What is your favorite state/province/country to travel to for fishing?

RCF

RCF

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For me Montana, more specifically Western Montana.

Why?

Upfront: I am not a salt water, big game nor chironomid fisher. Just not my style nor desire...

Montana's DFW manages native, wild fisheries very well. One of the best in the nation IMHO. Chances of catching a planter in a river or stream is slim to none. Hoot owl restrictions are utilized. As OMJ said, fish those thin blue lines, all have fish in them.

Western Montana has less fishing pressure than the famous rivers in Eastern Montana.

I have caught six different species of trout/char in the same creek in one day. (brookies, browns, bull, cuts, bows, and white fish). Not many creeks, nor drainages, can beat that.

I avoid the salmon fly hatch like the plague. I target the late fall brown trout spawning runs. Bring your 6 weight rod. So much fun!

I can fish dries, emergers, nymphs or streamers on the same creek on the same day.

Lots of lakes to fish but are overlooked due to streams and rivers. Big mistake...

Arctic grayling and kokanee are also available though on a limited basis.

Notice: no "spot hotting".

New Zealand would be my second favorite place to fish.

Care to share your favorites?
 
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I'm weird in that traveling elsewhere to fish has made me appreciate what I have at home more. So many destinations are over-romanticized. I've definitely had some very fun trips, especially to South Carolina, Mexico, and Northern California, but I have it pretty good here in NW Oregon.

Granted, that's not just for fly fishing, but all fishing I do. If strictly fly fishing, I'd have to rethink that a bit.
 
I went to Belize once, years ago, and fished the mangroves outside Placencia for baby tarpon and snook one day with a guide, and I still think back on that fishing day with some regularity. That was really really fun. I would like to do some more of that.

edit, adding a pic
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Also, Alaska. I need more Alaska.
 
When I was in my teens and early 20s, the notion of traveling more than one hour just to go fishing was simply inconceivable to me. I guess that was before the addiction. Since then I've traveled to fish in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California, and Oregon. Come Saturday next and I'll point the truck toward Montana, yet again.
 
I'd go back to Panama's west coast for saltwater fishing, Nica for Tarpon and Snook.

Tarpon.jpg
 
Impossible choices! There are so very many great places in the US and around the world to fly fish. Nobody can ever experience it all and new fisheries always pop up. I like saltwater and bigger gamefish (semi-retired from trout fishing years ago), so that influences my opinions.

If I had only one choice of a place to fish for the rest of my life it would be Mauritius - the perfect flats fishing in a wilderness setting. Providence, Seychelles is right behind it. But... neither place has Tarpon, my favorite species. Permit have become intriguing to me, so I'm gravitating to places where they live.

US: Washington state was #1 for me until the mass steelhead and salmon closures choked away opportunities. Now Alaska is easily the #1 choice with Florida at #2. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana are really great trout fishing at #3. Oregon has salmon and steelhead plus very good trout fishing at #4. Louisiana is fun for short trips #5.

Oceania: Cook Islands > Papua New Guinea > Kiribati > New Zealand

Africa: Mauritius > Seychelles > Gabon > Tanzania > Lesotho > Sudan (Red Sea)

South America: Venezuela > Chile > Bolivia > Guyana > Argentina

Australia: Cape York > Ningaloo > Wessels

North America - non US: Yucatan (Mexico, Belize) > Baja > Panama > Nicaragua > Cuba > Andros, Bahamas, Canada (British Columbia, Quebec, New Foundland, Labrador)

Europe: Russia (Kola peninsula) > Iceland > Norway

Asia: Bhutan > Russia (Kamchatka) > Mongolia

Middle East: Oman (Arabian Sea) > Saudi Arabia (Red Sea)
 
I’m a western US guy….i think each western state could make its argument for best. For me, the Eastern Sierra front, and greater Reno/Tahoe area, has everything a trout bum could ever dream of.

Wyoming is awesome as well. I’ve done one fishing trip out that way, but was not disappointed…..the only drawback is the brutal winters. Not for me, but probably why the fishing is good out there. The winters run people off.

As a native Oregonian, ita hard for me to see the decline of the Deschutes trout fishery, and the overall poor steelhead runs…..the Deschutes will always be special to me, but it’s a shell of its former self pre mixing tower
 
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I really like NW coastal Oregon. This would be my favorite destination because it usually involves camping or renting a house on or near the coast and I love the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. I can walk miles barefooted on the sand and enjoy the day. The rivers here are some of my favorites. In addition I (we) have gone out on a half day guided Dory boat rockfish/crab … sometimes salmon fishing. Beach fishing can be fun or it can be impossible with winds. 😆
Been hitting Montana more the last three years but with mixed results. Certain Montana waters have been seeing issues and some emergency closures. Being based basically in Seattle area you can go to the St. Regis area and easily do a one night stay and get in some good water time/fishing. Prefer two nights but if you leave early enough you can get a full afternoon first day and a 3/4 day the next day, it is a good little trip. Some good fishing in that area too. But it’s no coastal type trip. 🤣

Really need to spend more time on the upper Yakima. That’s my newer goal.
 
My favorite type of fishing is right here in Oregon. I am a fly swinging fool, steelhead and trout, plus a variety of bycatch - always blows me away that whitefish eat streamers.
For travel it is hard to top Great Slave Lake Northwest Territories for the whole experience, plus fishing for northern pike, lake trout, and world class grayling. There is an another fish that is high on my list that is in GSL but you can’t target them.
Perhaps another trip to Alaska is in order to scratch the Inconnu itch…
 
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