Split-Fishing Guided Outings
                    with Rich Osthoff

(Dale Osthoff is also now guiding in the Driftless. Trips with Dale can be booked through Rich, or Rich can put you in direct contact with Dale.)


        * The Best Guiding Value in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area

           * A Uniquely Educational Spring Creek Experience

                        * My Most Popular Guiding Option


       NEW: Split-Fishing is now available for Two Anglers

I originally offered my Split-Fishing option for one angler only. Due to considerable demand Split-Fishing is now also available to angling pairs, so you and a fishing/traveling partner can spend the day fishing and learning together at a bargain rate.

                          One Angler (8 Hours) -- $300
                         
                          Two Anglers (8 Hours) -- $350
                            


Split-Fishing is a superb teaching tool for our challenging spring creeks and is a tremendous guiding value for clients who already have basic fly-fishing skills and are looking to dramatically improve their small-stream skills and insight.

Guide and angler will split fishing time. You’ll do the bulk of the fishing. But you’ll also have opportunity to learn spring creek angling at a more visual and advanced level than in traditional guiding as you see how I adjust water choice, casting position, casting stroke, length of drift, fishing pace, and other variables to the conditions at hand.  Anglers drive the amount of demonstration fishing they want from me or Dale.

Too often in the traditional angler/guide arrangement, valuable time and opportunity slip away as the angler only vaguely approximates the presentations that the guide is after, and a day winds up being far less productive than it could have been in fish caught, skills learned and insights gained. Too much is sacrificed to the notion that it’s bad form for the guide to fish a bit. That’s unfortunate because I can better teach the many skills and strategies that are highly specific to fly-fishing small spring creeks when I have a fly rod in my hands part of the time.

Demonstration is particularly valuable on small streams for two reasons:
#1. On small streams water type changes quickly requiring you to constantly alter your presentations as you travel. Periodic demonstration by me will help you quickly zero in on productive presentations for the many different water types you’ll encounter in quick succession as you travel small streams.
#2. Small-stream currents are highly compressed, and most fly-fishers make small-stream angling much more difficult than it needs to be by routinely working from too far out with too much uncontrolled fly line on too many conflicting currents. In Split-Fishing you’ll quickly learn the value of working from the shortest possible ranges (and the most advantageous angles) to limit line/leader contact with the water to a single current speed as much as possible. That dramatically improves your control of the fly and sets you up for consistent success.

Driftless streams do present long-line opportunities, but you should be working to most Driftless trout with less than 20 feet of fly line beyond the rod tip. And in many common Driftless scenarios you’re better off working with little or no fly line on the water. Split-Fishing will open your eyes to the many advantages of fishing a short line on small water. We’ll also hone your short-line casting, which requires a shorter stroke than casting a long line.

Ironically, Split-Fishing often results in clients catching more fish than in traditional guiding. For starters, with a rod in my hands I can quickly determine if a given fly and presentation will produce, which keeps you, the angler, locked in on productive presentations and covering water at a productive clip. Knowing when and how to speed up and fish aggressively, and when and how to slow down and fish thoroughly, is vital spring creek knowledge that you’ll absorb through Split-Fishing, especially if you book multiple days and face a variety of conditions.

If traditional guiding services don’t square with your fishing budget or have failed to improve your spring creek skills by leaps and bounds, Split-Fishing could be your perfect fit.

Split-Fishing
is best suited to anglers who already have basic fly-fishing skills and are looking to boost their spring creek presentation and savvy.
My Instructional Guiding option is better suited to teaching basic fly-fishing skills.

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Split-Fishing is available on any open date on my guiding schedule or Dale's.

I supply all flies and leaders.
 
You’re free to fish your own rod/reel or you’re welcome to use one of mine.
 
Anglers furnish their own food and drink.
A $50 deposit is required to reserve each date.
 
For complete details see my Guiding Policy, click here.

Reservations and Information, contact:

Rich Osthoff
N6868 Sandstone Drive
Mauston, WI 53948


Home Phone: (608) 847-5192
Cell Phone: (608) 547-9075