Guided Fly Fishing: Trophy Tips

If you're booking a guided fly fishing trip for the fall, catching a trophy fish can involve a little luck and a lot of planning. Even when you work with the best guided fly fishing outfitters, you can improve your odds of catching the fish of a lifetime, by making a few strategic adjustments.

Here are some guided fly fishing tips to help you catch the fish you'll tell stories about for the rest of your life.

Consult the Charts 

Fish are easier to catch when they are actively feeding. This is particularly true of bigger fish that tend to hunt more strategically than smaller fish.

• Lunar Cycles: the waxing and waning of the lunar cycle can have a big impact on when bigger fish are likely to actively feed. Before you book a guided fly fishing trip, it's always a smart idea to consult a lunar chart. For most fishing locations (tidal fisheries especially), catching the moon as it nears its nadir can prompt bigger fish to feed more actively during the daylight. Conversely, if your guided fly fishing trip will involve night fishing, looking booking a trip to coincide with the lunar nexus will make it more likely for fish to feed actively in the dark of night. Regardless of when you book your guide fly fishing trip, it's always a good idea to look for active lunar cycles. This means avoiding a new and full moon when possible.
• Weather Patterns: although you can't predict the weather months in advance of your trip, you can look for favorable weather patterns. Because fly fishing can be difficult during extreme wind events, do some research on wind patterns for the location of your guided fly fishing trip. Avoiding the windiest times of the year can translate to more accurate casts when stalking trophy fish. You may also want to reach out to local guided fly fishing outfitters for advice on the ideal times of year to book a trip.

Create a Back Up Plan

Not all guided fly fishing trips are going to go as planned. Before you book a guided fly fishing trip, look for videos, blog posts, and social media content that shows the tactics used on similar guided fly fishing trips. From this content, you should create a backup plan that includes extra gear, tackle, and clothing to help you succeed when the fishing and/or conditions make things tough. You can also practice using different rods and flies before your trip to make sure that you're comfortable with your backup plan.