So, what's your flyfishing vacation mindset?

[Flyfisher for men]

Another post got me thinking about my approach to fishing trips that get me out of town.
How about all of you? What's your way to do it?

Mention a fishing trip to me and I'm normally thinking trout water, finding a campground, pitching a tent, campfire, etc.

I like to camp in the first place, and being a monk/priest means I have a small budget. Camping is an easy way to lower expenses.

Obviously, I'm not married, either, and I don't really have any flyfishing friends. Doing it on my own becomes a big influence on my planning. For instance, I'll probably have to pay for all of the gas. People around me on the river is actually a positve (within reason) since I get a lot of solitude in camp. I look for good books to read by lantern and campfire, and I frequently retire early (which makes it easy to be up early for an early morning fish). History museums and historical sights (especialy battlefields) are great, either to see as I travel or to take a break. I do a lot of cooking with tinfoil over a fire--I have to wash all of the dishes.

So, what about you? How do you go about it?

 

[mridenour]

I let my fishing buddy do all the planning. He loves it. We leave in less than two weeks on a trip to Cody, WY and he has the itinerary, the menu, the campground reservations and lists of things to bring. I just have to get all my stuff together and help with the driving. He is the perfect fishing partner since I tend to just fly by the seat of my pants. Of course, all of his plans are subject to change but they give us a basic idea of what we can accomplish in the time we have.

 

[streamborn_jr77]

My fishing trips are always last minute ideas that i spring on the wife and she cant really say no if i have the truck already packed lol. In general i love to explore new water! I live in utah so i am only 4 hours from henry's 5 hours from yellow stone 3 hours from the green 5 hours from san juan etc... I have explored most of these waters already i think my next trip is gonna be Montana i have a buddy who is stationed near Helena so i cant wait to get out there!

 

[Rip Tide]

The campin' is just as important as the fishin' to me and I'm pretty particular about the campsite. I'm not about to spend my vacation in any old trailer park or family campground.
We stayed in this remote site on a lake in NW Maine a few weeks ago. Same one as we had last year

 

[MoscaPescador]

Here is my camping mindset. The trip is usually solo or with one other person. If it is with another person, we split the cost 50/50. My preference is a campsite off the beaten path or one in a campground in the middle of the week to avoid the crowds. I cannot fall asleep until after 11:00 PM, so I spend the night reading.

Over the years working in different facets of the outdoor retailer industry, I have formed a network of crash pads. Between Mt. Shasta City and Mammoth Lakes, California, I have at least 10 different sofas and beds that I can crash on. All I need to bring are a case of beer, a small box of my personally tied flies, and a bag of lumpias. All these locations have great fishing within an hour's drive.

I usually go on trips to different Margaritavilles. The hotel rooms must have air conditioning. They must be on the beach where all I have to do is cross the beach to get to the pangas. A bar under a palapa is a bonus.

Dennis

 

[kglissmeyer1]

I have a bit different mindset about 'trips' since I live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with so many world-renown waters just a short drive away. I am blessed to live where I do. Unfortunately I still have to work full time and provide a living to pay the bills. Day trips are to local waters such as the South Fork of the Snake River - 15 minutes away; lower Henry's Fork - 45 minutes; upper Henry's Fork 1-hour; Henry's Lake 1 hour 15-minutes; Montana's Madison River and hour-and-a-half and so on.

We can be on the Big Lost River in just under two hours; Silver Creek in 2-1/2; and many others with not much travel at all. When we do travel it is rivers such as Utah's Green River or the Provo. So many to chose from!

South Fork of the Snake River, ID:


No-Tellum Spring Creek, Southeast Idaho:




Henry's lake, ID:




Local Pond:




Owyhee River, OR:




Lower Henry's Fork, ID:


Upper Henry's Fork, ID - Harriman:


Box Canyon:




Anyway, enough of that. I am very blessed to live where I do. So many pay thousands for a trip to the area I have in my backyard. Not rubbing it in (well maybe a little ), it's just the way it is...

Kelly.

 

[yonder]

I normally camp alone, usually in a campground along or near the blue ridge parkway. I get up early to fish, then I tend to enjoy a good book in the evening, while partaking in the briar pipe, and the tin cup. I use a cabin style tent with plenty of standing room. I sleep on a cot, and also have a small table and camp chair available in case it rains. I also cook over the fire and tend to eat very well!! I also bring plenty of seasoned firewood to share with any "neighbors"........

 

[Rip Tide]

I also bring plenty of seasoned firewood to share with any "neighbors"........

Here in New England, the first thing that they do when you book a campsite is to remind you that bringing firewood is against the rules and in some places even illegal.
Too many invasives
The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid has wiped out huge old growth fores around here, but the ones that they seem most concerned about now are the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Both of which are spread by being transported in fire wood

 

[Ard]

A tent camp has become a means for being at the same place for multiple days without having to deal with the mileage to & from and to be there at 6:00 AM. to fish. The 6:00 AM thing is regulations during salmon season, you must stop at 11:00 PM and may not fish before 6:00 AM.

The mileage thing comes into play because I do my best to find a place where there will not be a bunch of boats traveling the river before 8 or 9 AM. There is no road access to any of the places I fish but I am not the only guy with a jet boat. Because of this getting 20 - 80 miles from a boat launch and setting up a tent camp provides some privacy.

Camps are pretty Spartan, either my old Jansport Yellowstone tent or the North Face Expedition 25 depending on the length of the stay. Generally I don't make fires unless they are small affairs at rivers edge to cook a burger on a portable grill. I use a Sno-Peak stove to make coffee and to boil water for hydrating foods. If there is a cooler involved I take some additional goodies but usually keep things simple.

This was a 5 day stay in the big tent.

Other than the trampled grasses you couldn't even tell I had been there when I left. I find so many sites where people built fires and because they had no saw or axe they drag whole logs to a fire and try to burn them. What is left creates an eyesore for me. If I do make fire I have a Sven Saw with me to cut wood and an axe to split up some kindling.


This; an overnighter with a chair along.


This is a float trip, even though I took down every morning after fishing I used the larger tent because the weather was threatening something new every night.


By July 13 I'll be camped on a remote river for a while. It's a park the boat and hike to fish kind of location. Although the river is large enough to be navigable last falls flooding rearranged part of the lower river in such a way that ascending by boat is not possible. In a way this is good because there are no boats up there at all

 

[captbob]

When I go it's usually not the way I used to when I was younger. I use to love to camp like we did on this trip. I did a trip for Muskie last month with my fishing partner, we both paid for the 3 day 2 night primitive camping for a few days when we got home, worst thing was we had a N.E. wind 15 to 25 the first 2 days and the morning of the 3rd, about 10:00 it laid down to 10 to 15 mph. couple very small fish was all we seen caught.

This is the way I like to camp on fishing trips today, and when my other half goes with me it's this or a motel!

 

[yonder]

Here in New England, the first thing that they do when you book a campsite is to remind you that bringing firewood is against the rules and in some places even illegal.
Too many invasives
The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid has wiped out huge old growth fores around here, but the ones that they seem most concerned about now are the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Both of which are spread by being transported in fire wood

We have similar rules, here in North Carolina........and the origin of my firewood is not from an area on the federal quarantine list that is included in the signed campground agreement. Actually, my wood comes from about 10 minutes from the parkway itself.........

 

[mikel]

1. Alone...several times/year normally. Minimalist camping...sleep in the shell of my Tacoma...(this is E Sierra trips). Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, fish when you want. 4-7 days duration

2. Camping with friends....nice tent, good gear, nice meals, shower every other day...life is good...(Again, E Sierra). 3 or 4 trips/yr. I usually plan meals, etc. 7-10 days duration

3. Touring with friends...rental cabins or moderate hotels, guided fishing 2 or 3 times in a week and sight seeing/fishing on our own between (Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado) So far this is an annual thing....We share planning and making arrangements. 7-10 days

4. My wifey and I do road trips too...and I get to fish a bit on them. We've done Vancouver Island, Durango area, Virginia, Lot's of trips thru Montana, Banff, etc. these can take 2 weeks to a month, especially with my bride retiring next year.

I seldom fish longer than 5 hrs at a time and sometimes do touristy stuff for a day and only fish early/late when it's best anyway...

 

[comeonavs]

Unfortunately I'm at that stage of life/career that time is not a huge luxury so I can't be to picky. Anytime I can pull my travel trailer near some river I am happy.

I certainly don't rough it anymore , but there are no cell phones, tv's etc. I do grind my own coffee beans, prep some breakfast food and bring the generator so I can make my coffee and sit out in silence staring at the water.

I'll have coffee / breakfast then fish. Come back for an afternoon nap and then head back out before grilling a burger for dinner

 

[Flyfisher for men]

I get up early to fish, then I tend to enjoy a good book in the evening, while partaking in the briar pipe, and the tin cup.

Ahhh.... if life could be like this every day. A little tobacco and a tin cup makes for perfection.


I hope I haven't made anyone stir crazy with this thread.

 

[BigJim2x]

I just returned from such reverie. My other wing and I had a big vacation in May/June (we went to China and Tibet) but when my mind wandered it was to the prime fishing I was missing - winter had hung on to almost the time we left and then the rains, so I couldn't get gone before. Upon returning I was informed at my employment that we were all having the week of the 4th off paid so the first thing I did was book a campsite at a State Park known for its prime trout waters. Because of the 4th I could only have a site Sunday night through Wednesday night.

A tent, cook stove; cooler with breakfast, dinner, a loaf of bread and peanut butter and jelly. Coffee at the fire and yes, a briar too:clap:. There is an abandoned town that is a living museum at the Park but the fishing is what brought me. The campground is a State Park but the sites are well screened by low brush and trees - kind of private save an occasional loud voice and some camper in the next loop who likes Johnny Cash and wanted to share that appreciation in the afternoon with the other campers. The main river is well known but what peaked me was a spring fed tributary creek. The creek has a gravel hiking trail next to it that goes back to the headwaters. Both days I was on the creek I saw one couple hiking the trail, otherwise nary a soul save me and the fish - great time !

Jim

 

[chechem]

I just returned from Yellowstone (see the thread link below) for 10 days. I had a simple tent. I've camped and stayed in a tent since the 1970s, so despite getting old I still enjoy the simplicity of it.

You go to a place for the daylight hours, and fish till you drop. You survive the nights, so a tent works. Just a tent and bedding, not a ton of gear.

Those who want to take their house and yard furniture camping with them are creating a monster. I know there are reasons for generators and RVs, but it's not my idea of fishing. Generators and RVs should be banned from camping areas near trout streams.

I go alone; leave the wife at home. When we travel together I usually don't fish, and we stay in a lodge. Rarely do I go fishing with a friend or relative, because seldom can we coordinate the trip (at my age). Fun to have a companion, but difficult to schedule for flyfishing. I've met some wonderful people at campsites, both campgrounds and back-country camps.

Now, we've been talking mostly trout fishing. When I go to the tropics for Bonefish, etc (Belize most often), I stay in a cabana without a.c. Hammocks are for naps; cabanas for surviving the night.

It's all catch and release of trout for me. Wish it were more widespread.

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/general-discussion/323234-yellowstone-park-fishing-trip.html