By David Hulsey
You’ve saved hard earned bucks for a year or two, plopped down a deposit, and anxiously waited for this day to come. The fly fishing trip of a lifetime and you’re ready to catch some fish! Halfway into the day and the fish are being tough customers. The trout seem reluctant to chase your fly into the trees that surround the stream, where your fly lands half the time. A little prep work before your trip would save you some frustration and a few more bucks replacing the guides’ flies lost to the branches. A little prep work can also put more fish in the net.
As I’ve see many times on a few bumper stickers plastered on old pickup trucks, drift boats, and Yeti coolers, “GUIDE NOT GOD”. Sometimes it does not matter how experienced or good your guide is, it may be impossible for him to get his clients to the skill point that they need to be at to catch fish, on the limited time they have. The fly angler can do some work before the trip to cut down the time needed to have a productive and more enjoyable trip. Here are a few tips on this that I’ve garnered over thousands of guide trips during the last two decades.
Trout see color. Wearing bright colored clothing is a sure way to shave off a few fish from your daily total. Wear colors that blend in with the environment. Who’s the best angler on the river? The Great Blue Heron. I wear the same stinky, worn out shirt on almost all of my guide trips; it’s Heron Gray.
Trout see movement. Keep your movement along the creek very deliberant and to a minimum. Learn to cast without a lot of false casts over the fish.
Trout feel vibrations in the water and sense clacking of rocks, splashing water, ripping your fly off the water, etc. Don’t fall in!
If catching fish is important to you, take a casting lesson or two before your trip. Fly Fishers International is the leading fly casters organization in the world and you can find a Certified Instructor most of the time, in your neck of the woods. Most of the time, a cast of 30 feet or less is adequate for eastern trout streams, 60 feet in the west with wind included, and 90 feet with wind for saltwater flats species. This is a rough example, of course.
Line control after your fly is in the water, is critical. Mending your line is something your guide can show you very quickly on the river, but it doesn’t hurt to know what he or she is talking about beforehand.
Dress for the weather and bring a lightweight rain jacket, polarized amber lensed sunglasses, and a hat. Bug spray and sunscreen are a good idea, just keep it off your hands! Trout can smell it and it’ll eat your fly line.
Be at your pre-appointed meeting place on time and sober. Be ready to fish and ready to focus totally on the task at hand; not doing business on your cell phone. It’s hard to concentrate when the fishing is difficult but having focus and the right attitude can go a long way to catching a few fish.
Believe me, there are a thousand other details that can come up on the river, but that’s where the guide comes in. Putting you in good waders and boots with the proper gear to fish with, and the skills of connecting with the fish. Above all else, make sure to look up every now and then and take in the view; that makes the prep work worth it.
Give David Hulsey a call at (770) 639-4001 to book a class or a guided trout trip. See his website at www.hulseyflyfishing.com.