Summer is in full swing, which equates to a lot of “I’d rather be fishing” moments. Fortunately, it also yields a lot of “gone fishing” moments for some of us. After the first few ventures to the waters of Wyoming, in which I invariably forget something essential (fishing license, anyone?), we just may have it down by mid-July. What it boils down to is making a list. In addition to all that one would take for a backpacking venture, the following items make a fishing venture far more enjoyable and simple (if they’re packed in, not left on the kitchen counter).

1)  Fishing rod. Whatever your type, fly-fishing or spinning, you can’t do it without the long skinny pole. The reel is almost as important.

2)  Line. Of all sorts. Leader, tippet … don’t assume your line is still good from last fall or that your cast is always that reliable (if you fish like me, you will catch at least one high branch in a tree behind you).

3)  Bait. Be it flies, lures, a bubble, or just a hook to put a bug on, be sure to bring a means of tempting the fish to be your dinner (or just your photo-op). Do some research beforehand to find out what’s hatching and what is working for other chatty fishermen.

4)  Needle-nose pliers. Be kind to those fish you hope to release. Flatten the barb on your hooks and have tweezers ready for a quick escape.

5)  Knife appropriate for cleaning fish. Once you’ve decided you’re keeping it, you don’t have a choice but to eat it. Don’t carry it around for long, either. The sooner you dig in, the safer, both for the quality of the meal and the bear-attracting scent of fish.

6)  Pan. You know you want to cook up that big, beautiful brook trout.

7)  Oil. You know you don’t want to be scrubbing the fish from the pan for hours after dinner.

8)  Bear rope or a bear fence. It is wise to put all of your fishing gear out of reach of bears.

9)  A backup meal. We’ve all been skunked. Be prepared.

–Casey Dean, NOLS PR Specialist and Writer

Get to the right fishing holes with all your gear!

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