Traveling to fish is something all of us are familiar with, whether you have to drive to the nearest trout stream hours away or take a plane ride to a far off place to chase new species, it all costs money. So we’re here to share 4 easy ways to save money on fishing trips so you can make your next trip happen under budget!
#1 – Don’t Go Alone
As the old saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This saying rings true for fly fishing travel as well. During college, this was the case for my group of friends, we didn’t have much between us money wise, but by cramming 4 of us in a car and motel room for a weekend, our costs were dramatically lowered and fly fishing adventure was within our grasp. Now that sort of travel might not be for you, but the concept is still true, by bringing along just one fishing buddy with you, the most expensive parts of fishing trips are cut in half. Additionally, many fishing lodges and guiding services offer group discounts if you bring a large enough group along with you, this is a great way to make destination travel more affordable.
#2 – Do Your Research and DIY
One August, after working a corporate internship for the whole summer, I made the responsible decision to blow all of my earnings on a trip to the Bahamas to chase bonefish. Somehow I convince a co-worker to take the leap with me. Neither of us had the budget to pay for a guide every day, so we decided to pick a location where we could try our hand at doing a little bit of DIY fishing. We decided the best strategy was to get a guide for the first full day, to do our best to learn. What resulted was one of the best fishing trips of my life and countless bonefish to hand, but the biggest thing I learned was the value of doing your research, listening to experts and trying to chase challenging fish by yourself.
There are countless ways to research fishing locations, our first stop is usually google maps. After that head to the google machine and start researching. Our facebook group, The Tribe, is a great place to connect with fellow Postfly subscribers and get quick intel on new fishing spots!
#3 – Go During the Low Tourism Season
“Low Season” for a destination doesn’t always mean the fishing is in a low point. In the case of most tropical destinations (Belize, Bahamas, Mexico, etc…), the low season is simply when the tourists aren’t coming, and for the traveling angler, this can be a great thing, cheaper flights and lodging, and more importantly empty beaches.
#4 – Stay on Public Lands
If your fishing adventures are happening in the USA, take advantage of one of the great privileges we Americans get to enjoy, our public lands. And for the most part, these national, state and local parks can offer some great wilderness and fishing opportunities. Additionally, many offer a very nice campsite and cabin rentals for cheap. Now the amenities might not be at the level of the Waldorf, but for just a few bucks a night, you can’t beat it. My personal favorite park to do this in is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which has tons of camping sites with most having beautiful trout streams running right by them.
https://postflybox.com/blog/2019/02/20/how-to-set-up-a-zero-twist-streamer-leader/
https://postflybox.com/blog/2019/01/23/how-to-catch-more-great-lakes-steelhead/
Dan Zazworsky’s passion is sharing his love of fly fishing with anyone that will listen, read or watch. You can find him exploring new waters every day while chasing any fish that will eat a fly!
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