by Mike Wilson, May 03, 2004

Spring ushers in the travel season for most fishermen and trips to famous lakes and streams are often high on the priority list.
Many fisherman, especially those with children, struggle with planning a fishing trip that won’t break the bank. This month’s
article will suggest a few ways to have a great vacation while keeping the costs down.

Location, Location, Location

The increase in the popularity of fly fishing has also caused an increase in the cost of fishing in certain areas of country, namely
Montana and Colorado. Any lake or river that is famous in the folklore of fly fishing should cause one to pause and consider
the tourist trap often associated with that reputation. This isn’t to say that you can’t go and fish a famous lake or stream but
don’t plan on staying on the lake, in town or near the hot fishing holes unless you are willing to pay a lot more money. A
favorite tactic of mine is to find a no name town within an easy drive of my destination and find a campground or hotel there.
By losing the name recognition, you can often save 20-40% or more on you’re over night costs. These small towns often have
hotels with refrigerators or microwaves in them thus reducing your meal costs and giving your more value for your dollar. By
eliminating one meal out a day you can save $20-40 each day of the trip for the average family of 4.

Do You Need A Guide?

As passionate as I am about being frugal, one might assume that I would be quick to jump on my soap box and exclaim how
guides are unnecessary. I think I would be doing you a disservice if I made a blanket statement like that. I do believe that
many bodies of water are fishable and productive for the first time fisherman if they do their homework but I also believe that
there are certain bodies of water that require the hiring of a guide to make the trip both cost effective and fun. After all, why go
through the expense of taking a fishing vacation if you are going to get skunked or feel lost the whole time? Here is an example
of how hiring a guide really paid off for our family.

In 1997, our family headed up to Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. Kootenay is famous for rainbows up to 30 pounds and
we were planning to target them for a week. My father in law hired a guide for us the first day we were there to show the
various hot spots in the lake and to get us up to speed on the lake that week. Though we didn’t catch a fish over 3 pounds
with our guide, we were able to take the information he gave us and boat two 34 inch rainbows in the 17-20+ pound range
and numerous fish in the 3-5 pound range by weeks end. Those were fish of a lifetime for Anton and I and it was money well
spent. I am confident that we would not have caught those fish if it were not for our guide showing us the key tactics for fishing
the lake.

In my opinion, certain bodies of water usually warrant spending the money for a guide while you are there. Any large lake with
a unique species, deep bottom or unique food base should be on your list. Rivers or spring creeks that have limited public
access and high pressure should also be considered. Nothing ruins a day of fishing like showing up at the public access areas
and having to wait in line with other fishermen to get your crack at the stream. You may also want to consider hiring a half day
guide if you are fishing outside of your region. The typical insect hatch in New England is considerably different then what you
find in our region.


Doing It Yourself

If your trip is planned to an area with lots of public access, a similar food base as your region and a species of fish that you are
familiar with, you can have a fantastic experience if you do a little advanced research. A series of books that I am quite fond of
is called, “A Fly Fisherman’s Guide to Idaho (or most other western states.) By using the Idaho guide, I was able to teach
myself a lot about the St. Joe River and probably shaved off several years of trial and error. The books discuss insect hatches,
prime fishing locations, public access and overnight accommodations so are well worth the investment. Most public libraries
also carry them.

Being able to read lake and river structure is really the key to being successful on unfamiliar water. If you are good at doing
this then research just enough to point you in the right direction. I find that part of the joy of fly fishing new water is figuring out
what works on my own. If you aren’t as skilled at this or you want to catch fish right away, look up regional fly shops in the
area and visit one as you enter town. Just make sure you show your thanks for the information by purchasing some small items
before you leave. The internet also has some good information available for those willing to look. www.flyfish.com offers
fishing reports, forums and articles about regional waters and is a good resource for fishing in the U.S. and Canada. There are
many more regional web sites like this one that can provide the latest fishing information.

The bottom line is we are blessed to live in region of the country that offers endless fishing opportunities. Get out there,
explore and don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path. My favorite and most productive river won’t be found in any fly fishing
magazine but offers wild rainbows all day long without seeing another fishermen. Sure I have to drive a ways to get there but
taking rainbow all day long without having to fight for space makes it worth it!

Next issue I will discuss fly fishing opportunities on Lake Roosevelt!

Mike Wilson
frugalflyguy@aol.com