AZT: Water

It used to be that I hiked to remote high mountain lakes for the main reason to fly fish. I would pick out an alpine lake in SW Colorado or Montana and find a way to get to it. My wife and boys were usually along on these adventures. Believe me, I still consider myself an avid fly fisherman, but now it’s really more about the journey.

My wife reminded me there were a few of those hikes that made her cry and she has a high tolerance for pain! Both boys attended Montana State University where they also majored in fly fishing, far exceeding their old man’s skills. Now with families of their own, both still lived in MT until one recently moved away to further his career. They are excellent fishing guides now and even help support their feeble old man on river crossings!

Now for drinking water – a bit more scarce in Arizona but early spring and fall months usually find pools and trickles even in desert canyons. If that fails, stock ponds and tanks scattered about but not completely reliable. I may cache water in a few locations just to be on the safe side.