Fly-fishing is currently enjoying something of a renaissance, attracting a new generation of anglers in droves. It’s not difficult to understand why. Fly fishing is a wonderful way to unwind, learn a new skill, experience nature, and potentially bring home a prize.
Fly-fishing offers a welcome respite from the stresses and strains of daily life. There’s no car horns or traffic, just the bubble of the river, the wind in the trees, birdsong, and the gentle sound of line spilling from the reel as you cast your rod. Few hobbies offer such tranquil, quiet moments—that is, until you catch a bite, and the excitement starts.
Guided fly-fishing excursions provide anglers with a prime opportunity to fish some of the world’s most bountiful—and beautiful—lakes and rivers. In this article, we explore five unforgettable fly-fishing destinations that attract visitors from all over the world.
1. Montana, United States
Sometimes considered “Trout Mecca,” Montana is crisscrossed with fly-fishing rivers, including the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Missouri Rivers. Films like A River Runs Through It have immortalized the beauty of the state’s rivers and streams, and its people’s love for fly-fishing.
Guided trips are available on all of these rivers and many other waterways in Montana. Trout is the main draw; you’ll find many species, including cutthroat, brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Many anglers base their trip in Missoula, now a hip college town experiencing something of a growth spurt, since it’s located at the convergence of three major rivers (the Clark Fork, Blackroot, and Bitterroot) and boasts plenty of restaurants, breweries, and nightlife to fill the evening hours.
2. Patagonia – Argentina and Chile
Situated on the southern tip of South America, spanning regions of Argentina and Chile, this large region boasts some of the most strikingly beautiful views on earth, with fjords, glaciers, temperate rainforests, deserts, and steppes. Also home to numerous lakes, rivers, and streams, Patagonia has world-class trout fishing that lures anglers from near and far to Chubut Province in Argentina, Coyhaique Province in Chile, and Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Some of the most popular fly-fishing rivers in these areas include the Limay River in Argentina and the Paloma and Mogote Rivers in Chile.
Visitors can make their selection from a variety of different accommodation types, from camps to comfortable lodges. You can also find overnight float trips into the wilderness. With an abundance of experienced local guides, the region offers ample opportunities for great fishing. The season generally runs November through May.
3. Eg River – Mongolia
Thrill seekers looking to hook the taimen, the world’s largest salmonid, need look no further than Mongolia’s Eg River, where fly fishers have a prime opportunity to hunt this elusive “River Wolf.” Known to consume ducklings, mice, and muskrat, it is many an angler’s dream to reel in one of these monster fish. On par with a large salmon, a fully grown taimen can weigh over 60 pounds and measure up to four feet in length.
The world’s first taimen conservation project was established on the Eg River in 2004. Today, fishing camp operators manage this remote fishery to ensure visitors continue to enjoy extensive fishing opportunities and to maintain the Eg River’s reputation as the best destination for taimen fishing in the world.
4. Midfjardara River – Iceland
Renowned for its surreal landscapes and volcanic activity, few places on earth offer finer fly-fishing opportunities than Iceland, particularly the Midfjardara River, where Atlantic salmon run thick and fast through the cold, crystal-clear water. Here, brown trout and sometimes sea trout join the rumbunctious flurry of activity.
Situated in northwest Iceland, the river boasts some 200-plus pools open to all. Midfjardara is a catch-and-release river, and the season begins in the second half of June and runs through the end of September, though the weather in Iceland can be cold and unpredictable in early fall. The river is closely managed to preserve the fishery and the experience for the angler, so fishing is limited to a maximum of six to 10 rods on the river at a time, depending on the time of year.
5. Abacos – Bahamas
Located in the northern Bahamas, the Abacos Islands encompass swathes of productive bonefish flats, including the creeks and mangroves on the western side of Great Abaco. The area boasts some excellent fishing lodges and some of the best opportunities to catch bonefish on earth.
Abacos’s sheltered Marls region is vast, its 300-square-mile footprint easily accommodating 13 Manhattans. Here, instead of skyscrapers and cabs, visitors are treated to a slower pace of life, the flats peppered with uninhabited pineclad islands and mangrove cays where the shy, elusive bonefish resides.
In addition to its world-famous flats, the Abacos also have incredible blue water fishing, with local operators offering one or two-day trips targeting sailfish, marlin, tuna, dolphinfish, and wahoo, depending on the season.