How far in a day?

[trailhead]

So I am looking at taking a buddy fishing and was thinking of doing about 8 km of walking and wading on a small river in the foothills. Is that too far to take a new flyfisher and is it doable in a day?

[bowbonehead]

On most streams seems like a lot of water to take on unless you aren't really fishing and exploring instead ..... now if you told me you were walking 5 klics first and then fishing it makes more sense

[slingshotz]

Really depends on the water, some places have long stretches between runs and holes and some don't.  Also the terrain really plays a factor if you have to cross the stream multiple times, that saps your energy.  I usually do a minimum 5km up to 13km round trips.

[jayanderson]

The question to be asked is what is the new fly fisherman expecting of the outing? will it be more hiking than fishing? 8kms can be a challenging distance depending on conditions like terrain and weather. Someone new to the sport might get tired and discouraged by encountering a lot of variables that vets just brush off as part of the day.

[Flyfisher]

That's a lot of water to cover while walk & wading particularly for a new comer. May be better to select a stream that offers more fishy water per km. 

 

 

 

 

[trailhead]

Thanks guys that was my feeling but I wanted confirmation.

[SilverDoctor]

I would just do a few pools but concentrate on casting, stream side entomology, and where trout lie.

[BowLurker]

I remember Tom Rosenbauer saying a mile or two in small streams is a big day.

Guess it comes down to fitness and love of the trail. 8km of XC skiing would be a ‘starter’ day IMO, but hiking in with a new fisher, hmmm it’s a long one.

Remember that it’s 8km back out too.

[FishnChips]

   I agree with all our friends’ earlier remarks. I love maps and map reading and us them to plot detailed paths along streams, and conservatively, I cover 2-3 km each way so 4-6 km round trip in a 6-8 hour outing in a foothills creek. On a well known larger river, I usually arrange a drop off and pick up. 5 km is a huge 8-9 hour day. Wading against knee/mid-thigh 6-8 kmh current uses a lot of energy. 
   A large number of factors affect energy. Age, physical condition, motivation, hydration... terrain is critical as bushwhacking, climbing, standing on uneven or less than ideally stable ground increases output. Weather is super important as body temperature is affected by clothing, or lack of it. 
   Students are almost always working harder than their instructors to start...