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Using and Finding Local Fishing Resources

One of the keys to successful Trout Bumming Trips is lots of research beforehand! Below are some of the methods I use for gathering information and making decisions for up coming trips.

Local fly Shops

The local fly shop is one of your top resources. It's best to call them, not email and stop in during your trip and introduce yourself. Personally thank them for their help. Always buy something when you drop in to support them, which is another way of saying thank you. If you don’t need anymore gear think about the future and buy Christmas gifts and some local flies. 

Two things that you can do after your trip is send them a personal thank you note and go to online rating services like Yelp, Face book, and others, and write briefly about how they helped you and rate them accordingly.

Click here for a list of fly shops in the USA. 2013 listing.   

Click here for information for insights on operating a fly shop.

• Fly Shop Fishing Reports
• Most fly shops post a local fishing report in season. These reports utilize information from their guide trips each week. They may not be specific but usually are a great resource to gleam information.
• Guide published fishing reports
• Look over guide websites where they report on their recent trips. Many times these can be very informative, but are often not up to date.
• Government water flow sites
• Utilize water flow sites for timing your trips. Look over previous years data.
• Books
• More well known rivers and lakes have been written about over the years. Here is one publisher that can be useful. Click Here   
• Forums
• Local forums are amazing resources. Google searches will bring them up. Many times local fly fisherman unknowingly give away useful information while chatting within the forum. Click here for an example. 
• Websites
• Look for other related websites in the areas you are researching. Besides fishing search for hiking, backpacking, camping, bird watching and other nature related topics.
• Blogs
• Over the last 10 years blogs have become another good area to research. Try using the word blog in the title you are researching.
• State Wildlife Fishing Reports
• Each state provides up to date fishing reports. Sometimes local county, state and federal parks have fishing reports. Visit our Links page to find them.
• Travel sites
• Travel sites can have the information you are looking for.
• Web Cams
• Can offer real time photos of the areas you intend to visit including current weather conditions.
• Combination of above
• Using the combination of the above can paint a better picture in your mind for your trip.
• There are numerous other ways.

• Magazine Articles
• One of the magazines I write for is Match the Hatch Publications. All their fly fishing publications are all about destination fly fishing. I can assure you they are very particular about their authors and fine details. So what I’m saying is you get really good information from this publication. I use them myself. Look into their past publications database and order back magazine articles.

Article by Mark Quigley, courtesy of Northwest Flyfishing Magazine. 

Friends and Family

Maybe someone in your family or a friend knows a person near where you are planning a trip. 

Apps and Smart Phones

Trout Bumming has become so much easier with the invention of the smart phone. Android and Apple applications can be useful when preparing for an upcoming TB trip. They also assist greatly during a trip, when in service areas. Some apps have the ability to be downloaded on your device ahead of time, such as maps, wildlife ID and others. Below are a selection of applacations I have used and you may find useful as well. 

TB Tip...

Be aware that apps are being developed and released everyday so it may help to search for new ones each month. They also suddenly go away or are not supported any longer so may not be up to date. 

Apps for research for upcoming trips 

Pinterest 
Can be used when researching locations, equipment and lifestyles. For instance, do a search for truck camper setups and many options on how to build the perfect Trout Bumming Truck “Cap” will come up. 

Facebook 
Use it for FB friends in specific locals where you plan to visit. See how much of a real friend they are and ask for information and possible overnight stays.  

Trover
This app is for travel and has images and comments on the unique areas you plan to visit. Useful.  

Google Earth 
As soon as it came out I began using “Earth”. Perfect for looking over topography, possible routes into remote locations, looking over “fishy” spots on rivers and so much more. 

Mormondo 
Good deals on motels, airlines and more here. 

Hostel world 
If you use hostels could be useful. Have not tried personally. 

Packing pro
Suggestions and tips for travel packing and ability to store lists for different kinds of trips. 

Instagram  
Instagram is a great tool for Trout Bums because it allows easy discovery of unique places to visit, foods to eat, and views of your possible upcoming destinations. 

Riverflows 
To keep tabs on river flows. 

Photography Tutorials
Help you become a better photographer with all your cameras.

On the Road apps 

Nature find
Possible locations and events nearby, you may want to visit when out Trout Bumming. 

Nature watch
Current wildlife sightings posted and more. 

My nature tracks and trees
Used for identifying wildlife tracks and species of trees. 

Leaf snap
Used for identifying plant species. 

Tree book
Used to ID trees.

Flushd
Used for locating the nearest, cleanest bathroom. 

Northface trail head
For locating trail heads nearby, so can be also useful for research. 

Fishing and Hunting Solunar Time 
Lots of fishing data  

Road trippers
Good for finding interesting places nearby. Also a good app for research.  

AllStays 

For finding showers, campgrounds and more.

Foodspotting 
Finding recommended places to eat. 

Yelp
Finding recommended places to eat. 

Postagram
Used to actually send postcards from photos snapped from your cell phone. Fee for mailing and service. 

Back country navigation pro
I’ve used this one a long time for its topo maps and more. A great tool for researching locations also. 

Onxhunt

Was built for hunters but I use for making sure I’m not on private property and finding my way around private property. Worth the yearly subscription fee for me. Using my GPS unit less because of this app..  

Fly dreamers
I use for research and if you want to post images on a fly fishing, social media kind of app. Be careful putting in locations unless you want to give away your spots.  

Orvis
Good for knots, flies and much more. 

The Weather Chanel 
Use to keep an eye on weather and has a radar function also. Can be used for research when looking for weather trends, for future trips. 

Don’t forget the state wildlife agency apps as well.