Casting Across isn’t a travel agency. That works out pretty well for you, because that means my expertise in the realm of fly fishing getaways is available at no cost whatsoever.

No thanks are necessary. Your angling enjoyment is all the gratitude I need.

Below is my six-step process for planning and executing a fly fishing vacation. I guarantee that it will work for all budgets. Furthermore, I guarantee your complete satisfaction.

Step 1: Dream Big

Mongolia. Iceland. New Zealand. These are the places featured in fly fishing films and magazine cover stories. The fish are big. The scenery is breathtaking. The cultures are fascinating.

It isn’t just fly fishing: it is adventure.

And you can have it all. You’ve gotten the emails and you’ve seen the presentations at fly fishing shows. Normal people do take these trips. You can take these trips. All you have to do is make the call and book it.

Step 2: Be Realistic / Shatter Your Dreams

Making the call and booking it is only half the equation. It is balanced by thousands of dollars and a week away from the real world. And shots.

Normal people do take these trips. But most of us aren’t in the normal stage of life right now, right?

That trip can wait. Being reasonable is key.

Step 3: Allow Your Mind to Wander

Montana. The Keys. Pyramid Lake. These are places that are also featured in fly fishing films and magazine cover stories. The fish are pretty big. The scenery is pretty breathtaking. The cultures are different than yours… more angler-friendly, at least.

Getting away from home is always an adventure at this stage in life, right?

Hop online and start looking at the endorsed outfits around the premier fisheries here in North America.

Step 4: Look at Your Bank Account, Calendar, and Family Obligations

Have you seen the price of lodging on peak weekends? And airfare these days? Eesh. Who can travel on a weekday, fish on weekdays, and then return on a weekday? You’ve got to work sometime to pay for a trip like this.

Then, it is like coordinating air traffic to find the narrow window when you can scoot out for a few days to fish. The one weekend that might work for the big caddis hatch is the same weekend that your kid graduates fourth grade. And the other weekend at the end of the season is your mother-in-law’s cat’s birthday party. You can’t miss that again.

Step 5: Go Fishing a Few Hours from Home

There is that one popular river you’ve never fished on the other side of the state. A lot of the guys from the local TU chapter rave about it. You see the big fish that people catch there and post online.

It isn’t an adventure, per se, but it is different than the stocked stream in town.

Think about how much money you’ll save by not having to buy an out-of-state fishing license. Financially, it is a much more palatable to stay in a motel instead of a lodge. Assuming the weather isn’t awful, the back of your car could actually be awfully comfortable.

Plus, fishing a few hours away allows you to do a little bit of work in the morning and then be back the next night to help with bedtime. It is a win-win, really.

Step 6: Realize any Day Fishing is a Good Day