It’s surprisingly common for anglers to show up unprepared to their big fly fishing vacation! With just a little pre-travel preparation, it becomes much easier to hit your spots and land that fish of a lifetime.
"After investing the time and money required to research and book your dream fly fishing vacation, it’s worth developing a few angling skills and checking some easy boxes to ensure you are ready to perform", advises our fly fishing guide and expert, Zach Lazzari.
Top tip: Expert guides can put you right on the fish when you're on your fly fishing vacation, but the ability to make a cast and presentation falls on the anglers.
Here are five ways you can really get prepared, so you can fish like a pro on your angling vacation!
Dial in your fly fishing gear
Always consult with your fly fishing lodge or outfitter in advance, to ensure you have the right fishing gear for your angling vacation.
I remember guiding a father and son on a fly fishing vacation to Chile who, against my advice, insisted on fishing their trusted four weights.
They landed a few average fish before hooking a monster that absolutely blew up the rod. Needless to say, they borrowed my six and seven weights for the remainder of their fly fishing trip!
Bring the right fly fishing gear, rods, reels and lines, or confirm that your fly fishing lodge will have some or all fishing gear available.
Clothing, sun protection, quality waders and rain gear are also essential in many locations (top tip: you'll need it all if you're heading off on a southern hemisphere fly fishing vaction!). There’s nothing worse than leaking waders on an international angling trip!
Test your fishing gear before you leave for your fishing lodge and bring spares if possible. Here's some more useful advice on how to pack for a fly fishing vacation; your essential gear guide.
Practice casting before your fly fishing vacation
Even expert casters should brush up on technique if they haven’t fished for a while.
Hit a big grassy park and find your rhythm. If you’re a newbie, take a lesson or use free videos to get clued up. It takes some time, but a few hours in a park can really help your fly fishing game, it’s such an easy way to build confidence, yet so many anglers skip this process!
If you plan on fishing a two-hand rod on your fly fishing vacation, make sure to work through setups and casting strokes on a pond or local river as well.
The ability to anchor and cast from either side is a huge bonus for two-handers.
Lastly, work on your double haul and cast with a variety of line types. Floating lines and sink tips are a world apart, and you should have the ability to double haul and shoot line with both.
I can’t stress the importance of a strong double haul enough! When you are battling Patagonian winds, or launching heavy bead and flesh fly rigs on an Alaskan fly fishing vacation, it’s a necessary skill.
When a big fish is within range, knowing your rod and abilities makes a world of difference. You definitely won’t regret the extra casting practice!
Learn to manage your fly fishing line
Second to casting is line management. It’s actually more important as a bad cast can hookup but line management can cost you the fish.
Managing your line involves stripping (keep up your slack), feeding line, holding and playing fish, and controlling line while casting.
I lost a big Dorado from the beach in Mexico recently because the line butt wrapped. It caught my foot, snapped up, wrapped and the fish busted me off all in a matter of seconds! Had I cleared the line immediately after the hook set, I would’ve landed that fish.
Key takeaway: Line management is a critical skill in fly fishing.
Prepare for the wind
Wind is a reality we anglers face in every environment and it also can correlate with fantastic fishing. Don’t hunker down at your luxury fly fishing lodge when the wind blows, go fishing!
If you have a strong double haul, that’s a major first step for fishing in the wind.
It’s also advantageous to fish and cast on windy days ahead of your fly fishing vacation, so learn how to use angles, off-hand casts and low roll casts before heading off to your fly fishing lodge so you can cast with confidence while on vacation!
Use the opportunity to learn and advance your skills
Guides spend all day, every day on the water. They are constantly watching, observing and analyzing the fish, anglers, presentations, conditions and more.
On destination fly fishing vacations, take advantage of this knowledge base. Ask questions, accept instruction and fine tune your skills on the water.
Fly fishing is a lifelong game of learning, and being at world-class fly fishing lodges and ranches is the perfect opportunity to level up your skills and abilities!
Start thinking about your bucket list fly fishing vacation today, here are some top tips for planning an epic fly fishing vacation.
Original article written by freelance writer and fishing afficionado, Zach Lazzari.
Co-written, edited and created by Kate Hammaren; luxury and adventure travel writer, editor and world traveler.
About our author, Zach Lazzari
Zach Lazzari is a freelance outdoor writer, fly fisherman and full-time adventure traveler. After a decade of guiding anglers in Colorado, Montana, Alaska and Patagonia, he turned to the travel and media industry to continue pursuing new species in exciting locations. Zach has written for The Drake, Orvis, NRS, and many other brands and publications in the outdoor industry.