An argument can be made for keeping backpacking as simple as possible. Stuff your pack with warm clothes, a tent, your sleeping bag, and any other luxury items you wish to carry. Grab a map, hit a trail, and set off through your local woods, the red rocks and canyons of the southwest, or hike towards high alpine cirques. Unbothered by the distraction of the world back at home, you’ll have nothing but the sounds of nature to rock you to sleep wherever you decide to set up your tent.

However, and once you’ve done this enough and surprisingly, the downtime you might have during those times when you aren’t hiking, setting up, or packing up for the day’s trek can leave many of us wishing for an add-on activity to help occupy our time. Some backpackers bring along a full set of photography gear, while others simply choose to hike longer days with little downtime in camp. One solution however is another popular backcountry pursuit: fishing. A backcountry lake or stream often serves as a convenient campsite simply for the sake of water collection without the worry of running out, and while there are many other pursuits that combine well when it comes to the backcountry, it seems that fishing, and in particular backpacking and fly fishing go hand in hand.

Dreaming of untouched waters with world class fly fishing? A lake with ripples at sunset, not from rain but from that of flying insects and the ravenous appetite of hungry fish beneath can be a common sight. It’s a win win combination for any backpacker. Easy access to water and plentiful fun whether you’re fishing for fun or for dinner. However, fishing the high alpine cirques or remote backcountry doesn’t mean it’s easy. The fly fishing backpacker needs to bring additional gear to reach the fish and the backpacking fly fisherman needs additional gear to backpack to these pristine waters. And more often than not, the lakes and remote fishing areas of interest will require sufficient time and commitment to reach them. For those that wish to trek off the beaten path, here is a gear guide and a how-to on preparing for your next fly fishing and backpacking adventure.

When it comes to packs, a backpack with extra capacity and storage options for easy access to fly fishing gear can make things more convenient on the trail.

Backpack

Extra gear for fly fishing means more space and pack capacity to comfortably carry the gear, and the pack will need to be larger in order to carry all the extra necessities on top of the usual backpacking gear. I recommend at least a 65 liter backpack with extra straps and pockets on the outside of the pack for your rod and all the other equipment and gear needed. You can get away with a relatively light weight fly fishing setup, and unless you’re already at the top of your current pack’s weight carrying ability, the main concern here is mostly in regards to capacity and ease of use: it’s nice to be able to quickly string up a rod and fish an appealing looking lake during your lunch break with organized gear, vs. having to dig through an unorganized pack or hitting the trail with your fishing gear haphazardly dangling from any outside attachment point you can find.

Fly Rod

Classified by a weight system, higher weight fly fishing rods are capable of handling larger fish, larger flies, more wind, etc., while lower weight rods are more typically suitable for trout fishing and fishing smaller creeks and streams. Rarely for backcountry fishing ventures does an angler need anything larger than a five weight. On most trips into the mountains, a 4-5 weight fly rod and line is more than enough. Lower weight rods tend to be in the 7-8 foot range, making them easier to cast in tight spaces where large boulders or vegetation would limit the use of a longer rod.

Longer rods however, can be useful if you’ll ever be fishing from something like a raft or float tube. Of course, depending on the species, you need to do your homework. But for the most part, something around an 8’ 5 weight rod is well suited for most backcountry fly fishing. You’ll also want to consider packability: traditional rods that break down into 2 sections make for a tough carry by way of longer and heavier cases, while 4 piece (or higher) rods are much more manageable to take along.

Lines, Leaders, and Reels

Fly lines come in floating, sinking, and sink-tip varieties: For nearly all mountain or backcountry situations a weight-forward floating line is most appropriate. Of course, plan ahead and pack according to the species you’re after. At the end of the fly line we’ll have our monofilament leader and a tippet section that can be attached to the end of that: these are again designated by size as well as strength (for example 2X is larger and stronger than 5X, but also more visible to fish). Whether you are chasing fish in a local mountain stream or hitting a new trail to pack into a high mountain lake, pairing 4X-6X leaders (a 7.5 or 9’ leader will do) with matching tippet spools will be a relied upon arsenal to go with your floating line.

Even in the high country, and if you can afford it, I like to always have a spare spool of sinking line just in case I get curious. The backcountry fly fishing reel is mostly utilized to store and manage line, with a typical introductory, disc drag type reel being sufficient for the task, and ready to take on a bigger fish if you’re lucky enough to get things right. Fortunately, when it comes to reels less expensive reels are also often lighter than their more expensive counterparts.

Flies for Backpacking and Fly Fishing

Most fly fishing is done on or near the surface, and typically during summer months in the backcountry, which typically matches backpacking season well. During this time of the year the fish will be patrolling and looking for food in these shallower water zones. Including food in the form of those flying insects that might be buzzing in your ears and pestering you in camp. Popular dry flies (which float) such as the elk hair caddis, mosquitoes, parachute adams, gnats, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and drakes are always nice to have in your fly box. There are also sub-surface insects and food sources that can be effectively imitated and fished with a floating line using streamers and nymphs such as wooly buggers, prince nymphs, many varieties of bead head nymphs, and scuds.

Accessories

You’ll need a fly box to carry your flies in, and preference varies by the fisherman. If you don’t have too many flies to take along, and small compartment or foam box will do the job well without weighing you down, or for the uber-minimalist, any easy to open plastic container with a wide lid can work. A pair of fishing forceps will help both to pinch down barbs on barbed hooks (for easier release), and either way, are often needed to remove hooks quickly. Other items aren’t required but can certainly enhance an angler’s experience. Some kind of clippers (nail clippers work great) to snip the excess line after tying your fly to the end of your leader are always nice to have (be sure to pack out scraps), and some type of fly floatant is also very handy when fishing dry flies.

A pair of lightweight sandals or camp shoes are a wonderful addition for backpacking and fly fishing and back at camp as well. After a long day hiking not much is better than sliding your feet into something where they can air out while walking streamside or lakeside – be sure to use something with good wet traction on account of the slippery rocks that you’ll encounter. If your hiking sunglasses are already polarized, this can help when it comes to sight fishing and seeing through the glare you will often encounter on the water’s surface. Additional accessories, like strike indicators (small bobber type apparatuses that are used when fishing subsurface flies) are even more optional and limiting additional gadgets and gear here will help keep your pack weight low. A way to organize the gear is helpful however and a small stuff sack will often work nicely.

A quintessential evening in the mountains

In Conclusion

Once you’re set with gear, at home practice casting and rigging sessions will only help later in the backcountry. One can also seek help from many online resources, books, clubs, and other fly fisherman combined with just heading out there and learning “on the fly”. There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of standing on the shore of a backcountry lake, and seeing a fish cruise the shoreline waiting to ambush anything in sight, or the excitement of feeling a fish strike your fly while in a wilderness setting. But you never know what you’re going to get. Fly fishing only serves as another level of inspiration to head out there, and with backpacking already often times taking us towards great fishing opportunities, and backcountry fly fishing usually including some great backpacking by default, the two activities are often perfectly matched.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 45 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos. For another backcountry fishing method and option, see our article on backpacking and tenkara.