What is a great fishing trip?????

[Red Owl]

I was at Henry's Fork in ID last summer. Really hot and nothing happening. Locals were getting -0-. I was told DAWN is the key. Nothing jumping at dawn. Then told sundown is the key. Nothing jumping at sundown. There were a lot of floating weeds fouling the line- about every third cast I needed to pull weeds off the leader. Several places were difficult to wade due to a soft bottom and weeds- I would have kept sinking. A float boat would be the way to "do" the river.
So......I sought out some tributaries (I'm not a "kiss and tell"- just tributaries). Happy days! Caught cutthroats one after another. Hard bottom, no weeds, could see the fish. Great time.
So a great place is where you find it.

 

[troutn]

Looking to go to Cody and fish in August. Dependent on diesel prices, looking around $600 each. Staying in my camper, cooking some meals, no guide, and eating out some. Looking forward to it! Split two ways-for a 6 day fishing trip is greattt!

 

[mridenour]

Looking to go to Cody and fish in August. Dependent on diesel prices, looking around $600 each. Staying in my camper, cooking some meals, no guide, and eating out some. Looking forward to it! Split two ways-for a 6 day fishing trip is greattt!

There are no fish in Wyoming.

 

[CutThroat Leaders]

After spending many years talking to fly fishers of all different skill levels and experience, I find one thing is true. What makes a great fishing trip to one, often changes much over the course of their fly fishing career. For many of us, at the beginning, the trip was about simply catching fish. Then it morphed into catching lots of fish. As a couple more years go by, the numbers game is no longer as important, but big / beautiful specimens are desired.

Somewhere along the way, sharing our experiences and teaching other new fly fishers often becomes a big part of the fly fishing picture. At my current stage, I find myself daydreaming about this coming years back country trips with my son. I am still young enough to hike many miles with a heavy pack, and live out of a tent for days on end, but I am old enough to know these trips will start to slow in the years ahead. (hoping I have at least 20 yrs left, they sure do go by quick).

I remember a couple years back at a show in Pleasanton CA; I met an older gentleman whom was 73 when he hooked his first trout on a fly rod. He relived a recent trip he had made to Silver creek here in Idaho. Long story short, this new fly fisher hooked into a very large brown (yes, I saw the pics) just a few months into his fishing career. This guy relived the story to me and literally began dancing a jig in my booth do to his excitement. I can only assume it, but to this gentleman, hooking into a monster brown on a tiny fly at Silver creek, makes for a pretty good fly fishing trip.

 

[troutn]

There are no fish in Wyoming.

Oh, I guess we will have to re-consider.

 

[mridenour]

Oh, I guess we will have to re-consider.

I'll make do there. After all, Larry is expecting us.

 

[troutn]

After spending many years talking to fly fishers of all different skill levels and experience, I find one thing is true. What makes a great fishing trip to one, often changes much over the course of their fly fishing career. For many of us, at the beginning, the trip was about simply catching fish. Then it morphed into catching lots of fish. As a couple more years go by, the numbers game is no longer as important, but big / beautiful specimens are desired.

Somewhere along the way, sharing our experiences and teaching other new fly fishers often becomes a big part of the fly fishing picture. At my current stage, I find myself daydreaming about this coming years back country trips with my son. I am still young enough to hike many miles with a heavy pack, and live out of a tent for days on end, but I am old enough to know these trips will start to slow in the years ahead. (hoping I have at least 20 yrs left, they sure do go by quick).

I remember a couple years back at a show in Pleasanton CA; I met an older gentleman whom was 73 when he hooked his first trout on a fly rod. He relived a recent trip he had made to Silver creek here in Idaho. Long story short, this new fly fisher hooked into a very large brown (yes, I saw the pics) just a few months into his fishing career. This guy relived the story to me and literally began dancing a jig in my booth do to his excitement. I can only assume it, but to this gentleman, hooking into a monster brown on a tiny fly at Silver creek, makes for a pretty good fly fishing trip.

I would agree as things change over the seasons of life. I enjoy the wildlife, fishing in extreme elements, good food and banter at a favorite local diner, catching brown trout, trying new techniques, new flies, fishing with friends and family. Not to mention finally getting a take from a finicky adversary.

 

[TWadle]

This is my latest favorite spot :secret:

The brown spot in the middle is a free forest service campsite
The drive is about 7 hours on pavement and then a good bit of additional time on unmaintained logging roads
The closest town ain't close so all supplies including food and beverages come from home. Arrive prepared.
The only expenses beyond what I'd be paying if I stayed home is for a non resident fishing license and the gasoline.
There's no guides, there's no fees, just wild, native trout and lots of 'em :thumbsupu

That's my kinda location - REMOTE

 

[texastroutbum]

I would agree as things change over the seasons of life. I enjoy the wildlife, fishing in extreme elements, good food and banter at a favorite local diner, catching brown trout, trying new techniques, new flies, fishing with friends and family. Not to mention finally getting a take from a finicky adversary.

This paragraph resonates so much about my reasons for fishing trips. If I add one more, for me, my joy of fishing trip includes meeting perfect strangers who are randomly so kind to others. They offered me their honey holes, secret flies (with a tongue in cheek threat to kill me if I diverge their secrets), and beers. I know that many anglers here had unpleasant experiences with other anglers. But I have been fortunate.

 

[jhardin80]

I cast with my right hand, and if the fight is long enough, change over and fight with my left. A great trip is when both arms are worn out.

I live in Colorado, so everyone thinks I fish out of my back door. WRONG!!! It's about 2 hrs. drive to just about anywhere I want to fish. Say 180 miles or so round trip. Figure up gas prices this week, and mileage in your vehicle.

There's usually some sort of parking fee- figure $7/ day. Not much, but still annoying, IMO.

The one close- in trip I like to do is to camp out in Salida and float the Arkansas right after runoff. Campsite is $16/ night, food- how much you got? Float for 2 at ArkAnglers is around $400, usually money well spent.

CAB

Same for me as we live in the same place. Do you ever camp at the Salida East place? It's free to camp there (I think this year mid summer they are going to start charging though. That is my favorite spot to go, big spaces so you aren't right on top of other people and good fishing all along the Ark!

Actually, I'm going down tomorrow to fish with my father. We aren't going all the way to Salida but to the spikebuck state place just outside of Canon City.

 

[cab]

Do you ever camp at the Salida East place?

Never camped there. If I camp on the Ark, I like the Pleasant Valley campground in Howard, across the river. Not expensive, a small piece of private water, and no road noise.

Have a good time with your Dad.

CAB

 

[rsagebrush]

Where I live now I have a choice of Natives, Stockers, holdovers, wild trouts; Smallmouth, largmouth, sunfish, carp, Musky all within 20minutes to an hours drive. Seems almost like heaven.

When I lived in Reno it was mainly trout in Reno and along the Eastern Sierra.

I traveled a lot east, mid continent and west, Central and South America. Always carried some fishing gear. If you have Tenkara gear, a recent acquisition of mine, and plan it right it takes up no space at all, and your client's don't realize your having fun at all.

Fishing's is always good, catching varies.

I have been blessed, it was and is fun, and it goes too fast, so enjoy.

 

[huntschool]

rsagebrush:

It is "almost like heaven" according to John Denver.... "almost heaven, West Virginia" ,from "Take Me Home Country Road"

 

[aziila]

Guys, I am going to say that all of you have shared here really nice stuff about the fishing trips which is good. Being a fishing lover, I really liked it and found ll of this helpful and valuable fo me. So, nice sharing guy and keep it up in the future too.

 

[gidva]

Dorado!

https://youtu.be/D9bev3gqtns best fishing trip ever. Monkeys, scenery, parrots to name a few. Also very affordable

 

[karstopo]

I'm very lucky to have many thousands of acres of public water, miles and miles of great marsh, bay, creek and river within 45 minutes of home. So the costs are pretty minimal. A little gas for my old 1998 GMC Z71, the cost of whatever fly hooks and materials I might use and lose on a trip, and an occasional ramp fee of $5.

Obviously, it's not coldwater trout. The closest trout fishery, the Guad, is 4 hours away. But my local waters do offer an interesting variety of fish that each have their own habits and hangouts, fish that can take you into the backing in a hurry, good sight casting chances right along with various types of structure to probe, and a reliable source of fresh, delicious fish for the table.

It's a year around fishery. Summer, my least favorite time because of the mid day heat and crowds, still gives me a shot at relative solitude in the marshes and secondary bays. The rest of the year is fantastic with less folks on the water and comfortable temperatures to enjoy exploring wherever my WS Commander, friend's boats, or legs will take me.

I've done cold water trout trips to New Mexico and Colorado. I love the scenery and the scented mountain air. I love standing in a mountain stream soaking it all in. I could dream of a life where summers are spent near a wild trout stream high in the Rockies. I feel I have but barely scratched the surface on the glories and subtleties of cold water trout fishing.

But, it's hard to imagine living permanently very far away from my coastal paradise. That's where my heart is. I live in constant anticipation of the next trip. I relive the successes of the previous trip along with the regrets from the failures. One good fish can send me sky high for days. Bad shots and missed hook sets only make me want the next trip to come sooner with a chance at redemption. I like that the puzzle and pattern is different every day even if I were to fish the exact same spot. Sometimes, I think fly fishing is making me crazy. Other times, I know fly fishing is keeping me sane. The worst days are the ones I have off and it's blowing 25kts with thunder and lightning.

 

[troutslayer3373]

 

[troutslayer3373]

Wow. You should almost be able to go to Montana for that much. Look into Missoula, MT had a blast there. KOA right in town has those little cabin things and fishing is awesome in many rivers around there. I took a trip with a guide from a fly shop right in mall near KOA for like $300-400 then wade fished the rest of time there. You'll catch more fish in one day there with a guide than a week dinking around in a lot of other places around the US. Plus MT is beautiful. Good food, Great fishing, not crazy expensive. I can't wait to go back. I think you can fly right into town. rent a car and go nuts. Good luck where ever you go!

 

[littledavid123]

I don't think it' possible to zero this down to one trip in particular so will divide into the most memorable to me. My daughter was 13 and was beginning to find her grove fly fishing. She was fishing a small swift water stream when we spotted a nice brown hiding under a low hanging branch on the far side of the stream, we studied the situation and came up with a plan. She waded in about 25 feet above his hide, stripped out line and let the fly drift down to him. The fish took her fly and the next several minutes were just beautiful. I netted her catch, didn't have a tape measure but the fish was on the plus side of twenty inches. It was also the last time she allowed me to net for her, she wanted to show dad that she could do that too.

I was in Montana traveling the dirt roads near my place and searching for a secluded stream. I found several but one in particular called out to me. I suited up and took off walking, not stopping to fish until out of site. There were no other footprints, perhaps because I was in prime grizzly habitat surrounded by those thick brushy willows. My thought of bears disappeared after the first cast of my hopper. Two cutthroats came a foot out of the water attacking my fly, With every new hole discovered that day there were fish for my taking. If there was ever a one perfect day of fishing, that was it.

The last great trip I took was actually the first time I purposefully fished with a partner. Jason "Labrador Guy" and I took a road trip to Wyoming for 5 days of fishing. The catching was not that great but I did catch my first rainbow over 20" so that was memorable in itself. We had Jasons HUGE ice chest filled with choice fixins and on the last night we ate with our neighbors and that guy cooked like a chef. Actually he was a chef and owns a restaurant with a great wine cellar as proved by the bottles he opened that night. It was a wonderful trip and even Mcnerney came down and spent one day with us. I don't know what the trip costs as we split everything but I do know the return on investment was one of my better investments.

Dave

 

[gpwhitejr]

I guess it depends on how you define "great." I have gone deep sea sportfishing in various places in the US and other countries, and that is always a fun time on a family vacation (usually we have been able to combine it with some scuba diving). Bonefishing in Cozumel was also great. On the other hand there is a trout stream and a bass pond within short bicycle rides from my house, and that is great in its own way (cheap, easy and accessible anytime). Come to think of it, there is a little stream that flows through my neighborhood. I have never seen anyone fishing in it, but it looks promising and I found some hydrologic surveys online that vaguely mention fish. I am going to try it this spring; if productive that would really be great, a three minute walk (shorter if one of my neighbors doesn't mind me cutting through his backyard).

My wife and I are going to Yellowstone in the fall, I imagine that will be great.