Almost 30 years ago, I first thought about using my mountain bike to help get to better fishing water.
I was fishing in northern Wyoming in the Big Horns. There was an amazing section of the river that was about a four-mile hike into a canyon. The fishing was fantastic, but I kept looking upstream wanting to go farther. I knew the trail went another 20 miles but there was no practical way to explore those waters without a horse or backpacking.
I kept thinking my mountain bike would get me farther upstream with ease. Four miles one way was about as far as I could practically go on foot and still have a full day of fishing. But on a bike, I could easily go 10 miles in.
I never got on my mountain bike to go farther down that trail and it always bugged me.
Over the years, I kept seeing opportunities to get on better fishing with my mountain bike. So, I finally started riding my mountain bike as part of my fishing trips. I love it!
I want to take some time and document a few things to help folks better explore fishing waters with their mountain bikes. In a series of posts, I will explain the “why behind the what” of flypacking - using a mountain bike to extend your fishing range.
Many of the concepts behind flypacking can also be adapted to hiking in remote areas and backpacking. Now the first concept.
The Range Rule - Why to Use a Mountain Bike
The most basic reason to use a mountain bike when fly fishing is to extend your range.
I have found that on foot I can cover about 4 miles in two hours of walking with full fly fishing gear. So, my rule is a maximum one-way range of 4 miles or 2 hours - the Range Rule - for fishing day trips on foot.
Any more than 4 miles cuts into fishing time too much and starts to leave room for problems to become bad situations.
Case in point, back in the 1990’s I was fishing the first meadow of Slough Creek in Yellowstone. It was about a two-mile hike. The fishing was amazing, and we fished till about 6 pm thinking it was only an hour hike out - plenty of time.
On our way out, we got to the end of the meadow where a rock wall comes down to the edge of the trail right next to the river. About 50 yards before we got to this compression point a cow moose and her super cute calf come walking up the trail right at us. The calf hops in the river and starts to eat some willows while the mamma moose stood in the middle of the trail staring right at us.
We tried to do everything we could to get her to move. The only thing that worked is we got her pretty mad at us and she stayed her ground. There was no other walk around given the topography, so we watched the sunset and started to get a bit nervous.
It took about two hours before that mamma moose and her calf moved from that spot.
Now we faced about a two-mile hike out at dusk in an area known for active grizzly bear activity. Not the most fun situation. We got back to camp just as it turned dark.
Everything worked out fine, but I learned to leave extra time to get out well before dark. Hence, my Range Rule of 4 miles or 2 hours one-way on foot.
When on my mountain bike the Range Rule changes. I still use 2 hours as my time limit, but I bump the mileage up to 10 miles. The reason is simple, you can go a lot further on a mountain bike than you can on foot in the same amount of time. So, 2 hours or 10 miles one way is my Bike Range Rule.
You would be amazed at how much great fishing opens up with the extra range that a mountain bike provides you!
Common Sense - Be Sure to Use It
Any time you are heading out to the back-country you need to use common sense. Think about the terrain and topology of the area. Also, think about the weather.
While my Range Rule and Bike Range Rule are a guide, you may not feel comfortable with them. Heck, I don’t feel comfortable with them sometimes and don’t take on trips that feel a bit too sketchy for those parameters.
Also, when using a mountain bike remember more things can go wrong. You could have a mechanical issue or crash. Think about your abilities with a bike and your comfort level and then set some reasonable limits for how far you will go. What works for me, may not work for you.
Just use good judgment and common sense to make your trips fun and safe.
More Information
The plan is tp document a lot more information on flypacking or flyfishing with your mountain bike. Check out the following posts for more information:
- Alpine Fly Fishing Kit - what kit to bring for alpine fly fishing.
- Alpine Fly Box - what flies to bring in a single fly box for alpine fly fishing.
Please check in over time for more information.