Whiskey — 117 proof
12 years of patience in a rye. Cask strength means you decide how much water it needs.
Widow Jane
The Vaults 15 Year 2022 Release
Bourbon — 99 proof
15 years is a long time to wait for a pour. This one makes the case that patience is always the right call.
Ross & Squibb Distillery
Remus Repeal Reserve IX
Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 104 proof
A blended straight bourbon that earns its reputation. Rich and balanced at 104 proof.
Woodford Reserve
Master’s Collection Sweet Oak
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 110.4 proof
Sweet oak finish that adds something without overstating it. Worth seeking out.
Redwood Empire Whiskey
Devils Tower High Rye Bourbon
High Rye Bourbon — 99 proof
Sonoma County grain to glass. High rye mash, toasted barrel — more going on than the label suggests.
Heaven Hill
Elijah Craig Toasted Rye
Straight Rye Whiskey — 94 proof
The toasted barrel treatment works as well on rye as it does on bourbon. A solid everyday pour.
Buffalo Trace
Stagg Batch #25A
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 126.5 proof
Still sealed. The right moment hasn’t arrived yet — and that’s part of it.
Michter’s
Bomberger’s Declaration (Sealed)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 108 proof
Bottle 1943 of 2638. Some bottles you open. Some you hold. This one’s still waiting.
Buffalo Trace
Weller Antique 107
Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon — 107 proof
Wheated bourbon at 107 proof. One of the hardest finds on the shelf — still sealed.
Jim Beam
Little Book The Infinite Edition II
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 120 proof
Freddie Noe’s blended straight bourbon project. Still sealed and waiting for the right evening.
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill 90th Anniversary (Sealed)
Kentucky Straight Bourbon — 107 proof
A second bottle — sealed. Some occasions deserve a bottle that’s been waiting for them.
On Instagram
From the feed
Follow along at @castandcask1
About
Cast & Cask
This started as a way to stay sane. Time at the vise, time on the water, and a good pour at the end of it — done with intention and without urgency.
Cast & Cask isn’t a tutorial channel or a gear review site. It’s a place where fly fishing, fly tying, and bourbon get the same treatment: slow down, pay attention, change one variable at a time.
All of it in moderation. All of it on purpose.
“Open bottles tell better stories.”
