Call it what you like—The Last Frontier; The Land of The Midnight Sun; The Great Land—we know this: Russia’s fire sale of Alaska was America’s gain, and nobody can argue that the 49th state isn’t one of the most desirable fishing locations in the world.

With some of the last great wild salmon runs on earth, plus nearly unlimited opportunities to catch wild steelhead, dolly varden, enormous rainbow trout, record-class northern pike, and dry-fly scarfing grayling, plus and host of other species, anglers should just go ahead and call this angling wonderland what it is—The Land of Plenty.

Alaska offers more than 34,000 miles of shoreline, three million lakes, over 12,000 rivers, and nearly infinite small creeks and streams. This wild and sparsely populated state is one-fifth the size of the continental United States, and anglers can spend a lifetime exploring the region and still not experience all it offers.

Whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime dream trip or your 20th adventure to the Last Frontier, you’ll likely leave asking the same question—not whether you are coming back, but how soon until you do just that?

Alaska can be divided, roughly, into three main angling regions: southeast, southwest, and the interior.

Louisiana’s fly-fishing scene is all about redfish! Whether you’re targeting a big “bull red” or just hankering to boat a couple dozen smaller fish in a single day, you’ll not find a better destination than the state whose license plate describes it as the “Sportsman’s Paradise.”

Louisiana is the place to find redfish . . . and they can often be found in big numbers and sizes. Landing a hundred pounds of fly-caught fish in day happens on a regular basis with bull reds ranging to 20 pounds or more and the smaller reds averaging about four or five pounds. Due to the sheer size of quality fishing grounds, Louisiana’s redfish see very little pressure and eagerly chase down flies. Anglers mostly sight-fish these beasts, demanding accurate casts with heavy flies. However, casts rarely need to reach farther than 30 feet, making it an ideal location for new saltwater fly-fishers who want an early taste of success. Unlike redfish found in other places, Louisiana’s drum eagerly chase down flies and devour them. While redfish take center stage on the flats, anglers also target large jack crevalle, black drum, and sheepshead. And why wouldn’t they? Jack crevalle are aggressive, black drum grow to massive size, and sheepshead are considered to be one of the most challenging saltwater species on a fly.

Louisiana offers two primary areas to search for redfish. Biloxi Marsh is Louisiana’s most famous redfish grounds and is located just 45-minutes from New Orleans. Billed by many globe-trotting anglers as the best redfish destination in the world, its grass flats, oyster beds, and clear, shallow water epitomize premier redfish habitat. Sprawling across hundreds of miles of the state’s northeastern coastline, the marsh is a veritable maze of islands, channels, and backwaters and is filled with reds.

Situated about two hours south of New Orleans, Venice represents the southern end of the state’s incredible redfish habitat, right where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Husky reds—often in pods of numerous jaw-dropping size fish—feed aggressively in the shallow water. Imagine yourself casting to a redfish with more mass than the average cocker spaniel, as it digs around the muddy bottom for crabs, and you’ll get a feel for this fishery. Venice also provides easy access to world-class bluewater fishing. Mahi mahi and wahoo, as well as bluefin and yellowfin tuna, can be targeted on the fly.

Redfish movements and feeding patterns vary with the seasons, tides, temperatures, and winds, which has led Louisiana guides to focus on particular niches. Matching the right guide with your fishing plans is key to a successful fishing trip, and timing can be everything—the best bull redfishing occurs during fall while the numbers game happens at other times of the year.

One of the most attractive aspects to fishing Louisiana is that some of the most productive fishing grounds are located just outside of New Orleans. You can enjoy the comforts and outstanding cuisine of a major city and be wetting a line an hour after leaving the hotel. Whether you are a diehard angler looking to land your biggest red, or just getting out for a quick fish while enjoying southern culture, Louisiana offers the perfect itinerary for every angler.

If there is a heaven, fly-fishers can only hope it resembles the spine of the American West amid the Rocky Mountains, which run from northern Montana through Wyoming and Idaho, and all the way to southern Colorado. Along that route anglers find some of the most spectacular landscapes and trout fishing in the world. These range from massive tailwater systems (the Madison, Bighorn, Missouri, Green, and Platte rivers) packed with thousands of wild rainbows and browns per square mile, to intimate, freestone streams offering a mix of eager native cutthroats and carnivorous bull trout. Additionally, the Rocky Mountains offer pristine spring creek fishing, including Idaho’s legendary Silver Creek and Henry’s Fork, where large browns and rainbows force anglers to creep on their knees within casting range and use tiny dry flies and 6X or 7X tippet to get a rise.

If that kind of commitment isn’t your style, you also have the option of lazily drifting through many of these rivers in a McKenzie-style drift boat or raft, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide on the oars. If you prefer some solitude, you can hike along the banks almost wherever you please. The Rockies provide some of the best access in the world and in many places the only restrictions are how far your own boots are willing to take you.
The region offers access to some of the world’s most noted national parks, including the iconic Yellowstone National Park, where the Yellowstone, Madison, Firehole, Gallatin, and Gardner rivers beckon. Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Rocky Mountain National Park, also provide great trout fishing and the opportunity for pure solitude.

The Rockies are host to some of the heaviest and most predictable hatches in the world; ranging from the giant salmon fly and golden stoneflies of June, to the green drakes, pale morning duns, and Callibaetis of July, and the diminutive Trico and Baetis mayflies that arrive during late summer and fall. And don’t forget the terrestrials—meaning grasshoppers, ants, beetles and moths—which bring fish to top all summer long. Strictly interested in giants? During the fall most anglers go headhunting with large streamers hoping to stick a 10-pound brown as it’s headed toward the spawning grounds.

While the Rockies’ best trout streams have become more and more popular in the past 20 years, an enormous amount of public access, coupled with a ready guide fleet that can row you down any river you choose, makes the region one of fly-fishing’s most desirable destinations. When you visit Montana, Idaho, Wyoming or Colorado you’ll definitely find a little piece of fly-fishing heaven.

Please contact Gil for more information, and help planning your next fly fishing adventure today!

Fly fishers target salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, primarily in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Legendary areas, such as the Oregon Coast, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Columbia/Snake river complex still call out to anglers . . . even though these anadromous runs are only slivers of what they were in the past. Fortunately, these states all offer great stillwater trout fishing for beastly rainbows, browns and cutthroat that are usually measured in pounds rather than inches. This area also offers outstanding warmwater fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, carp and even tiger muskie. Walleye also are available and if you can crack their code you might end up with a 10-to 15-pounder in the net—these fish grow fast and big in the West.