Wulik River, Alaskan Arctic Searun Arctic char, grayling
Record-size searun Arctic char and numerous grayling. Very remote fly-in above the Arctic Circle. Mid-July through mid-September. Volatile weather, bugs can be bad, very rustic accommodations, good food, satellite phone. Stark, beautiful scenery, occasional Arctic wildlife, some native cultural exposure. Lots of flying, minimal guiding, 8-wt. rods, floating and intermediate lines, easy wading, waders and raingear required, relatively easy fishing.
Missoula, Montana Rainbow, brown & cutthroat trout
This is the fishing venue of Montana brought to the silver screen in “The Movie” adaptation of A River Runs Through It. And do they ever, five classic Rocky Mountain waterways – the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clarks Fork, Missouri and Rock Creek – make up some of the West’s best troutwater all within a few miles of fabulous Missoula. Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop is the area's finest full service outfitter from lodging to guided wade- and float-fishing. 5-weight rods and floating lines all the way.
Best place on the planet to catch a permit on a fly! Located in lobster fishing village of Punta Allen. Fairly remote, 3½-hour drive from Cancun, final 20 miles on sand road often rough after a storm. Lodge basic but modern, service exceptional, food fantastic. Guides simply the best. Within Sian Ka’an BioPreserve, lots of exotic birds, marine wildlife, Mayan ruins. Fish Ascension Bay from boat and by easy wading, 8- to 10-weight rods, one-to-one angler-to-guide ratio.
Challenging but extraordinary angling for an exotic fish of royal heritage in an amazing land of palaces, forts, ayurveda, and the ethereal Taj Mahal. The western Ramganga offers sight fishing for large Himalayan mahseer on single-hand 10-weight rods. Situated in the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, with one of the highest concentrations of the Royal Bengal Tiger this traditional safari style camp has all the creature comforts, great food, rich cultural immersion, and terrific wildlife.
Week-long float trip on one of the most significant mahseer migratory gateways of northern India. Thousands of mahseer run from the mighty Mahakali River up the Saryu each season to spawn. Single and double-handed rods, floating lines in most consistent fishery. Trip requires overnight train ride from New Dehli and then eight-hour drive to start of float. Safari-style tents with cots and mattresses are set up each night along the river. Rich cultural immersion.
Sava River Tributaries, Bosnia Trout, grayling, taimen
Emerging post-war sport fishery on the upper tributaries of the Sava River basin. Challenging spring creek environments with large populations of trophy-size grayling, native brown trout, introduced rainbows, and danube salmon (taimen). Rich cultural immersion into rural Bosnia. Comfortable modern accommodations in country lodge. Incredible food and drink. Groups to five. Best season April through June. 5-wt rods with floating lines. Multi-lingual guide/host.
San Felipe is a not-yet -tourist-tarnished fishing village on the northern tip of Yucatan where you'll find incredible baby tarpon action year-round, and larger fish in the summer. Mainly sight-fishing from boats using 10-wt rods and floating lines. Can be challenging in dense mangroves. Tarpon Cay Lodge (local hotel) provides comfortable accommodations, hearty meals with a local flavor. Great guides with adequate English skills. Outfitter and manager at hotel excellent.
Chime Lodge sits on the Rio Chimehuin in the shadow of snow-capped Lanin Volcano near Junin, Argentina. This is where it all began back in the ‘50s when legendary American angler Joe Brooks wrote about the river's huge trout. Re-live that golden age of adventure angling - fish included! - under the excellent tutelage of Chime Lodge. Eat and drink Argentine, then float and wade their incredible waters for amazing streamer and dry fly action. Patagonia angling at its best!
Quintessential Alaska fly-out lodge experience for monster rainbow trout and all five species of Pacific salmon. Located on the Copper River at the southern edge of Lake Iliamna, Rainbow River Lodge offers four-star accommodations, sensational food, daily fly-outs to legendary troutwater like Moraine, Battle and American Creeks, homewater jet boats on the Copper, and raft trips for salmon throughout the renowned Bristol Bay area. This is Alaska at its absolute finest!
The Florida Keys is the best big tarpon-on-the-fly destination in the world. But it's not always an easy fishing trip. There are few lodging and dining options outside of regular hotels and restaurants, guides can be hard to procure and even harder to please, and the fishing can be downright tough. Bahai Honda Sporting Club offers an all-inclusive (albeit expensive) option with luxury waterside lodging, private chef, private guides and an uncanny ability to always find fish in the lower Keys.
Largemouth bass fishing at El Salto and Mateos reservoirs is a secret treasure. This is where the pros you see on Saturday morning TV go to get game. Top water action can be breath-taking with double-digit fish not uncommon. Excellent all-around service with two wonderful lodges, incredible meals, terrific staff and a serious American-trained commitment to bucketmouths on the fly. 8- to 10-wt rods, floating and sink tip lines, easy casting from well maintained boats.
Record-size freshwater golden dorado. Semi-tropical, hot, jungle environment. Some no-see-ums on river, ticks bad on tributaries. Walk-in wade fishing on smaller streams, float fishing (two anglers and guide to a raft) on main river. Good support. Accommodations adequate, food and wine excellent. Guides great! 8- to 10-weight rods with mainly floating lines, LOTS of casting with huge flies. Challenging angling for fantastic fish! You should be physically fit.
Fully-outfitted, guided and unguided multi-day float trips on the legendary trout rivers of the Bristol Bay watershed. Fantastic wilderness camping experience with incredible fishing, wildlife (yes, bears!) and scenery. This is a very inexpensive way for intrepid fly rodders to experience the best of Alaskan angling. Professionally staged out of Rainbow River Lodge, these are extremely popular trips and dates sell out quickly. Price varies on length of time and level of support.
Cost Range: $2,600 week from Iliamna for guided float trip
Using Chime Lodge as a base, venture out into the water wilderness of Patagonia on a multi-day float trip that can only be described as luxury camping. Four-person stand-up tents, sleeping cots, advance team camp set-up and incredible food are enough to lure you from the comforts of the lodge itself. Float the lower Chimehuin and Collon Cura in early season for big browns and perca; later in the season the upper Alumine for scenic solitude and big 'bows in endless riffles. A must do!
Early settlers called it the "uttermost place on earth." Even the outfitter named his operation "Far End." Just think of the Rio Irigoyen as the bottom of the planet, as far south as you can fish with a fly. Here, in a land of hobbit-like trees, feral cattle and edgy weather run thin, shallow rivers that pulse each austral summer with the flow of searun browns 10- to 25lbs. Rustic lodge, good services and guides. Intimate angling for big, mercurial fish using 7- to 9-wt rods with sinking lines.
Remote, rustic fish camp 14 miles off the coast of southern Belize. Basic but nicely appointed accommodations, great food, and incredible fishing for plentiful permit on narrow finger flats surrounded by deep water. Good small to medium bonefish, and lots of blind casting opportunity for rolling tarpon right in island's lagoon. Area has good snorkeling and kayaking but is really geared towards serious saltwater anglers in search of a Grand Slam. Excellent guides.
Quite simply the best searun brown trout river, and one of the best-run lodges in the world. Fish from 10 to 30+ pounds using double-hand or 8-weight single-hand rods with floating and sink-tip lines. Beautiful, stark environment. Weather ranges from warm to requiring fleece and rain gear, and it is almost always very windy. Easy wade-fishing, vehicle supported, great guides, luxury accommodations, food and wine.
Very remote, rustic but comfortable camp out on the Alaskan Peninsula. The Hoodoo River has one of Alaska's best runs of ocean-bright chinook, sockeye, coho and chum salmon, with very few pinks. It is one of the very few rivers suitable for fly fishing mighty king salmon and it offers an exceptional top-water silver salmon experience. The Hoodoo also has an excellent fall-run steelhead population. Rugged environment, expect rainy weather.
The waterways forming the Chippewa Flowage are the epi-center of musky fishing on the fly. Non-stop casting from driftboats, using 10-wt rods with sinking lines and HUGE flies - not for the weak armed! Low percentage, high-effort angling, for premier fish. Not unlike steelhead or golden dorado fishing. Expect two to three strikes a day on average. Lodging excellent, great meals from local cafes, guides very strong.
Cost Range: $1,650 four day package from Minneapolis/St Paul
The Ponoi is considered the single best river in the world to catch an Atlantic salmon. Requires extensive travel from U.S. Good Scandinavian and limited Russian cultural exposure. Ryabaga is a very remote but very comfortable tented camp with excellent food and services. Fishing not difficult, from boat and fairly easy wading, swinging traditional salmon flies using double-handed rods, floating and sink-tip lines. Weather seasonally consistent with Arctic summer.
After a decade of fishing exploration the Zhupanova remains the premier big rainbow trout and Kunja char experience in Kamchatka. Extensive travel required from U.S.. Some Russian cultural exposure. Wonderfully paced float trip with excellent fixed camps, hearty food. Fabulous scenery. Weather can delay travel. Bugs sometimes heavy in mid-summer. Fishing superb for trout 24" to 30" on streamers using 7-weights and multi-tip lines. Moderately easy wading.
This is a very unique combination trip featuring a helicopter, jet boat, and raft-supported luxury lodge on the Bell Irving River and a series of renowned fly-in and walk-in rustic lodge/camps on the Damdochax and upper Nass Rivers. Exceptional wilderness experience for big, wild steelhead. Single- and double-handed rods with floating and sinking lines, includes some unique lake fishing. Great scenery and wildlife. Moderately easy wading for experienced anglers.
Lake Athabasca runs 230 miles long across the northern borders of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Access is by float plane only, there are no roads. Two huge rivers drain into this magnificent fishery in a confluence that creates one of the largest inland deltas on the planet, supporting incredible numbers of trophy lake trout and northern pike. Johnston Island Lodge offers excellent support and basic but comfortable accommodations for fly anglers.
The 4UR Ranch is Colorado's quintessential angling/dude ranch offering exclusive access to seven miles of Goose Creek tailwater beneath the only privately owned dam in the U.S. Add a herd of top-quality horses and wrangler services, a wonderful children's program, majestic vistas, legendary hot springs, superb dining and Western lodge luxury and you have the perfect family fly fishing destination. On site fly shop with equipment rental, instruction, guide service.
Be it known: Despite the Gulf oil spill, the legendary redfish angling on the west bank of the Mississippi Delta is alive and well. This is one of the best saltwater fly fishing experiences in America. Our "lodge" - the 180-year-old Woodland Plantation - offers spacious private rooms, a lively bar and spectacular food. Then it's out into the storied marshes south of New Orleans with a cadre of amazing guides on the hunt for for monster black drum, speckled trout and sheepshead. Yeowza!
Cost Range: $1,550 for three days from New Orleans
Sunrise fishing to rolling tarpon inside the crater lagoon of the uninhabited Marquesas is an ethereal experience. And the only way to do it is to have spent the night there on a boat. Our live-aboard in the southern Keys expands your angling exponentially. Fish endlessly from dawn to dusk, or take a siesta in the hot part of the day. Then own the Caribbean sunset all to yourself. This is the most adventurous and productive way to target tarpon, shark and permit on the fly.
Fly fishing for striped bass along the northeast Atlantic coast is a sport unto its own. There may be more anglers dedicated to this pursuit than to any other specific species beyond trout. And for good reason; this is adrenalin fly fishing! Success is all about time and place, following the southern migration from August to January, Maine to Virginia. Let us customize a striper safari to fit your location and time frame with the right guide on the right water.
East Cape, Baja Peninsula Roosterfish, marlin, sierra
"Runnin' Down the Man" was a cool fish flick that introduced the angling masses to Mexican roosterfish. But we've been pokin' around Baja with a long rod since before those filmmakers were out of grade school, and we'd love to share our knowledge and suggestions with you on how to tangle with the "Man" and a few of his homies.
With 39 inhabited islands and as many fly fishing lodges to choose from, deciding on the perfect Bahamas destination can be challenging. Grab a plate of fresh conch fritters and a cold Kalick mon, and let us show you the wild luxury of Tiamo.
Puerto Iztapa, Guatemala Sailfish, marlin, roosterfish
Bluewater billfish operations often look at fly fishing as an afterthought, but not the fly-hip folks at Sailfish Bay Lodge. Guatemalan waters are considered the premier fishery in the world to catch Pacific sailfish, and here they'd just as soon do that on the fly. Sailfish Bay Lodge offers modern beachside accommodations, terrific food, private security and a fleet of five tricked-out ocean cruisers skippered by the best captains in the business. This is big game angling at its finest!
Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica Sailfish, marlin, roosterfish
We've been sending folks here for years with great results. In fact, Golfito Sailfish Rancho is like a second home to many an obsessed billfish hound. And what's not to like with a terrific jungle lodge on a private beach bordering a gorgeous Costa Rican rainforest! While sailfish are the main attraction, the area also supports good numbers of marlin, dorado and roosterfish. Modern fleet, highly experienced captains. A bit travel intensive but totally worth the journey.
Coyhaigue, Chilean Patagonia Rainbow & brown trout, salmon
This is the other half of Patagonia, the narrow crust of Chile trapped by the Andes' rugged spine to the east, the crashing Pacific ocean to the west. It is punctuated everywhere by water - lakes, rivers, spring creeks, fjords - and rain. It is a place of trout, only made accessible to anglers through the dreams and efforts of intrepid outfitters who have built their amazing, often remote lodges throughout this watery realm. Let us be your guide to these lesser-known hideaways.
Few areas in the world can compare to the scenic grandeur, angling opulence, and outdoor recreation of the Snake River and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Predominantly a stonefly and terrestrial fishery with a native population of cutthroat averaging in the thousands per mile, the Snake has become famous for its superb large dry fly fishing. Great guiding services available, lodging ranges from cool fishing cabins to five-star resorts. Excellent family destination.
Fabulous family float trip with endless whitewater thrills, spectacular riverside camping, and incredible dry fly fishing for legions of native cutthroat. Honestly one of the best angling float trips in America. The Middle Fork runs through the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness Area and is virtually inaccessible anywhere but at put-in and take-out. Great wildlife, hiking, excellent pictographs. Famous as the birthplace of delicious Dutch oven cookery.
Immortalized in the fish flick "Hatch," an annual three-day float trip down the "Gunny" Gorge is a local angler tradition in Colorado. The gorge fishes well year-round, but it's hard to compete with the salmon fly hatch of early-June. Then it's bouncing big bugs off steep canyon walls for huge fish! Access is mule-supported down a steep mile-long trail. Treacherous rapids in skinny water require good boat skills. Fishing easy from boat or careful wading. Go there, worth all the effort!
Superb fishing for big, wild rainbows and browns, gorgeous scenery, and a remote wilderness setting - combined with strict permit controlled access - make a Smith River angling adventure one of the most sought-after float trips in the country. With only one put-in and one take-out the 60-mile stretch of river is accessible only by raft or driftboat. Comes complete with towering limestone cliffs, deep pools, fast riffles, abundant wildlife and fabulous gourmet camping.
Running over 500 miles, the John Day is the second longest free-flowing stream in the United States with steep basalt canyon walls, sagebrush dotted hills, abandoned homesteads, and petroglyphs. Famous for its steelhead in the fall, the John Day warms up in the summer to become the most prolific smallmouth bass fishery in the Northwest. Great family float/fishing adventure down 70 miles of "Wild and Scenic" designated river. Fully outfitted, easy angling, scenic camping.
The Williamson, Klamath and Wood Rivers make up the famous flywater of the Klamath Basin. Here wild redband rainbow and brook trout reach truly trophy size in what many consider the finest native trout water in the continental U.S. Stay at the fabulous Running Y Ranch and fish with the area's best outfitters in our customized three- to five-day fish/golf packages. Yep, there's an Arnold Palmer championship course on the ranch for the perfect combo vacation.
Okay, so this is definitely a bit "out there." But it's also a total blast, and mako sharks on the fly are a visceral, aerial experience like non other. It really is a fly fishing bucket list item every dedicated angler needs to do. Stay in a great Mission Bay resort and let us hook you up with a specialized shark skipper for a few days of toothy tussle just offshore of the sunny southern California surf zone. Unique ocean angling experience. All gear provided. Terrific marine wildlife.
South Fork of the Snake, Idaho Brown & cutthroat trout
The 65 miles of the South Fork of the Snake River is known by many as one of the best big fish tailwaters and premier dry fly fisheries in the West. It is the "winning water" every year for the famous One Fly competition. South Fork Lodge, owned by Mark and Renee Rockefeller, offers the ultimate in rustic elegance for discriminating anglers looking for the very best. Lodge and cabin accommodations, fine dining. Superb guide staff and services. A "not to be forgotten" experience.
Truly trophy-size pike and rare sheefish on Innoko River, a tributary of the Yukon in Alaska. Comfortable houseboat as lodge with outboard skiffs for fishing. Only four guests per week. Mid-June to mid-September. Superb top-water and streamer action with 9-wt rods and floating lines, relatively easy fishing for good casters. Opportunity for fly-out and wilderness float trips on nearby rivers for salmon and trout. Frequent weather changes, bugs are manageable.
Rainbow, brown, grayling and rare marble trout fishing on the tributaries and main stem of the Soca River in northwestern Slovenia. Rich scenic and cultural immersion in one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. Truly unique and enjoyable lodging experience with modern accommodations, world-class cuisine, fly tying and guiding service for groups up to five. Relatively easy dry fly and streamer action on 4- to 6-weight rods with floating lines May through September.
Best fishing operation on the world-famous Kenai River for anglers of all abilities. Extensive permits for upper, and lower Kenai means more options to catch salmon, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden. On the fly or light tackle, expert guides put you on the fish! Enjoy cozy log cabins and relaxing main lodge with riverside deck, fire pit and a wood fired sauna. Fine dining in the wilderness served family style. 6wt to 7wt rods with floating lines.
The Ekaluk River has been the piscatorial playground of only a few dozen intrepid anglers over the past decade. This tiny (3 kilometer long) river has just a two-week season during which 80,000 spectacular char migrate up from Wellington Bay to over-winter in Ferguson Lake. Fishing is relatively easy for anglers efficient with double-handed rods. Accommodations very basic, food good. Weather unpredictable, no bugs. Anglers should be fit and basically self-sufficient.
Great Bear Lake, NWT Lake trout, pike, char, grayling
Warren Plummer was a true pioneer in 1938 when he and his father first explored remote Great Bear Lake. Even today only 400 anglers a year fish this fourth largest lake in North America which has but a two-month season yet holds several world records for lake trout, grayling and pike. Now it's one of the hottest destinations for long rodders looking for big fish. Numerous fly-out possibilities, comfortable accommodations, great food. Terrific wildlife viewing opportunities.
Unique urban fishery in southern Alberta with some of the largest trout in North America. Relatively easy fishing from driftboats or rafts with some wading for big browns and rainbows on big foam dry flies and streamers depending on season. 5-wt rods with floating lines. Only fishing lodge on the river boast very comfortable accommodations, good food, great hosts. Good family destination as Calgary area offers many additional activities.
Historic salmon runs of yesteryear are back along Canada's Atlantic coast and the waterway once dubbed "mother of all salmon rivers" is close to reclaiming her heritage. Today, angling for Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi is an intoxicating blend of angling tradition and modern-day stewardship - and Wilson's camp at "Big Murphy" is ground zero. Wonderful lodge and food, 4th-generation hosts, spirited angling on single or double-hand rods for bigger and more fish.
This is the other half of Patagonia, the narrow crust of Chile trapped by the Andes' rugged spine to the east, the crashing Pacific ocean to the west. It is punctuated everywhere by water - lakes, rivers, spring creeks, fjords - and rain. It is a place of trout, only made accessible to anglers through the dreams and efforts of intrepid outfitters who have built their amazing, often remote lodges throughout this watery realm.
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