Gearing Up to Travel
This topic is top of mind as I’ve spent the last week preparing for a trip north of the border in search of salmon and steelhead on some fabled waters (wish me luck).
While I spend a good deal of time on the water, it’s not often that I need to jump on a plane to do so when it happens, it’s a real treat. That said, it goes without saying that preparation is key whether you are traveling to a remote location where resupplying might be a challenge or you want to avoid missing a day of fishing because of lost luggage.
Here are a few tips that might come in handy:
Ensure you have the right credential to go where you are going – break out that passport and check to see when it expires and if you don’t have one, submit for one as soon as you’ve finalized your destination (according to Travel.State.Gov, normal processing times for a new passport is 10 – 13 weeks but plan for longer). In addition, confirm whether you require a visa to enter the country to which you plan on traveling.
Invest to protect your gear – the last thing you want is to arrive at your destination ready to fish only to find your rod snapped. There are plenty of brands like Fishpond, Searun Cases, Sage, and Simms (to name a few) which offer rod and reel cases designed to stand up to the elements and wear of travel.
Pack in your carry on what you need for your first day of fishing – in most cases, anglers are taking their rods and reels onboard. However, if you are like me and check the rest of your luggage, pack the clothes into your carry one that would allow you to fish for a day or two (personally, in addition a set of tops and bottoms, I pack my waders and a pair of lightweight boots into my carry on just in case).
Follow TSA suggestions and leave the sharp objects in your checked bag – nobody wants to take a chance at losing their lucky fly or beloved set of pliers to the “tax man.”
Don’t put all your eggs in the weather forecast – as I like to say, conditions will and do change. So even if the forecast is telling you that it’ll be in the 80s all week, take what you need in case the thermometer drops unpredictably or if the mornings and evenings might be colder than you think.
Lastly, don’t leave things to chance. A friend of mine is departing from an airport that is about 2 ½ hours from his house. It’s totally doable the morning of a flight but he didn’t want to potentially miss out on a trip of a lifetime because of car trouble or because he overslept – therefore, he’s making the drive the night before.
So there you have it – hope some of these might be new tips to add to your pre-trip repertoire.
Jay
P.S. I sat down with Jason Shemchuk to talk the rewards of constant experimentation, reading water and targeting migratory brown trout in dirty high water, and Jay’s passion for setting newcomers down the path of fly fishing. Take a listen at Wade Out There.
