Slow Days OK

Although Asher and I will fish some of the most acclaimed trout waters in the United States when travel west, beginning in a week and a half, I fully expect that on at least a couple of days the bite will be super slow, and we may have totally fishless days. That's OK. We'll discover new places, enjoy the settings, and take in everything from streamside wildflowers to passing wildlife every day we explore. And on those days we don't catch them, I'm confident that we'll learn lessons about water levels, stream temperatures and other western variables. Maybe lessons that will help another day.

We've intentionally planned the Rebel Trout Trek with no guides, float trips or privileged special access. Not that those are bad things. I'm very thankful for guides and the services they offer and improved opportunity for anglers to make the most of limited time in places. Ours is a discovery trip, though, and we want to share the stories of places where anyone who wants to travel to the same general areas can just wade into the stream or launch a float tube and simply go fishing. Figuring it out is part of the fun and part of the story we want to tell.

I've done my homework, reading stream and lake descriptions in various places and talking with friends. And the research will continue as we go through online fishing reports and fly shop visits. Even so, at some point either I'll guess wrong or weather will change stream conditions and make things tough on a stream section I still want to fish while I have the opportunity.

As I said, that's OK. It's all part of the adventure.