Check Yourself Pt. 2 - Planning a Trip to Fly Fish Montana
Contributor: Shaun Baggitt, Maine
Photo Cred: Alexa King
Check Yourself Pt. 2
As you may recall from the first post in this series, making lists is an essential part of travel. If I had done that prior to writing these posts, I may not have forgotten to include what I consider to be an important part of the packing process, in my last post.
Pack as much spare clothing in your carry on as possible.
Due to my questionable past with airlines and luggage arriving a day later than I do, I admit I’m a little paranoid in this regard. In these instances, I have avoided having to spend extra money on clothing to wear until my luggage starts its vacation. In addition to a change of clothes, I packed my rods, reels, and extra spools in my carry-on. While most outfitters include rod rental in the price of the trip, I personally prefer to use my own gear. I didn’t want to waste any time on the water having to get used to how a different rod casts. However, if you don’t want to run the risk of traveling with your gear, any reputable outfitter will have a variety of high quality tackle you can use.
We left Boston for Bozeman early on a Wednesday morning. Alexa made it through security no problem. I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. Long story short, a bottle of sunscreen caused a complete unpacking and repacking of my backpack, which leads me to my next point.
LEAVE EARLY!
You never know what’s going to happen. Flat tires, traffic, forgotten wallets, and long security lines are just a few of the countless things that can happen on your day of travel. I’d rather wait an extra hour at the gate than miss my flight because I couldn’t make it through security in time
Given the time difference, we got into Bozeman a little after twelve noon. Once we were settled in the hotel, I immediately headed for the outfitter’s shop to take care of getting licenses and any other necessary housekeeping items. I like to make sure everything is done as far in advance of the trip as possible, so all I have to do on the given day is step onto the boat and fish. That night, before bed, we went through our list again and laid out everything we would need for the next day. Again, making a list can be the difference between a great day on the water and a bad one because you forgot something basic like a rain jacket. When we woke up the next morning, we arrived at the outfitters, met our guide, and headed out. On our ride to the river, I made sure to make my next point crystal clear to the guide.
Make sure you give your guide an honest assessment of your skill level and expectations
You’re in Montana. You’re going to catch trout. Any guide worth his weight in flies will understand perfectly when you tell him you’re a novice fly fisherman and that you’re there to learn. Alexa had never picked up a flyrod a day in her life and within the first thirty minutes, she was casting well enough to catch fish. Our guide did a fantastic job of explaining exactly everything he was doing, from why we fished the specific sides of the river, to why we fished specific flies.
Hands down, the weakest part of my game is mending. I will be forever indebted to our guide for taking ten minutes to really show me how to mend. I’ve read all the articles and watched all the videos, but nothing will ever replace learning from someone who’s life is fly fishing. The number of fish I have caught on my home waters has increased drastically since we returned home, and there is no doubt in my mind that my improved mending has led to more consistent, drag free drifts.
Also, if you’ve played the trout game a few times before and want to focus on a specific approach, let your guide know. It’s your trip, and if you want to chuck streamers, chuck ‘em. For me, it’s more about learning and the overall experience than the number of fish, so I was open to trying something new or different. Just be realistic about your expectations. If you’re there during the stonefly hatch and the fish aren’t exactly interested in your 7-inch articulated streamer, don’t blame the guide when you come up empty handed.
As it was my first time in Montana, to say that I was in awe of my surroundings would be the understatement of the century. Having backpacked and fished the mountains of northern Maine for the past year, one thing was blatantly obvious. We do not have mountains on the east coast. They are glorified hills compared to what surrounds Bozeman. This leads me to my next point about your first fly fishing trip to Montana:
Don’t forget to enjoy your surroundings.
If you’re someone who’s just concerned with number of fish caught, getting as many likes on social media as possible, and making sure that your pictures include your “pro staff” logo, you’re probably not paying much attention to this post anyway, so no need to read on. If you aren’t the pro staff type, make sure you take as many moments as possible to soak in your surroundings. Montana is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. No matter what river you’re on, be sure to look around once in a while. When you take photos of your catch (which there is nothing wrong with) try to get some scenery in the background. My girlfriend, being the photographer, can speak a lot more to the technical side, but I can tell you that seeing the mountains in the background of our photos, instead of just a fish lying in the net, evokes far stronger feelings and makes the memories last a lot longer.
