Daily Archives: March 2, 2022

Food and fly fishing are intertwined for most. Our human makeup requires calories to keep the tank going. Staying well-fed on the river gives you the energy needed to outlast the elements. Just like home cooking, anglers have different styles of taking their food game to the river. Some anglers like store-bought pre-made meals, while others prefer to craft a hot meal riverside, and heck some don’t even eat or forget to eat for that matter. Hopefully, these fly fishing lunches will inspire you to stay fueled out there on the water, because beers aren’t the only calories your body should consume. For this article we rated the fly fishing lunches based on the Difficulty to Prepare 1-5 (how challenging is it to prepare riverside), 5 being the hardest to prepare riverside and 1 being the easiest to prepare. The second item is the Delicious scale (how satisfying is the lunch), 5 being the most delicious and 1 being the least delicious. And last but not least is the Cost of the Lunch, 5 being the most expensive and 1 being the least expensive. Disclaimer: On all full-day guided fly fishing trips at Vail Valley Angler clients receive a streamside gourmet lunch. These fly fishing lunches are prepared by local chefs specifically for guided trips. Our guides don’t prepare lunches, their focus is purely on guiding fly fishing. While many of them are great chefs, I think most like the idea of picking up these locally crafted meals each day and setting up a nice spread for the clients. #10: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Difficulty to Prepare: 5 Delicious Scale: 4 Cost: 2 This lunch-only makes the list because it’s a classic and classics never fade. A hot grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup will satisfy the taste buds of the pickiest of anglers. And the hope is that it will then give you the fuel to fool the pickiest of trout. This fly fishing lunch comes in at #10 because the issue with this lunch is it does take a good bit of effort and time to prepare. You will need to set up a camp stove to heat the soup and cook the grilled cheese. But, if you have the time and want to warm up this lunch makes a great colder weather option. #9: Pasta or Tuna Salad Difficulty to Prepare: 3 Delicious Scale: 3 Cost: 3 For those, that prepare for the long day ahead the night prior can take advantage of this one. The different combinations of salads are endless. You can cook up some pasta and make a cold greek pasta salad with chicken, feta, cucumber, basil, and olives. Or you can make a Mexican quinoa salad with black beans tomatoes, cilantro and onions. Or keep it simple with a protein packed tuna salad. When you hit the water the next day, grab some Tupperware and toss the salad in your cooler and eat as you please. The only downfall is this lunch is cold and can vary on the delicious scale based on your skills in the kitchen. But, the options are endless. Do remember to bring a fork or spoon. #8: Beef Jerky, Protein Bars, and a Special Beer Difficulty to Prepare: 1 Delicious Scale: 2 Cost: 4 Coming in at #8 is a guide favorite, this lunch is for the anglers that have no time to put down the fly rod. Because once you do, you could be missing out on catching a fish of a lifetime. Beef Jerky is nutrient rich and delicious snack but can be quite expensive unless you are a big game hunter. Protein bars are also great because you can eat them literally as you fish and they do give you the energy needed to keep your spirits high. To wash down this wonderful fly fishing lunch be sure to have a lager by your side, some fresh limes and Tajin. This "special beer" will give you the calories you need to get through a day of fishing. #7: Sandwich or Wrap Difficulty to Prepare: 2 Delicious Scale: 4 Cost: 4 An average lunch for an average angler. A sandwich or wrap can be made a million different ways, and most of them result in satisfaction. If you do go the route of picking your sandwich or wraps up prior to the trip, go for a local deli or bakery. Grocery stores may be convenient but the results are usually subpar. If you go the route of making your creation on the river, be sure to remember to grab some condiments and pickles from the grocery store. Also, try grabbing some fresh bread instead of a loaf of pre-cut wonder bread. Sourdough or rye is usually a good choice. #6: Instant Ramen Difficulty to Prepare: 2 Delicious Scale: 3 Cost: 1 The most underrated lunch on this list. The often overlooked and frowned upon lunch option. A cup of instant ramen on the river is about as satisfying as landing a 30-inch trout. All that is required for this lunch is a Jetboil and a $1.00 cup of instant ramen. If you want to step up your game you can usually find more premium ramen options for $3.00-$4.00, and you could add some fresh vegetables (kale is my favorite) or an egg. So fire up the jet boil and enjoy some delicious ramen riverside. #5: Leftover Pizza Difficulty to Prepare: 1 Delicious Scale: 4 Cost: 3 A hack for fly anglers to stay fueled out on the river. If you are making dinner plans the night prior to a day of fishing, you might want to consider getting pizza. Then order more pizza than you can consume and save some for the next day of fishing. Pizza is a meal you can have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So dial up your favorite pizza place and keep that fly rod close by. #4: Burgers, Hot Dogs, or Brauts. Difficulty to Prepare: 5 Delicious Scale: 4 Cost: 4 Grill out and chill out. Having a riverside bbq is never a bad idea, it just all depends on what your plan is for the fishing day. Stopping to have a little BBQ on the river requires some time away from the rod. But if you do have a full day and a big group of people, packing a little grill or starting a fire can be a great way to enjoy the scenery and company. And it is really hard to make a bad hot dog, so regardless of your chef skills, you will hit this one! #3: BBQ from a legit BBQ Resturaunt Difficulty to Prepare: 1 Delicious Scale: 5 Cost: 5 I learned this one from a fellow friend of the shop Chris Eckley. He swears by doing this on all full day river trips. The first step is to find a legit BBQ restaurant, from there you can order, a whole gambit of delicious BBQ from ribs, wings, brisket to the sides. It can get a little pricey, but if you are wanting to not worry about cooking or preparing lunch on the river, this one really hits. I would recommend trying out Smoke Modern BBQ in Glenwood Springs, you will not be disappointed. #2: Fried Chicken Difficulty to Prepare: 0 Delicious Scale: 5 Cost: 3 Coming in at #2 only ahead of BBQ due to the lower cost is fried chicken. If you haven't been able to have some cold fried chicken riverside, you are missing out. It's a staple for all the guides. Finger licking good, satisfaction is guaranteed. Grabbing a dish of fried chicken at the grocery store or at a local fried chicken joint can be a super easy, cost-effective, and delicious way to eat lunch while fly fishing. So next time no one can make up their mind on what you want to do for lunch on the river, try out some fried chicken you won't be disappointed. #1: Your Buddy or Your Guide’s Lunch Difficulty to Prepare: 0 Delicious Scale: 5 Cost: 0 And to top, the list of the top 10 fly fishing lunches is "Your Buddy or Guide's Lunch". I think most can agree that food you don't have to cook, prepare or think about is going to taste pretty darn good. So next time you are looking for a fishing buddy, make sure to check if they bring or make a good riverside lunch. It can go a long way to keeping you fueled on the water. We hope you enjoyed our Top 10 Fly Fishing Lunches, be sure to drop a comment below with your favorite fly fishing lunch. And check out our previous blog: Fuel for the Float | Snack Edition Blog for some snacking inspiration on the water. If you are interested in experiencing a Vail Valley Anglers riverside lunch you can check out our full-day trip options here. Patrick Perry, Former Guide, and Content Contributor @patperry