Hiking for Fishing

I love fly fishing but I don't like crowds. I also love hiking. Put the two together and you eliminate the crowds. 99% of people in this world aren't going to go more than a couple hundred yards down a trail which means that those that are willing to hike a few miles and set up camp or do a day trip are rewarded by solitude and trout that haven't seen a thousand flies in the last week.

Finding fishing secrets always starts with someone who is willing to share a secret. You would be surprised to find that is easier to make happen than you think. I live in Montana so there are still thousands of secret places where trout are eager to take your fly but many of them require a 2-5 hour hike in.

I will give you a couple of resources on finding a spot to get away from crowds, hike and hopefully catch some fish. Here is one site that I would recommend looking at. I would also suggest calling forest ranger stations, talking to National Park Rangers and even calling Fish & Game Departments. If you are nice and chat them up and have a good lead in to get them talking you will be surprised how many ideas you can come up with. I would also call fly shops in the area you will be visiting.

You can also find a surprising number of You Tube videos that will give you general areas and ideas for fly fishing/hiking ideas in your neck of the woods. I have attached one below as an example but there are literally hundreds out there.

If you have never been hiking that is something to consider. I would suggest going to this site to get some ideas on hiking and equipment you will need. I would strongly suggest that you take some small one hour hikes to see if you are going to like it and to get in shape. Especially if you are a flat lander and are coming to the mountains. It can be very inspiring and life changing. This young lady has found it to give her great confidence.

Some of the most special fishing trips I have had have been in streams or mountain lakes that have been 4-5 hour hikes that we would camp overnight. Trout that haven't seen flies and haven't been caught will readily take a fly. They also usually have had the opportunity to grow up a bit. All of the above makes for good fishing and good exercise.

See you in the mountains!