HOMEWORK – PLAN A

November 02, 2009

I’m still working on passing on what information I can to help you catch more fish. I’ve been recommending an out-of-print book, Gary Borger’s Presentation, and if you’ve found an in-print, more current book which is heavy on the same subject (Presentation) I would appreciate you posting the name of the book, plus author and publisher on our Bulletin Board. There is a reasonably new topic on the board called "Readers Voice" which is an opportunity for our readers to comment on any of the weekly articles here on FAOL, feel free to post your favorite book on Presentation there.

Webmaster's note: you can use the "Comment on this article" link at the bottom of this page..

Sometimes catching more fish - or any fish for that matter - depends on doing your homework. If you were going on a big road trip to one of the famous places, say Yellowstone National Park, and were planning on fishing the big streams/rivers there, what would you do in advance? You might post something about the trip (dates when you’re planned to be there would be nice) on our Bulletin Board and ask other readers what their experience has been. Maybe you would ask what time of year is best, or what streams they found most productive. Which flies they tied and what were the fish really taking. You might even ask if there was anything you should know about that you hadn’t asked. (It could happen.)

Asking about the weather is probably an excellent idea. We had friends fishing Yellowstone and the adjoining regions who were severely snowed on the first week of October. One of them told me he had some interesting thoughts as he was standing nearly chest deep in fifty degree water and being aware it was snowing - really snowing. That was on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, Idaho.

Being prepared is a good thing. If you are flying to a destination you may not want to pack warm clothes and really cold clothes but for sure you best pack rain clothes. If you are driving it can be easier to take a wider assortment of clothing, but in most areas of the U.S. you can find a discount mega store of some kind. Better to spend a few bucks than to have hypothermia from not dressing properly. By the way, toss in a couple of hats while you are packing. One for warm temps and one to wear when you’re sure your ears have frozen.

Places to stay? Any state tourist bureau will provide a listing of accommodations, and I’m sure a little research on Goggle will give you an assortment of places fitting both the budget and the desire to have a dry, warm bed. I’ve stayed in some pretty ‘rustic’ places in my lifetime, and must say it didn’t hurt. In our information age you can find a place to stay almost anywhere, but don’t wait until you get there. Big mistake.

Homework? What homework?

Well, how about some reading. There has been something written on nearly everything, including places to fish. You really need to know what to expect. For example, some places in the west have high, run-off water until early July. That means not necessarily fishable. In some places the water isn’t open, because seasons vary widely. Don’t be disappointed, know what to expect.

What do you do if the water you planned to fish isn’t fishable? Now what? It pays to have a secondary plan in case of the worst scenario.

Know your flies, and that takes us back to the reading. Matching the hatch isn’t a joke. We’ve laughed about people who show up to fish somewhere with beautifully tied flies, just not the ones they need. I’m sure it is the same everywhere. Do the research. It might be as simple as reading a post on our board, or if the region is well known, look for books, or at least articles on what is hatching and when. Yes, it requires some work and some thought too, but if you don’t do it, no one wants to hear you whine about all the fish you didn’t catch. That includes me.

Even when you plan to take even a short local fishing trip, do your homework. When you are fishing, there really isn’t a Plan B.

The Ladyfisher

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