I won't backpack into an area that doesn't have good fishing.......so you can say I'm fairly serious about backcountry fly fishing (for trout). A lot of people take alot of fishing gear into the backcountry but I disagree. Leave the fishing vests and waders at home.

What I take is my 4 piece 6 weight fly fishing rod carried in a lightweight sock (as opposed to an aluminum or plastic tube). Two reels (one with a sinking line, one with the floating line). Instead of taking 4-6 different fly boxes with hordes of different flies, I take one or two big boxes with the flies I'll know I'll need for that particular trip. Instead of waders I fish in my Teva sandals, and if it's too cold for that, my hiking boots and casting from shore has to do. Instead of a fishing vest, I wear a simple lanyard and hang the basic necessity tools (clippers, hemostat, floatant, etc) off of it. All of the other little items (extra reel, extra tippet and leaders, etc) go in my pants/shirt pockets. And sometimes I take an old camera case with strap that I can stuff everything into.

That's all you'll need for fishing high lakes and streams, and it all weighs less than three pounds. This is all you really need: http://www.joshandwillow.com/Nature/Flat-Tops-Trappers-Lake/9187582_q42hH#613197902_zFiE3-A-LB

And keep the frying pan at home, it's just adds more weight and space in you pack. The best way to prepare trout in the backcountry is baking them in HD foil. The foil only weighs grams and there's no cleanup to worry about. After you're done baking and eating off the foil, just throw it back in the fire to burn off all odors, wad it in a small ball and pack it out. And I use various sauce packets from fast food joints to glaze the trout while baking. It's amazing what various BBQ, mustards, relishes, spices, lemon/lime juice, etc packets can do to make a baked trout delicious!!!


Edited by countr21 (03/02/10 03:32 AM)