Why a Hosted Trip

What is a hosted trip, and why book one with Sweet Waters Adventure?

I have been running hosted trips for so long that when I use the phrase “Hosted Trip” in an e-blast, I assume everyone knows what that means. The following blog post will answer some of the questions about what constitutes a Sweet Waters Adventure hosted trip. And hopefully, you will choose Sweet Waters Adventure for your next fly fishing adventure.

 What is a hosted trip?

A hosted trip is when Sweet Waters Adventure creates a custom trip and then “hosts” that trip. We choose the fishery, the lodge, and the time of year. We send you trip lists to help with packing and selecting the appropriate gear. Sweet Waters Adventure handles all the leg work. I work directly with the lodge owner and address any problems that may come up during your trip. I can take care of all the arrangements such as transfers, connections, hotels, and even flights. I also travel and fish with all hosted trips. All you have to do is sign up and let us do all the work. By the time you arrive at the location, you will have been thoroughly prepared for anything that might come up.

How does Sweet Waters Adventure pick the location and fishery?

Like you, I am a fly fisherman, and – by the grace of God, I have a wonderful wife – I have been lucky enough to travel throughout the world and pitch flies to just about anything that swims. I eat, drink and breathe fly fishing. When I am not fishing, I am reading about it, talking to experts, or digging through online resources for the best videos on locations and techniques. In short, I am a gear head and a fly junky of the first order. I have been since I was a young boy growing up on Anglins Pier in Fort Lauderdale. When I chose a location or a particular fish to chase, you can rest assured that it is because I want to be there right along beside you. I do my best to put you in the right place at the right time. It doesn’t make sense to spend your time and hard-earned money on a mediocre fishery. I freely admit that some species require exponentially more skill and time on the water than others. That said, you have to start somewhere.

Why is the time of year so important?

Very few fisheries are good year-round. There are multitudes of variables to stay on top of, especially if you are globetrotting to other parts of the world, even more so if you happen to love to fish for anadromous species. A Steelhead is a little more forgiving than, say, an Atlantic salmon. If you have the time and money, you can chase steelhead almost year-round. Unfortunately, the Atlantic salmon season is relatively short and nowhere as predictable as, say, the Skeena drainage in British Columbia for steelhead.

For the most part, it doesn’t matter what species you are chasing. If you want to have a gratifying experience, you’ve got to be at the right place at the time. The most sought-after species like summer steelhead, winter steelhead, chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, permit, bonefish, and tarpon, for example, all have prime times in specific locations. SWA works to stack the odds in your favor.

What are the advantages of participating in a Sweet Waters Adventure Hosted Trip?

The lodges cover our services. Sweet Waters Adventure commission does not come out of your pocket. The most significant advantage to you is SWA is a licensed travel agency. We are ready to assist you with air travel, hotel/lodge accommodations, transfers, travel insurance, and local guided tours.

SWA is always looking at ways to enhance your experience through what we call added value for our customers. We may bring in some of the best writers in the outdoors genre, such as Jeff Bright – who also happens to be an excellent photographer. We may bring in professional photographers like Mark Lance from Colorado, Isaias Miciu from Patagonia or fly tiers, and casting instructors like Chris Andersen from Sage. Chris, for example, is one of the finest spey casting instructors on the planet.

Sweet Waters Adventure also has strong relationships with companies like Sage, Rio, Simms, Patagonia, Aqua Flies, Einarsson fly reels, Farlex custom fly reels. We can help outfit anyone anytime.  Just let me know what you need, and I can have it dropped shipped to front door in days if not the same day. That in itself is worth the price of admissions.

What make Sweet Waters Adventure’s hosted trips special?

Often people can be hesitant to sign up for a hosted trip, especially if they are traveling by themselves. It can be intimidating to travel somewhere you haven’t fished before with people you have never met. Even the most experienced angler might hesitate. You can probably come up with fifty reasons why not to do it. Let me give you a few reasons that might ease any stress you might have and change your mind.

First of all, I only work with the best lodges and outfitters – people I know personally and in whom I have the utmost confidence. I have taken some wild and wooly trips over the years with close friends and a few customers that might have thought we were joking and went along because it sounded like fun. Not to mention some great road trips that seemed to go on forever. Depending on your destination, long road trips can be an adventure in themselves. As the tagline states – Life is an adventure, not a guided tour. Fortunately for my customers or, unfortunately, depending on their propensity to get in trouble, I would never take a customer on one unless they twisted my arm. We’ve had some wild and woolly experiences, so you don’t have to.

The biggest perk you get from going on one of SWA’s hosted trips is meeting other fishermen and developing lasting relationships with some of the best people on the planet who share your passion for fly fishing and travel. Face it, we all want to catch fish and big fish, but in the end, what’s important is the total experience. The environments, the landscapes, the food, and of course, it’s about the excitement of being somewhere you have never been before.

 

 

 

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