Destination guides, fly-tying recipes, gear breakdowns, and local knowledge from the water.
The Skeena River system near Terrace, BC holds the largest runs of wild steelhead remaining on earth, and the tributaries — Kalum, Copper, Zymoetz — are the proving ground for Spey casting and swung-fly steelhead techniques.
Kamloops stillwater fly fishing is a discipline unto itself — chironomid fishing under indicators, balanced leeches, dragonfly nymphs on full-sink lines, and dry flies to rising trout on glassy lakes that grow rainbows to 10 pounds and beyond.
Haida Gwaii sits where the continental shelf drops into the deep Pacific, and the fishing matches the geography — chinook salmon that average 20 to 30 pounds, halibut over 100 pounds, and coho in numbers that would be unrealistic anywhere else on the coast.
Vancouver Island's west coast is where old-growth rainforest meets the open Pacific, and the fishing matches the landscape — chinook salmon, halibut, lingcod, and coho in some of the most dramatic scenery in North America.
Campbell River has called itself the Salmon Capital of the World since the early 1900s, and a century of chinook fishing in Discovery Passage, the legendary Tyee Pool, and five Pacific salmon species prove the claim.
The Dean River in central coastal British Columbia is accessible only by helicopter or floatplane, holds wild steelhead averaging 10 to 12 pounds with fish to 25 pounds, and is considered one of the greatest steelhead fly fishing rivers on earth.
The Skeena River system near Terrace holds wild steelhead, chinook over 60 pounds, and all five Pacific salmon — and the techniques to catch them range from Spey casting to float fishing to spin casting from the bank.
New York City has over 520 miles of shoreline, dozens of fishable park ponds, and striped bass running the Hudson and East Rivers every spring and fall. You do not need a boat. You do not need to leave the five boroughs.
Haida Gwaii sits 100 kilometres off the BC mainland — a remote archipelago where old-growth rainforest meets the open Pacific and the salmon and halibut fishing is among the most productive in the world.
The Bow River through Calgary produces dry fly fishing that rivals Montana's best water — stonefly hatches, caddis blizzards, hopper season, and fall streamer runs for brown trout over 24 inches.
The Skeena River system near Terrace, BC is the last major watershed in the world where wild steelhead and all five Pacific salmon species still return in numbers that justify calling it what it is — the greatest steelhead river on earth.
Kamloops is famous for stillwater fly fishing, but trolling, spin casting, bait fishing, and ice fishing all produce trophy rainbow trout on the hundreds of lakes surrounding this interior BC city.
The Crowsnest River is a walk-and-wade paradise — a small mountain stream with 1,500 trout per mile, prolific hatches, and the kind of intimate dry fly fishing that makes you forget drift boats exist.
Kamloops sits in the semi-arid interior of British Columbia surrounded by hundreds of nutrient-rich lakes that grow rainbow trout to sizes that redefine what a trout can be — the legendary Kamloops trout.
Lake of the Woods holds walleye, muskie, pike, smallmouth, and lake trout across 1,700 square miles — here's how to catch each species with the techniques that work on this massive Canadian shield lake.
Los Angeles has a concrete river full of carp and bass, city park lakes stocked with trout in winter and catfish in summer, and ocean piers where you can catch halibut and mackerel with the Pacific sunset behind you. No boat. No car required for some of the best spots.
Chicago sits on 22 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with walk-on access to king salmon, coho, steelhead, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch — plus a downtown river full of bass hiding under bridges and 13 stocked park lagoons. No boat. No car. CTA gets you there.
The Dean River in central coastal British Columbia is accessible only by helicopter, holds one of the healthiest wild steelhead runs in the province, and delivers the kind of fishing experience that steelhead anglers talk about for the rest of their lives.
The Bow River through Calgary holds 3,000+ trout per mile, and the techniques to catch them range from drift boat fly fishing to shore spin casting — here's everything you need to know about every method that works.
Everything a beginner needs to start fishing in Destin — what gear to buy or rent, how to rig for pier, surf, inshore, and offshore fishing, which baits catch which species, and the practical details that most guides assume you already know.
The Bow River flows through the heart of Calgary, Alberta with an estimated 3,000 trout per mile — brown and rainbow trout averaging 18 to 20 inches in a river you can reach by city bus.
Houston is built on bayous — 13 major waterways threading through 670 square miles of sprawl, holding alligator gar, largemouth bass, catfish, and carp within casting distance of downtown skyscrapers. Add stocked urban park ponds and you have one of the most underrated city fisheries in America.
Georgian Bay's 30,000 islands hold smallmouth bass, pike, lake trout, muskie, walleye, and salmon — here's how to catch each species with the techniques that work on this clear Canadian Shield water.
Phoenix has over 30 stocked urban lakes, a 131-mile canal system full of carp and bass, and Tempe Town Lake — a 225-acre reservoir in the middle of downtown. The Arizona Game and Fish Community Fishing Program stocks trout, catfish, and sunfish year-round. No boat needed.
Key West puts you at the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Gulf, with world-class flats, historic bridges, walkable piers, and blue water all within reach. Here's everything a first-timer needs to know about gear, techniques, and where to start.
The Crowsnest River in southern Alberta holds 1,500 trout per mile in a small, wadeable mountain stream that most anglers drive past on their way to the Bow — and that's exactly why it fishes so well.
Philadelphia sits at the confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers — two major waterways with over 40 fishable species between them. Add stocked trout in Wissahickon Creek, invasive snakeheads in FDR Park, and miles of riverfront trail access, and you have one of the best urban fisheries on the East Coast.
Islamorada earns its title as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World by putting three distinct fisheries within minutes of a single dock. This guide covers the practical gear, rigs, bait, and techniques a beginner needs to fish the Everglades backcountry, the famous Keys bridges, and the offshore humps.
Algonquin Park's backcountry lakes hold native brook trout and lake trout that respond to simple techniques — small spinners, dry flies, and light tackle fished from a canoe in some of the wildest water in Ontario.
The Ram River flows through Alberta's eastern slopes — a remote, roadless canyon fishery holding native westslope cutthroat and bull trout in water that sees fewer anglers in a season than the Bow sees in a weekend.
San Antonio's river runs through the middle of town — literally through the tourist district — holding bass, catfish, and panfish along the Mission Reach. City park lakes get stocked with trout and catfish, and two power plant reservoirs within 20 minutes hold redfish and hybrid stripers. No boat required.
Lake of the Woods covers 1,700 square miles across the Ontario-Manitoba border with over 14,500 islands, world-class walleye and muskie fishing, and more fishable water than most anglers can explore in a lifetime.
Galveston puts wade fishing, jetty fishing, pier fishing, and surf fishing all on one barrier island — and every style is beginner-friendly. This is the practical guide to gear, rigs, bait, and techniques for your first trip to the Texas coast.
The Miramichi is fly-fishing-only water for Atlantic salmon — here's every technique that works, from wet-fly swings for summer grilse to Spey casting for fall hookbills in the storied pools of New Brunswick.
Livingston sits at the north end of Paradise Valley with two of the most famous spring creeks in America — DePuy's and Armstrong's — plus the Yellowstone River running through town. Here's the hatch chart, the fly box, and the gear you need.
San Diego has ocean piers where you can catch halibut and yellowtail without a licence, 27 miles of Mission Bay shoreline holding spotted bay bass and corvina, surf beaches with corbina and perch, and urban reservoirs that have produced some of the biggest largemouth bass ever recorded. No boat needed.
Bozeman sits at the crossroads of three legendary trout rivers — the Madison, the Gallatin, and the Yellowstone. Here's what you actually need to know before booking a guided trip.
Hilton Head Island's massive tidal creeks, oyster-studded marshes, and rich Lowcountry waters make it one of the best beginner fishing destinations on the East Coast. Learn how to read the tides, pick the right gear, and catch redfish, flounder, and spotted seatrout in South Carolina's barrier island paradise.
The Riviera Maya holds sailfish, marlin, mahi-mahi, wahoo, permit, bonefish, tarpon, snapper, and grouper — here's every technique that works from the deep blue offshore to the white sand flats.
Three blue-ribbon trout rivers converge near Missoula — the Clark Fork, the Blackfoot, and the Bitterroot. Each one fishes differently, and the guides here know every bend.
Georgian Bay is the eastern arm of Lake Huron — 30,000 islands of pink granite and windswept pine holding some of the best smallmouth bass and northern pike fishing in the world.
Dallas has a 1,015-acre lake five miles from downtown, a river running through the city holding alligator gar and flathead catfish, and stocked neighborhood ponds scattered across every district. White Rock Lake alone holds largemouth bass, crappie, and channel catfish — all walk-on, no boat required.
Myrtle Beach has more fishing piers per mile than anywhere on the East Coast, plus 60 miles of surf and the fish-rich creeks of Murrells Inlet. Here's everything a first-timer needs to know about gear, rigs, bait, and technique to actually catch fish on the Grand Strand.
West Yellowstone is the gateway to some of the most unique fly fishing water on earth — from the thermally heated Firehole to the legendary Madison and the gulper fishing on Hebgen Lake.
The Henry's Fork of the Snake River is the most technically demanding dry-fly water in America. The Railroad Ranch section will humble you. The Box Canyon will overpower you. And the hatches will keep you coming back for decades.
The Outer Banks is the East Coast's ultimate fishing destination, where 200 miles of barrier islands put you within casting distance of drum, bluefish, and striped bass. This guide covers surf fishing at Cape Point, pier fishing at Jennette's and Avalon, sound-side tactics on the Pamlico, and everything you need to start catching fish on OBX.
Algonquin Provincial Park holds the highest concentration of brook trout lakes in the world — hundreds of canoe-access-only lakes where native speckled trout have been thriving since the glaciers retreated.
Lady Bird Lake runs through the middle of downtown Austin and holds a lake-record 14-pound largemouth bass. Barton Creek feeds crystal-clear spring water into the lake from Zilker Park, perfect for sight-fishing and fly fishing. Add the Colorado River above and below the dams, and Austin might be the best urban bass fishery in Texas.
Seattle sits on Puget Sound with access to salmon, lingcod, rockfish, and halibut — plus steelhead rivers within an hour's drive. Here's how to make sense of the seasons and find the right charter.
Port Aransas sits at the mouth of Aransas Pass, where massive tidal flow through the jetties, a 1,240-foot Gulf pier, and the shallow flats of Redfish Bay create one of the most beginner-accessible saltwater fisheries in Texas.
Columbus has two rivers running through the city — the Scioto and the Olentangy — holding smallmouth bass, saugeye, channel catfish, and carp. Add Griggs Reservoir, stocked park ponds with rainbow trout, and metro park lakes with bass and crappie, and Columbus is quietly one of the best urban fisheries in the Midwest.
Westport is Washington's premier offshore fishing port — salmon, halibut, albacore tuna, lingcod, and rockfish all run through here. The charter fleet is big, experienced, and ready to put you on fish.
The Miramichi River carries over 40% of all Atlantic salmon returning to North American rivers — roughly 100,000 fish per year swimming upstream through New Brunswick's forests to spawn in the river that has defined Atlantic salmon fishing for centuries.
The Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin holds over 600 spring creeks with 13,000 miles of classified trout water. The streams are small, the fish are wild, and most fly anglers don't know it exists. Here's the complete guide.
Charlotte has over two dozen fishable park ponds stocked with bass and catfish, the Catawba River running along the western edge with blue catfish, striped bass, and largemouth, and 27 miles of lake shoreline on Norman, Wylie, and Mountain Island within Mecklenburg County parks. Loaner rods available at nature centers.
Portland gives you four rivers, a dozen species, and fishing that runs twelve months a year. The trick is knowing which trip to book and when — here's how to sort it out.
The Great Smoky Mountains hold the last wild populations of Southern Appalachian brook trout — a fish that's been here since the ice age, living in streams that flow through old-growth forest unchanged for centuries. Here's how to find them.
Indianapolis has Eagle Creek Reservoir — 1,400 acres of crappie, bass, and catfish on the northwest side — plus the White River running through downtown with smallmouth bass and flathead catfish, and park ponds scattered across Marion County. No boat required for any of it.
Gulf Shores puts one of the longest piers on the Gulf Coast, miles of white sand surf, the fish-packed currents of Perdido Pass, and the sheltered back bays of Wolf Bay all within a few minutes of your beach rental. Here's everything a first-timer needs to know.
Cape Breton Island sits at the northern tip of Nova Scotia where the Margaree River holds Atlantic salmon, the highlands streams run with wild brook trout, and the offshore waters hold the largest concentration of giant bluefin tuna in the world.
Astoria sits where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, and the Buoy 10 fishery here might be the largest salmon run on the continent. But salmon is just the beginning.
A hands-on beginner guide to fishing Panama City Beach — from the 1,500-foot Gulf piers and St. Andrews State Park jetties to Shell Island surf fishing and the offshore fleet. Covers gear, rigs, bait, species, and the local details that make PCB one of Florida's most accessible fishing destinations.
Memphis sits on the Mississippi River — 200 fishable species, legendary catfishing, and bank access from downtown parks. Add Shelby Farms' 20 lakes with bass and crappie, McKellar Lake, and Mud Island's sheltered backwater, and Memphis becomes the most underrated urban fishery in the South.
San Diego has more sportfishing boats than any port on the Pacific coast. From half-day kelp bed trips to multi-day tuna expeditions into Mexican waters, here's how to pick the right one.
Labrador is the final frontier of brook trout fishing — fly-in lodges on roadless rivers holding wild brook trout that average 3 to 5 pounds, Atlantic salmon in untouched rivers, and Arctic char in lakes that have never seen a lure.
A hands-on beginner guide to fishing Tampa Bay — from wading the grass flats of Weedon Island and Cockroach Bay to night fishing the Gandy Bridge, working the passes on a falling tide, and pier fishing the Skyway. Covers gear, rigs, bait, species, tides, and the local knowledge that separates a good day from a blank.
San Francisco Bay, the Pacific coast, the Farallon Islands, the Sacramento Delta — the fishing here is as varied as the city. Here's a species-by-species breakdown of what to target and where.
The Riviera Maya stretches 150 miles along Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula — offshore sailfish and marlin within 15 minutes of the dock, and some of the best permit and bonefish flats in the Caribbean south of Tulum.
The Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam holds up to 14,000 trout per mile in emerald water flowing through sandstone canyon walls. Three sections, three different rivers, one of the best tailwaters in the world. Here's the complete guide.
Detroit sits on one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in North America. The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, and every spring 14 million walleye migrate through it. Belle Isle puts you on a fishing pier in the middle of the river. No boat needed for any of it.
Everything a beginner needs to start fly fishing near Bozeman — gear setups for fly and spin fishing, river-by-river breakdowns of the Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone, and Paradise Valley spring creeks, fly selection by hatch, rigging, techniques, and the practical details most guides assume you already know.
The Elk Hair Caddis is the most versatile dry fly ever designed — it floats forever, imitates a dozen insects, and catches trout from Wisconsin spring creeks to Montana freestones. Here's the recipe, the variations, and where to fish it.
Mammoth Lakes is one of the best places in the West to pick up a rod for the first time — or to refine your fly fishing game on technical water that'll humble you. Here's how to choose your adventure.
Nashville puts world-class freshwater fishing within an hour of Broadway — tailwater trout on the Caney Fork, bass on Percy Priest and Old Hickory lakes, trophy stripers and catfish on the Cumberland River, and creek smallmouth on the Harpeth. Here is the beginner gear, rigs, bait, and technique for each one.
Austin has largemouth bass in every direction, stripers ripping through open water, and the only place in the world where Guadalupe bass evolved. Here's where to fish and what to expect.
Minneapolis has more than 20 fishable lakes inside city limits — the Chain of Lakes holds muskie, northern pike, bass, and walleye within biking distance of downtown. The Mississippi River adds walleye and smallmouth below the Ford Dam. This is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and the fishing starts inside the city.
Everything a beginner needs to fish the Kenai Peninsula — species-by-species gear setups for king salmon, sockeye, silver salmon, halibut, and rainbow trout. Rigs, techniques, the famous Kenai flip, bear safety, regulations, and the practical details most guides assume you already know.
The Woolly Bugger is the most versatile fly ever tied — it imitates leeches, baitfish, crayfish, and a dozen other things depending on how you fish it. A 7-year-old named it. It catches everything from panfish to steelhead.
Galveston Bay is the most productive estuary on the Texas coast, and the fishing ranges from ankle-deep wade fishing to blue-water runs for tarpon and tuna. Here's how each style breaks down.
Milwaukee sits on Lake Michigan with direct shore access to king salmon, coho, steelhead, brown trout, and lake trout. The Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers run through the city carrying fall salmon runs within walking distance of breweries. No boat needed — the harbor piers and river banks do the work.
Port Aransas earned its title as the Fishing Capital of Texas for a reason — between the pier, the jetties, the surf, the bay, and the deep Gulf, there's a way to fish for every skill level and budget.
The Adams has been the default dry fly since 1922. The parachute version made it better — lower profile, better visibility, and a silhouette that imitates every mayfly on the water. Here's the recipe, the variations, and why it's the first fly you should learn.
Everything a beginner needs to fish Homer — halibut charters on Kachemak Bay, salmon at the Fishing Hole, bank fishing the Anchor River and Deep Creek, and fly-out trips to wild Alaska rivers. Gear, rigs, bait, and practical details.
South Padre Island sits on the Lower Laguna Madre — one of six hypersaline lagoons on the planet — with the only fishable snook population outside Florida and tarpon rolling through Brazos Santiago Pass.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Miami — pier fishing at South Pointe, bridge fishing for snook and tarpon, peacock bass in the canals, Biscayne Bay flats, and offshore charters. Gear, rigs, bait, techniques, and what to actually expect.
Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of three rivers — the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio — creating one of the most productive urban river fisheries in America. Smallmouth bass hold under 446 bridges, walleye stack below the dams, and flathead catfish exceeding 60 pounds lurk in the deep holes. No boat required.
Miami is the only major US city where you can sight-fish for bonefish on the flats in the morning and be hooked up to a sailfish in the Gulf Stream by early afternoon. Here's how the fishery works, from the shallows out.
Frank Sawyer tied the original Pheasant Tail with just copper wire and pheasant tail fibers — no thread, no dubbing, nothing else. It's been the most important subsurface fly in trout fishing for 70 years. Here's the recipe, the variations, and where to fish it.
Tampa Bay covers 400 square miles of shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico, and every fish in it moves with the water. Understanding the tides is the difference between a great day and a slow one.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish San Diego — license-free pier fishing, surf rigs for corbina and perch, bay fishing for halibut and spotted bass, half-day sportfishing boats for yellowtail and tuna, and the gear that works for each.
Atlanta has a tailwater trout fishery running through the metro — the Chattahoochee River, fed by cold water from Lake Lanier, holds rainbow and brown trout within 20 minutes of downtown. Add shoal bass in the rapids, bass in Piedmont Park's Lake Clara Meer, and carp on the fly, and Atlanta is the South's best-kept urban fishing secret.
John Bethke of Westby, Wisconsin designed the Pink Squirrel to not match anything specific — just catch trout. The fox squirrel dubbing body and pink chenille collar have been outfishing everything else in the Driftless for two decades.
Islamorada has been the center of saltwater sportfishing since the 1940s — where backcountry guiding was invented, the Grand Slam was born, and the fishing hasn't slowed down since.
Washington DC sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers — holding invasive snakeheads (explosive topwater strikes), blue catfish over 50 pounds, spring shad runs, bass in the Tidal Basin, and carp cruising past the monuments. Fish from the National Mall. No boat needed.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Charleston — pier fishing at Folly Beach and Mount Pleasant, inshore redfish and flounder in the marsh creeks, sheepshead on the docks, and nearshore reefs for snapper and mackerel. Gear, rigs, bait, and tides.
The Zebra Midge uses four materials and takes five minutes to tie. It imitates the most abundant insect in every trout stream on Earth — the chironomid midge — and it catches fish when nothing else will. Here's the recipe and where it matters most.
Boston Harbor — once the most polluted harbor in America — is now one of the best urban striper fisheries on the East Coast. Striped bass blitz on baitfish around the islands, piers, and locks. The Charles River holds bass, carp, and seasonal striper runs. Castle Island puts you on fish in South Boston. No boat needed.
Destin runs the largest fishing fleet in Florida and offers trips from four hours to three days. The species you target depends entirely on how far you're willing to go.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Montauk — surf casting for striped bass at the lighthouse, party boats for fluke and sea bass, offshore charters for tuna, and what gear actually works on the rocks. Rigs, bait, tackle, and practical tips.
The South Platte River flows through the heart of Denver holding trout, carp, smallmouth bass, walleye, and catfish — all within a mile of downtown. The urban South Platte Grand Slam (trout, carp, bass, catfish in one day) is a real thing. Add stocked city park lakes and 26 miles of river trail, and Denver is a fly fisher's urban paradise.
Panama City Beach sits where St. Andrew Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, with jetty fishing, sight-casting on grass flats, and one of the largest artificial reef systems in the country right offshore.
The Chubby Chernobyl looks ridiculous — oversized foam body, rubber legs, white polypropylene wings. It floats like a cork, supports a heavy nymph dropper, and somehow catches more trout on Western rivers than flies that actually look like insects.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish New Orleans — sight-casting for redfish in the marsh, speckled trout on the bayou, bass in City Park, bank fishing without a boat, and inshore charters. Gear, rigs, bait, and what to expect.
Portland is one of the only major cities in America where you can catch salmon and steelhead inside city limits. The Willamette River runs through downtown holding spring Chinook, smallmouth bass, sturgeon, and walleye. The Columbia River forms the northern border. No boat needed for most of it.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Fort Myers — snook along the mangroves, redfish on the flats, tarpon in the passes, sheepshead on the docks, and nearshore grouper. Gear, rigs, bait, tides, and where to go without a boat.
Jacksonville is the rare city where you can chase wahoo in the Gulf Stream, redfish in the creeks, and largemouth bass on the St. Johns — all in the same week. Here's how the fishery unfolds from salt to fresh.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish South Padre Island — wade fishing the Laguna Madre for redfish and trout, jetty fishing at the pass, surf casting for pompano, and offshore trips for snapper and kingfish. Gear, rigs, bait, and tides.
Las Vegas has stocked fishing ponds scattered across the valley — rainbow trout in winter, channel catfish in summer — plus Lake Mead 30 minutes away with largemouth bass, striped bass, and catfish. You can fish for trout in the Mojave Desert. No boat needed at the urban ponds.
The Hare's Ear has been catching trout since the 1400s — first as an English wet fly, then as the Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear nymph that became the default subsurface searching pattern worldwide. The dubbing does the work. Here's the recipe.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Ocean City, Maryland — the inlet jetties for stripers and flounder, pier fishing for croaker, head boats for sea bass and flounder, surf fishing, and offshore canyon trips for tuna and marlin. Gear, rigs, and practical tips.
Honolulu sits on the south shore of Oahu with reef flats, harbor piers, and beach parks holding papio (trevally), bonefish, goatfish, and reef species year-round. Freshwater reservoirs add peacock bass and largemouth. Residents fish saltwater without a licence. This is tropical urban fishing.
Denver sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains with Gold Medal trout water in every direction — from the technical tailwaters of the South Platte to high-altitude reservoirs holding trophy pike and kokanee.
Gunnison's fishery follows the river system from the trophy tailwater below Taylor Dam through the upper Gunnison, into Blue Mesa Reservoir, and down into the Gunnison Gorge — each section a different experience.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Jacksonville — redfish and sheepshead at the Mayport Jetties, bass on the St. Johns River, pier fishing at Jax Beach, inshore marsh creeks, and nearshore reef trips. Gear, rigs, bait, tides, and where to go.
Steamboat sits where the Yampa tailwater meets genuine backcountry — wild cutthroat in the Elk River, arctic grayling at Pearl Lake, and northern pike that grow as big as anywhere in Colorado.
Randall Kaufmann popularized the Stimulator in the 1980s as a stonefly imitation, but it's become something bigger — a high-riding attractor dry fly that covers stoneflies, caddis, Yellow Sallies, and grasshoppers depending on the size and color. Over 120 variations exist. Here are the ones that matter.
The Griffith's Gnat was the favorite fly of George Griffith, one of the founders of Trout Unlimited. It uses peacock herl and grizzly hackle to imitate a midge cluster on the surface — the dry-fly answer to the smallest insects on the water.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Maui — whipping for papio from shore, dunking for ulua, reef bottom fishing, bonefish on the flats, and offshore charters for mahi-mahi and marlin. Hawaiian species names, gear, rigs, and local etiquette.
New Orleans sits in the middle of the most productive marsh system in America — Barataria Bay, Delacroix, Biloxi Marsh, and Lake Pontchartrain all within an hour's drive. The redfish don't care what you ate for dinner.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Seattle — pier fishing for salmon on Puget Sound, squid jigging at night, Dungeness crab from the dock, freshwater bass and trout in city lakes, and salmon charters. Gear, rigs, seasons, and local rules.
Venice sits at the end of the road — literally, where the Mississippi River Delta meets the Gulf of Mexico. The river's nutrient load creates the richest water in the Gulf, and yellowfin tuna swim as close as five miles from the marina.
Everything a beginner needs to fish Venice, Louisiana — offshore yellowfin tuna under oil rigs, inshore redfish and speckled trout in the marsh, red snapper and cobia on nearshore structure, plus charter costs, tackle, techniques, and what to bring.
The Comparadun threw out the hackle. The Sparkle Dun added a trailing shuck. Together, they're the most effective mayfly patterns for selective trout on technical water — and the flies that changed how we think about matching the hatch.
Nantucket sits 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast, surrounded by rips, shoals, and sandbars that create distinct fisheries at every named point on the island. Here's what bites where.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Cape Cod — surfcasting for striped bass on the National Seashore, Canal fishing, flats wading, bluefish, false albacore in the fall, tautog on the rocks, and charter trips. Gear, rigs, tides, and what to bring.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Jackson Hole — fly fishing the Snake River for native cutthroat trout, wading vs. float trips, dry fly and nymph techniques, what hatches to match, gear to bring or rent, and how to read this big western river.
Gloucester has been a fishing town since 1623 — four centuries of cod, haddock, and working boats. Then the bluefin tuna showed up in numbers, and a TV show made the whole world pay attention.
The Madison River is the most famous trout river in America — 183 miles of water that flows from Yellowstone National Park through the 50-Mile Riffle, past the town of Ennis, and into fly-fishing legend. Here's the section-by-section guide with hatches, flies, and the gear to fish it.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Missoula — the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clark Fork, and Rock Creek. Fly fishing techniques, which river to choose, hatches, gear, wading vs. floating, and how to fish the water Norman Maclean made famous.
Kennebunkport is where New England vacation fishing meets the working Maine coast — striped bass in the river, bluefin tuna offshore, and a rocky shoreline that fishes unlike anything south of Cape Cod.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Lake Tahoe — trolling and jigging for mackinaw (lake trout) in deep water, kokanee salmon in summer, rainbow and brown trout from shore and boat, charter costs, licensing across two states, and what gear to bring.
The Bighorn River below Yellowtail Dam holds 3,000-6,000 trout per mile in 13 miles of slow, clear tailwater that rewards the angler who reads the hatch, matches the fly, and presents it perfectly. It's the anti-Madison — and that's the point.
Block Island sits where Long Island Sound meets the open Atlantic, and the underwater ridges and rips that surround it create fish-concentrating structure that's been drawing anglers since before the lighthouse was built.
Green Bay has two fisheries that rank among the best in the country: the spring walleye run on the Fox River — millions of fish in a few weeks — and the Sturgeon Bay smallmouth bass that topped national rankings.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish San Francisco Bay — California halibut on the flats, striped bass in the tidal rips, leopard sharks from the piers, sturgeon in winter, plus pier fishing spots, charter costs, tides, and licensing.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Cabo San Lucas — offshore marlin and yellowfin tuna, inshore roosterfish and dorado, panga vs. sportfisher charters, Mexican fishing licenses, tipping, seasons, and what to expect on your first Baja fishing trip.
The Missouri River below Holter Dam is nearly 100 yards wide in places, holds 5,000 trout per mile, and produces hatches so dense they turn the surface white. Craig, Montana — population 43 — exists entirely because of this water.
Valdez sits at the head of Prince William Sound, where the largest pink salmon run in Alaska turns the harbor silver every July — and the silvers and halibut that follow make the fishing last all summer.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Clearwater — Pier 60 species and tactics, surf fishing Sand Key, inshore snook and redfish on the flats, offshore grouper and snapper reefs, charter options, gear rigs, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Savannah — redfish and trout in the marsh creeks, flounder in the tidal rivers, sheepshead off the Tybee piers, offshore bottom fishing for snapper and grouper, gear setups, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Maui's fishing is defined by the Au'au Channel — the deep water between Maui and Lana'i that concentrates blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and ono in a corridor that starts 10 minutes from the historic harbor at Lahaina.
Oahu is the most accessible Hawaiian island for fishing — charter fleets run from Honolulu, Haleiwa, and the Waianae Coast, each accessing different water. Deep-water species are a short run from every harbor.
The San Juan River below Navajo Dam holds 15,000 trout per mile in 3.75 miles of designated Quality Water. The fish average 17 inches and eat midges all day, every day, 365 days a year. If you want to master the midge game, this is where you learn.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Lake of the Ozarks — dock-skipping for largemouth bass, brush pile crappie on jigs, blue catfish on cut shad, white bass schooling action, bank fishing access, gear setups, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Kauai is the oldest and most rugged Hawaiian island — deep water drops to 1,000 feet within a quarter mile of shore, the charter fleet is small, and every trip runs along one of the most dramatic coastlines on Earth.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Lake Erie — spring walleye jigging on the reefs, summer trolling with crankbaits, fall jumbo perch on spreader rigs, winter steelhead in the tributaries, charter options, shore access, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Chesapeake Bay — trolling umbrella rigs for rockfish, chumming and live-lining, blue catfish on cut shad, pier fishing, crabbing, charter options, and practical details for visiting anglers in Maryland and Virginia.
The North Platte River holds two of the best tailwater fisheries in the Rockies — the Miracle Mile with its golden stoneflies and the Grey Reef with 8,000 trout per mile averaging 17-19 inches. Casper, Wyoming is the gateway nobody knows about.
Pagosa Springs sits where the San Juan River flows through town past the world's deepest hot springs, and trout water radiates in every direction — the Piedra River, the East Fork, Williams Creek, and a hundred miles of high-country streams above 10,000 feet.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Portland — spring Chinook on the Willamette, fall salmon and sturgeon on the Columbia, steelhead on the Clackamas and Sandy, bank fishing access in the city, gear setups, and practical details for visiting anglers.
The Farmington River's West Branch below Goodwin Dam holds the highest trout density in Connecticut — wild and holdover browns and rainbows to 20 inches in a tailwater that produces hatches rivaling Western rivers. It's two hours from New York City.
Sitka sits on the outer coast of Southeast Alaska, facing the open Pacific. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game rates Sitka Sound as the #1 place to catch king salmon in the state — and the fishing doesn't stop at kings.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Kona — blue marlin trolling a quarter-mile from shore, yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi, nearshore ono, shore fishing for ulua and bonefish, charter options, and practical details for visiting anglers on the Big Island.
Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay — a deep, glacier-carved fjord on the Kenai Peninsula. The bay funnels silver salmon in numbers that rival any port in Alaska, and the Kenai Fjords beyond hold halibut and rockfish in genuinely wild water.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Virginia Beach — red drum and cobia at the CBBT, flounder in Rudee Inlet, speckled trout in Lynnhaven, surf fishing for pompano and drum, charter options, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Pennsylvania's limestone spring creeks aren't just good trout water — they're where American dry-fly fishing, terrestrial fishing, and catch-and-release were invented. Penns Creek, Spring Creek, the Letort, and a history that shaped every cast you make today.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Traverse City — trolling for salmon and lake trout on Grand Traverse Bay, smallmouth bass on the rocky shoals, fly fishing the Boardman River, fall salmon runs, ice fishing, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Ketchikan is the first Alaska port northbound cruise ships reach, and it earned its Salmon Capital title by processing more salmon than any city on Earth. All five species of Pacific salmon swim through these waters — and you can catch every one.
Kodiak Island is the second-largest island in the United States — 100 miles of wild coastline, rivers full of salmon, bays holding halibut, and 3,500 brown bears sharing the water with you.
The Battenkill is where Orvis was born in 1856, where Norman Rockwell fished between paintings, and where wild brown trout have been refusing flies for over a century. It's the hardest river in New England — and the most rewarding when you get it right.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Duluth — North Shore steelhead on small streams, trolling lake trout and salmon on Lake Superior, walleye in the St. Louis River estuary, ice fishing, charter options, and practical details for visiting anglers.
The Lower Deschutes flows 100 miles through a desert canyon holding wild redband trout and summer steelhead — and the regulation that defines it: you cannot fish from a boat. Your feet have to be in the river. That changes everything.
Everything a first-timer needs for the Long Beach Peninsula — razor clam digging on the beach, jetty fishing at Cape Disappointment, Buoy 10 salmon, Columbia River sturgeon, surf perch, offshore albacore, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Cody sits where three very different rivers converge at the east entrance to Yellowstone — the North Fork Shoshone, the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, and a warm-spring tailwater you can fish in January.
Sun Valley is a ski town with three world-class trout fisheries within 30 minutes — including Silver Creek, the spring creek that helped define modern dry-fly fishing in America.
The Olympic Peninsula holds the last great wild steelhead rivers in the lower 48 — the Hoh, the Sol Duc, the Bogachiel, the Queets. The fish are the biggest and wildest in the country. Some of these rivers are now closed. Here's what you need to know.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish near Denver — Cheesman Canyon's educated trout, Eleven Mile Canyon's nymphing water, Waterton Canyon's accessible tailwater, trophy pike at Spinney Mountain, walleye at Chatfield, and the Dream Stream's migrating giants.
Everything a first-timer needs to fish Sun Valley — Silver Creek's legendary spring creek trout, Big Wood River freestone fly fishing, South Fork Boise tailwater, high mountain lakes, gear setups, and practical details for visiting anglers.
Bend sits in the geographic center of Oregon's best fishing water — the Deschutes River flows through downtown, the Crooked River tailwater is 30 minutes north, and Crane Prairie holds trout that grow to absurd sizes on damselflies and leeches.
Lake Tahoe is the deepest lake in the Sierra Nevada — 1,645 feet of crystal-clear water holding mackinaw lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, and kokanee salmon. The Truckee River below adds a blue-ribbon trout stream to the package.
The Florida Keys invented saltwater fly fishing in the 1930s. The flats still hold tarpon, permit, and bonefish — the three species that make up the Grand Slam — in water so clear you can see a permit's eye at 60 feet. Here's how to fish it on fly.
Door County's 70-mile peninsula splits Lake Michigan from Green Bay, creating two completely different fisheries on opposite sides of the same landmass. Smallmouth bass in Sturgeon Bay, king salmon trolling on the deep side, walleye jigging on the calm side, and whitefish through the ice in winter.
Durango sits where the Animas River — one of the last free-flowing rivers in Colorado and the state's newest Gold Medal Water — meets the historic mining town that Ernest Hemingway once fished. The San Juan River's world-class tailwater is an hour south.
The Texas coast from Rockport to Port Aransas holds miles of clear, shallow flats where redfish tail in ankle-deep water over turtle grass and white sand. If you've always wanted to try saltwater fly fishing but the Keys feel intimidating, start here.
Branson sits between two completely different fisheries — Table Rock Lake for bass and walleye, and Lake Taneycomo for year-round trout below the dam. Here's how to fish both with the right gear, techniques, and local knowledge.
Branson sits between Table Rock Lake — one of the best bass lakes in the Midwest — and Lake Taneycomo, a cold-water tailwater holding rainbow and brown trout year-round. Two completely different fisheries, five minutes apart.
The White River below Bull Shoals Dam is one of the greatest trout fisheries in the world — 90 miles of cold tailwater holding rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook trout year-round. Here's how to fish it, from the dam to Guion.
Mountain Home sits between two of the finest tailwater trout fisheries in the world — the White River below Bull Shoals Dam and the North Fork below Norfork Dam. The water that flows through here grew the former world-record brown trout.
Lake Texoma straddles the Oklahoma-Texas border and holds the only naturally reproducing landlocked striped bass population in the Southwest. The stripers don't need stocking — they spawn in the rivers that feed the lake.
Yellowstone holds the largest concentration of wild cutthroat trout in the world, a river that flows past erupting geysers, and backcountry meadow streams where you fish with bison grazing behind you and wolves howling at dusk. It's not just fly fishing. It's fly fishing inside the world's first national park.
Kennebunkport is classic New England saltwater fishing — striped bass in the river mouths and off the beaches, bluefish and mackerel on the jetties, and bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Maine. Here's how to fish all of it.
Grand Lake of the Cherokees covers 46,500 acres of northeast Oklahoma and holds three fisheries in one: tournament-caliber bass, a deep crappie culture, and the world's largest paddlefish population.
The Pere Marquette is the longest unregulated river in Michigan's Lower Peninsula — no dams, wild fish, and a season that never ends. Spring steelhead, summer hex hatches, fall salmon, winter solitude. Every month has a reason to be on the water.
Jackson Hole is where the Snake River flows through a valley framed by the most dramatic mountain range in the lower 48. The fishing is excellent. The scenery makes it transcendent.
Nantucket is an island built for surf fishing — miles of accessible beach, striped bass on every tide, false albacore and bonito screaming through the rips in fall, and a fishing culture that takes the sport seriously.
Hayward is the muskie capital of the world — home to the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, the Chippewa Flowage, and a guide tradition built around the most elusive freshwater predator.
The White River below Bull Shoals Dam grows the largest brown trout in America — fish over 30 pounds from a tailwater that produces year-round. But the dam's generation schedule can change the river from wadeable to unfishable in an hour. Here's how to fish it.
Lake Texoma is the only major reservoir in the country with a self-sustaining striped bass population — no stocking needed. Add catfish, largemouth, smallmouth, and a liberal 10-fish striper limit, and you have one of the best freshwater fisheries in the South.
Door County is a narrow peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The bay side holds walleye and smallmouth. The lake side runs salmon and trout. The water you fish depends on which shore you're standing on.
Orange Beach is Alabama's Gulf Coast fishing hub — red snapper and amberjack offshore, redfish and speckled trout in Perdido Pass and the back bays, pompano and whiting from the surf. Here's how to fish all three zones.
Put-in-Bay sits in the western basin of Lake Erie — the shallowest, warmest, and most biologically productive section of the Great Lakes. The result is the best walleye fishing on the planet.
Telluride sits at 8,750 feet in the San Juan Mountains with one of the only free-flowing rivers in Colorado running through town, three more rivers within an hour's drive, and alpine lakes above 10,000 feet holding wild cutthroat that almost nobody fishes.
Naples is the gateway to some of the best inshore fishing in Florida — snook along the mangrove shorelines, redfish on the flats, tarpon rolling through Gordon Pass, and the wild backcountry of the Ten Thousand Islands just south of town.
Stuart earned its title as the Sailfish Capital of the World because the Gulf Stream runs closer to shore here than almost anywhere on the East Coast. But the inshore fishing — snook, redfish, tarpon in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Inlet — is just as compelling.
Within 30 minutes of downtown Seattle, you can wade into Puget Sound and fly fish for sea-run cutthroat trout, resident coho, pink salmon, and chum. The beaches are public, the fish are wild, and most of them have never seen a fly. Here's how to fish the Sound.
Erie sits on the Lake Erie shore where a dozen small tributaries become Steelhead Alley every fall and spring — the most accessible steelhead fishery in the eastern United States.
Vancouver Island's west coast is where the Pacific Ocean meets old-growth rainforest, and the fishing matches the landscape — chinook salmon, halibut, lingcod, and coho in the open ocean and the protected waters of Barkley Sound.
The Clouser Deep Minnow has caught more species on a fly rod than any other pattern ever tied — 87 and counting. Bob Clouser designed it for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna. Lefty Kreh took it around the world. Here's the recipe, the variations, and why it works.
Lake of the Ozarks is one of the largest reservoirs in the Midwest — 54,000 acres of coves, points, creek arms, and brush piles that hold largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish in numbers that match the size.
Campbell River earned its title as the Salmon Capital of the World because all five Pacific salmon species migrate through Discovery Passage, and the legendary Tyee Pool has been producing 30-pound-plus chinook from rowboats since 1924.
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