This is Part II of a two part series on adventure travel and fly fishing. Click here, if you missed Part I.
If you are planning a do-it-yourself-trip and leaving the borders of the United States, the internet can be another great place to begin your research and perhaps one of the timeliest sources of data. Tide charts, moon phases, basic fly patterns and other great information are typically just a google search away. You can often find recent postings or fishing reports from other travelers who have recently been down or around your target destination. Buyer beware: make sure you understand who posted the information you are reading and when it was published. There is a lot of dated information that exists on the internet. The web is a great source of information to help augment your research but the internet is not a great tool for primary research and planning if you are going overseas. Here is a do-it-yourself list of questions that you can use to start your planning and preparation:
- When is the prime fishing season for your targeted species?
- Rods, reels, line type, and flies?
- What other species are available?
- Are fish more active during a specific moon phase – does the time of the month make a difference?
- Tidal charts?
- Clothing/Special Gear (are you going to be walking on hard coral flats and do you need wading boots)?
- Is replacement gear available if needed?
- Passport/Visa?
- Travel and Transfers?
- Local Accommodations?
- Are guide services available?
- Currency and credit card ease of use?
- Emergency Medical Options?
- Do you need to take any health precautions (vaccinations, etc)?
Although you might only think your local shop guys as local trout gurus on your surrounding waters, there is a good chance they’ve done some international travel with the short tube. Here at Trout’s Fly Fishing, we’ve traveled extensively: Bolivia, Belize, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, British Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica just to name a few. If we haven’t been there, chances are we have a friend-of-a–friend-of-a-fishing-pal who has traveled to the 4 mile by ½ mile strip of land that you are targeting. We have a passion for travel and fishing and we’re always willing to share whatever pointers we have if it can help you gain an edge on your trip.
“Trout's has a staff of well traveled anglers who are here to help and to make sure you are prepared,” said Tucker Ladd, Owner of Trout's Fly Fishing. “So whether you're headed out locally, nationally or internationally, be sure to stop by or give us a call before your next outing, as we're always here to make your time on the water as successful as possible.”
Not into a do-it-yourself trip? If you are looking for solid expertise from people who book travel fly fishing as their primary business, we recommend Fly Water Travel, and here’s why.
“Our clients continue to work through us for a number of reasons. The first is that our goal is to create long term trust based relationships with our customers,” said Ken Morresh. “What this means is that we are honest to a fault and fully disclose the good the bad and the ugly. We don’t like our guest to be surprised. We would rather not send someone on a trip than send them on the wrong trip because we want to be trusted advisers for the long haul. Our services are free (meaning that we sell trips as the same price as one would get when booking direct) and we can make objective comparisons between options based on personal experience. Don’t get me wrong, freelance fishing is a beautiful thing and I am jealous of those that have the time to pursue it properly, but for me as a working stiff, and for the majority of our clients, working with an agent and doing everything in their power to quickly and efficiently secure a successful trip just makes sense.”
For more information on Fly Water Travel:
Fly Water Travel
“Fly Water Travel is a team of fly fishing and travel experts exclusively dedicated to arranging trips to the world’s finest fishing destinations.”
http://www.flywatertravel.com/
27 THIRD ST, ASHLAND, OR 97520
800-552-2729 or 541-488-7159
Figuring out the right questions about adventure travel is the easy part. Seeking out the right answers from a credible source is the challenge. It’s just like putting together the pieces to an intricate puzzle – but first you have to find the pieces because they didn’t come in the box. The more work you put into your trip on the front end the more you’ll get out of it – and figuring it out can be half of the fun. Cheers!
