Good times: Fishing on the job

Most of the trips I plan for myself are specifically geared toward hunting or fishing. Even on our family vacations, I typically include several outdoor activities that everyone will enjoy.

But during business travel, the focus is definitely not on the outdoors. I spend countless hours stuck inside behind a computer or in all-day meetings.

Still, I always try to get outside at some point during the trip. I’ve found that with a little research, just about any business trip venue can produce an exciting outdoor adventure that gives me a short sabbatical from work.

I once spent several weeks in Florida on business, and though I was working out of Orlando, every weekend I rented a car and took off toward the Florida Keys as fast as my rental car would (legally) take me.

My first trip down, I hired a fly fishing guide to learn the ropes and spent a fantastic day on the water casting to rolling tarpon and wary bonefish. I returned to work on Monday refreshed and with a budding love for saltwater fly fishing in my heart.

A few weekends later, I excitedly returned and spent a day chasing tailing bonefish along public beaches with a local I had met on my first trip. Those trips taught me enough about the area that I’ve returned on multiple occasions when traveling on personal vacations.

Another work trip took me across the Atlantic Ocean to England for several weeks. My free time found me driving across beautiful countrysides, fishing in the crystal clear waters of limestone based chalk streams. A day with a local guide helped me learn the tricks of stalking the big brown trout that inhabited those waters and catching them on dry flies. Those picturesque days on the water helped carry me through those 15-hour work days that followed.

Two more times I returned to England for business, and enjoyed casting flies to both trout and grayling, upstream only, in the proper English fashion.

My most recent business trip was in Boca Raton, Fla. A couple of days before I was to leave for the trip, one of my co-workers asked if I wanted to come down a day early and go fishing. I didn’t have to think twice about my answer.

We spent the day anchored over a reef in 100 feet of water, dropping all manner of natural baits to yellowtail snappers, king fish, and the occasional bonito. I ended the day focused and ready for the barrage of tasks that the work week would hold.

So if your job requires business travel, why not take advantage of your free time and get outdoors? Do some research before you go and line up a trip with a guide or friend who has some local knowledge that will make your trip rewarding.

Personally, I’m hoping that my boss will suddenly realize there is a dire need for me to go to Colorado or maybe even New Zealand. Hey, a guy can dream can’t he?

And that’s my holler for this week…