For a lot of people, fly fishing in Montana is kind of a side trip and isn't necessarily the focus of their vacation. It might be one of many activities a person choses to participate in over the course of their time out here, which is cool and their expectations usually reflect that. I remember guiding Reba McEntire a few years ago where all she wanted to do was catch "A" fish and then head to the next activity.
She said she didn't want to offend me by not wanting to be on the water all day and my response was, "Sweet, I get to go golfing."
For those who do take it a little more serious, there are definitely things you can do to get yourself into fishing, and into catching, quicker.
What you will learn on the river with a guide in one day is probably 10 times more than what you will learn in a class or even a series of classes so I kind of go back and forth with whether a class is worth the time or money. However, I definitely have guided folks that belong to casting clubs or folks that have taken casting lessons and the one thing that can save a lot of time is just figuring out the casting a little bit and getting comfortable with the dynamics of the rod so you come out with a little confidence. It's not necessary but can be helpful if your goal is getting into "catching" fish quicker and making the most of your time.
If I was going to hold a class to prep folks for coming out fishing I would spend most of the time teaching basic casting skills and land management and leave the rest for the 300 level classes. Being able to mend effectively is much more important than throwing a perfect cast and line-management is key. If you can get a good idea of how to control your line throughout the process of casting, getting a good presentation, hook-sets and then landing fish before coming out, you would put yourself in a great position to be successful.
A lot of folks don't have their own gear, which is totally cool too and honestly, if this is your first fly fishing trip, I'd suggest waiting before dumping a lot of money into gear so you can get a sense of what is appropriate for what you want to do. You'll get a good sense of that by spending a day on the water using a guide's gear so instead of bringing a lot of stuff, it might be best to just bring a lot of questions. And don't be afraid to ask those questions either. You're paying for the trip, you should feel like you've walked away with something.
For those folks who have fished quite a bit and are comfortable with handling a rod, there are things they can do to be more prepared as well. Pull your rod and reel out well before the trip and make sure it's in good working condition. Usually, the rod and reel are fine because there aren't a lot of moving parts or gears to grease but just check to see that the reel is spinning freely and that the drag works. Put the rod together and take a few casts so that you don't have any surprises like a broken tip-top or something when you get out here. It would be a real bummer if you were looking forward to fishing your favorite rod and you put it together on the first day and it had snapped somehow over the winter.
When you pull the line off the reel, make sure it is clean and conditioned and doesn't have a lot of cracks in it. If it is greased well, you can get away with a little wear on the line but if you have too many cracks, you'll find the line sinking quick and it will be a bit frustrating. Good line that floats high in the water is much easier to mend and you will be mending...a lot. It will also help with presentation and hook-sets and casting and just overall fishability. (I know, I made that word up.)
A couple days before the trip you might want to pull the reel out and stretch the line a little. You can do that pretty easily by tying the leader off to an anchor point like a tree or your deck and walk out the entire length of line to the backing. Hold the line tight and back up a couple more steps until the line stretches. Release the tension and do it again. It might take a couple times and in the process, make sure the line doesn't coil back up. If the line is shot, you might see that it's twisted and those twists won't straighten out. No worries, you'll at least have time to reload before the trip and if you don't get to it, there are plenty of shops out here that can help you out.
In the next posting in this series, we'll talk more about what to bring for your trip but for what we're talking about here, there's no need to put a fresh leader on your line. You're guide will undoubtedly have his/her own way of rigging up and his/her own leaders to make that easier for them. Putting a fresh leader on will most likely result in it getting cut off and wasted.
Take inventory of your rods and your gear. Make sure you have the appropriate reel for your rod with the right line on it. Some folks have multiple reels for different types of fishing and many different weights of rods that are stored in the corner of their man caves. Make sure you grab the right reels for the rods you're bringing. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys pull out 4 weight reels with 4 weight lines to put on their 6 weight rods because they just over-looked it.
Don't forget to check your waders. If you plan on doing a lot of wade fishing, make sure all the leaks are found and fixed. It's much easier and much less consequential if you do that in warm water or in the safety of your own home. Finding leaks in 40 degree water is no fun...just sayin.
I wouldn't suggest you work out for fly fishing like some of the big game hunters I know that come out on guided hunts do but you do have to be prepared for long days that can wear people out. When you're getting your gear out and taking some practice casts, maybe spend an hour or so in the yard so you can feel where you might develop some aches and pains and if there's a brace or something that can help, grab it. Also, be prepared to be standing in a boat for a while. That can put quite a bit of pressure on people's backs. I know for myself, I'm good for a few hours but then I'd rather jump back in the rowers seat.
The last thing I'd say about prepping yourself is that although you'll be fishing some of the greatest trout waters on the continent, and the world for that matter, fishing is fishing and sometimes success comes in many forms. Weather isn't always great. Fish aren't always hungry and there are things that we can't control. Expect to have fun. Expect to spend time with a guide that wants the best for you and your group but come knowing that guides aren't gods although sometimes these fish in the Missouri make us look like gods.
Keep 'em where they live...
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