Tips for a Successful Lunch Outing

Lunch break outings have been a real game changer for me in the last 18 months.  As a father with a toddler at home, my actual time on the water has shrunk considerably.  Weather and schedule willing, sneaking in an additional 45 minutes of fishing at lunch 2-3 times per week adds a couple of extra hours on the water per week that I would not otherwise get.  The most obvious roadblock to everyone enjoying this luxury is proximity to fishable water.  If you are a 20 minute drive from the closest option, travel time alone will eat up your hour and make it an illogical option.  Here's a quick run down of important tips that I have learned through experience that should help you enjoy your lunch breaks on the water, and I will sprinkle in some fish photos from my lunch outings.

Have a Plan

Your time on the water is going to be limited and it is going to go by much quicker than you would like.  Go out there prepared to hit a specific location that is nearby, and be sure to think through how closely you can park.  Time is the premium, and you do not want to spend it driving too far or walking too far to get to the water.  Google Maps can help you pin down an exact location if you're interested in hitting new water.  I prefer to hit known water because it takes the guesswork out of the equation.

Be Prepared to Fish

It is a known fact that the safest place to store a fly rod is in its rod tube.  However, when time is at a premium, spending it by rigging your rod is not a smart usage of your time.  I check my gear the night before I plan to fish at lunch.  If I need a new leader, or new tippet, now is the time to get that rigging done.  Then put your assembled rod (if possible) in the car or break it down to the point that it will fit but is quickly ready to go.

Pack Light

I am as guilty as anyone of over-packing on even short outings.  The outing will last less than an hour, so you do not need to pack several fly boxes.  A little item I like to take advantage of on outings like this is the Tacky Tube.  It can be loaded with a handful of flies you expect to use, pinned where it is easily accessible, and it can eliminate digging through a pack to find the fly you need.  On most lunch outings, I carry either a small camo single strap pack or a Fishpond fanny pack.  All I need room to carry is a couple of fly boxes, a spool or two of tippet, and a place to hang my forceps/nippers.  Even with a small pack, you will likely never need 80% of what is in it.

Dress Appropriately

If your job requires a uniform or professional dress, it's a good idea to carry a change of clothes to fish in.  The places I end up fishing at lunch tend to be a bit dirty, and wearing my work clothes to the water would be a disaster.  I prefer to avoid any areas that would require waders to avoid the time waste of getting in and out of them.  I can typically get by with some old clothes and either a pair of athletic shoes or rubber boots, depending on the weather.

Clean Up

If you do have a successful lunch outing, you will likely have handled a few fish.  In my experience, workplace bathroom soap does NOT cut fish smell very effectively.   A very handy item to keep either in your car or office desk is a bottle of Fast Orange hand cleaner, or any other water-free hand cleaning product.  I have found that a quick use of Fast Orange followed by washing hands in the bathroom gets rid of any fish smell on my hands.  It's also a good plan to keep a spare stick of deodorant in your office desk in case you need it.

Keep an Eye on the Clock

An obvious point of importance is staying within the parameters of your allowed lunch break.  Employers are not going to look favorably on a lunch hour becoming a lunch hour and a half.  I do not often wear a watch but I do wear one quite a bit on lunch outings so I can keep track of the time.  Another option is to set an alarm or timer on your phone.  If you know when you need to be heading back to the office, having the phone reminder can keep you on schedule.  It's very easy to lose track of time on the water, especially if the fishing is good.

One obvious truth stands out in all of that advice: preserving time is of the utmost importance.  If you have an hour for lunch and closely examine your time breakdown (like 7 minutes to the water, 7 minutes back, 45 minutes roughly to fish), you can see how every minute counts.  Excess travel, parking issues, rigging time, every minute that you aren't fishing can add up and cost you a large percentage of your outing.  Lunch outings have taught me to focus on known locations, focus on flies that consistently produce, and get the most out of every minute on the water.  I have picked up a lot of fish on these brief outings that otherwise I wouldn't have caught.  Be mindful of the time and you can pad your fishing time and get more time on the water.