Opinions of top 3 flyfishing (trout) states

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Hey guys

What's your list of top 3 lower 48 states with experience of flyfishing for trout. Experience could mean anything that'll keep a person coming back to the state; #'s, size, species, ascetics.

I'll start.

1. New York; the fly fishing history and quaint countryside streams along side rugged wilderness and big time salmon/lake run fish make me put my state at #1. Also trout aside Montauk, NY has the best opportunity in the country to catch a 100lb + blue fin in the surf

2. Wyoming; Yellow stone, Tetons, Snake river, wind river. All amazing places.

3. Maine; I've never been but if there's a stronghold for Atlantics up there and last bastion of the wild brook trout it makes it a must go for me.

Sorry for the gobbeldy gook posting lately. Trying to keep everyone out of the winter blues

 

[golden beetle]

For trout, I think Pennsylvania is pretty special. The Little Juniata and Penns Creek are wonderful streams, and accessible by car if you can afford a one night stay at a motel.

I want to see the Letort and a few others in Central Pennsylvania this spring.

New York is great too for its history. I think a day with Joe D is an indispensable part of the education of a fly fisherman. Ed Van Put and Mike Valla capture the spirit of the Catskills in books. Joe D is like a great book on tape while you're fishing, and let's face it, reading is pretty hard for most of us.

One more state... Let me say Oregon.

I dream of fishing the coastal rain forests there for true steelhead. Montana doesn't capture my imagination in the same way, although I'd like to visit some day.

Try a search on vimeo to get a sense of Oregon. I think Las Vegas flights are affordable, and then a West Coast road trip into the California mountains and up into Oregon and Washington would be a dream.

But Oregon is my third state, if I have to decide between California, Oregon and Washington.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

For trout, I think Pennsylvania is pretty special. The Little Juniata and Penns Creek are wonderful streams, and accessible by car if you can afford a one night stay at a motel.

I want to see the Letort and a few others in Central Pennsylvania this spring.

New York is great too for its history. I think a day with Joe D is an indispensable part of the education of a fly fisherman. Ed Van Put and Mike Valla capture the spirit of the Catskills in books. Joe D is like a great book on tape while you're fishing, and let's face it, reading is pretty hard for most of us.

One more state... Let me say Oregon.

I dream of fishing the coastal rain forests there for true steelhead. Montana doesn't capture my imagination in the same way, although I'd like to visit some day.

Try a search on vimeo to get a sense of Oregon. I think Las Vegas flights are affordable, and then a West Coast road trip into the California mountains and up into Oregon and Washington would be a dream.

But Oregon is my third state, if I have to decide between California, Oregon and Washington.

I was thinking Washington as my #3. I've fished around the snoqualmie watershed and the upper snoqualmie is awe inspiring

 

[golden beetle]

I was thinking Washington as my #3. I've fished around the snoqualmie watershed and the upper snoqualmie is awe inspiring

What are your top 3 species of fish to target in the lower 48?

Name one state for each species. Trout and steelhead are one species, not two for the sake of my question.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

1. Local brookies.

2. Blue fish on a party boat (NJ). Which by the way pound for pound are one of the strongest fish in the northern atlantic. They represent the more bestial side of fishing for me and are a great balance to our high class finesse filled trout fishing. Sometimes a guy needs a bunch of blood, bait, cigars, and beers once in awhile.

3. Fluke (nj) best tasting fish I can catch.

Honorable mention: BLUE CLAW CRABS!! I love catching a bushel off a dock all day into the night. Nothing beats sitting on a public dock watching the sunset over the barnegat bay (lavalette docks are the best spot for this) in a lawn chair slyly sipping a coors light. A slight warm breeze and some fiesty blue claw wrangling while a little tipsy is seriously my favorite pastime. If I lived closer to the bay/s instead of the mountains I'd be Barnegat Bay Man for sure.. I love estuaries.

 

[iflifish]

Can't argue with any of the above locations being worthy of being at the top of someone's list, I would add Montana as a tie to Wyoming. I know you said trout fishing states, but from a fly fishing point of view I have also been starting to think about Florida more and more now. My mother-in-law has recently retired to the Cape Coral area and is extremely close to some great tarpon, snook, and redfishing. I've only been down there once so far, and only had a brief shot at a tarpon, but after seeing a 5 foot fish cruising through the water in front of me I definitely want to experience hooking this fish on a fly rod.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Can't argue with any of the above being worthy of being at the top of someone's list, I would add Montana as a tie to Wyoming. Also starting to think about Florida more and more now, my mother-in-law has recently retired to the Cape Coral area and is extremely close to some great tarpon, snook, and redfishing. I've only been down there once so far, and only had a brief shot at a tarpon, but after seeing a 5 foot fish cruising through the water in front of me I definitely want to experience this fish on a fly rod.

Tarpon are awesome fish for sure, they're very fisherman friendly too. They'll take anything, even out of your hand.

You seem like a great addition to the forum. I'm excited to hear what knowledge you can bring in the future.

Montana came to mind but personally I'm not a fan of extreme ruggedness. I love the east because a person can travel between and over many watersheds and ridges on foot with in hours, and see how even a few hundred feet differ fishing wise. Out west it'll take you 3 hours to DRIVE AROUND a mountain or range to get to another watershed that's only slightly different than the one you came from. That always turned me off about western fishing. It's not as.... quaint as the east. Even the most rugged eastern experience is more quaint than the most quaint western experience (for the most part)

 

[tomfly]

My top three states for flyfishing

1 The State of Confusion: Most of us do not know what the hell we are doing.

2 The State of aggravation: Your fly will always find that lone twig on your back cast.

The State of inebriation: That is how you cope with states 1 and 2.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

My top three states for flyfishing

1 The State of Confusion: Most of us do not know what the hell we are doing.

2 The State of aggravation: Your fly will always find that lone twig on your back cast.

The State of inebriation: That is how you cope with states 1 and 2.

Phlyphishing doctorate I see?

Philosophy was once closely tied into the fly fishing community.

I'd like to see that demeanor come back to the sport and you seem to be a great Fly-osipher.

Also that lone twig is one of the banes of my existence...

 

[golden beetle]

1. Local brookies.

2. Blue fish on a party boat (NJ). Which by the way pound for pound are one of the strongest fish in the northern atlantic. They represent the more bestial side of fishing for me and are a great balance to our high class finesse filled trout fishing. Sometimes a guy needs a bunch of blood, bait, cigars, and beers once in awhile.

3. Fluke (nj) best tasting fish I can catch.

Honorable mention: BLUE CLAW CRABS!! I love catching a bushel off a dock all day into the night. Nothing beats sitting on a public dock watching the sunset over the barnegat bay (lavalette docks are the best spot for this) in a lawn chair slyly sipping a coors light. A slight warm breeze and some fiesty blue claw wrangling while a little tipsy is seriously my favorite pastime. If I lived closer to the bay/s instead of the mountains I'd be Barnegat Bay Man for sure.. I love estuaries.

Nice list.

My 3 target species are trout, redfish and striped bass in the lower 48.

I don't list bonefish and tarpon (and perhaps Florida is the greatest state in the lower 48 to target saltwater species), because I dream of bonefish on Andros in the Bahamas, and tarpon haven't captured my imagination yet in the same way that redfish and striped bass have...

The Delaware on a driftboat targeting wild browns is my favorite location in the lower 48 to fish for trout. Rising trout on dry flies is the best, as far as I'm concerned. Long casts to targets make brown trout a remarkable species.

I don't consider the Delaware tailwater system to be a natural fishery. The ghosts of Theodore Gordon and Walt Dette, Harry Darbee and others make the Catskills special.

The brookie is America's fish, and it is a shame to choose the brown trout from a tailwater before brook trout from a small, but wild tributary.

But their ghosts haunt the Catskills, and occasionally a brookie is caught in these waters still, albeit of questionable heritage or hatchery origins.

But I got my start fly fishing small Jersey streams for brook trout, and the experience of teaching my sons to fish these wild trout streams will lift them again to the top of my list.

The Louisiana Swamp for redfish is a dream of mine. Until then, I've been skunked targeting reds on the fly on Amelia Island, Florida, and have looked for opportunities within driving distance to target an underrated saltwater species that doesn't attract the attention of angler snobs as do bonefish, permit and tarpon. Morehead City, North Carolina is about 600 miles from New York City, and I will do that before my dream trip to the Bayou.

And then there's the striped bass. I dream of flats style fishing for striper in New York's Sag Harbor.

That's Long Island, somewhere between the Hamptons and Montauk, I think.

The striped bass starts it's migration from North Carolina. It reigns as our supreme northern Atlantic saltwater game fish, as the redfish does along our southern Atlantic coast.

These are our gamefish, that bring friends together.

Not destination trips, but in our backyard.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Nice list.

My 3 target species are trout, redfish and striped bass in the lower 48.

I don't list bonefish and tarpon (and perhaps Florida is the greatest state in the lower 48 to target saltwater species), because I dream of bonefish on Andros in the Bahamas, and tarpon haven't captured my imagination yet in the same way that redfish and striped bass have...

The Delaware on a driftboat targeting wild browns is my favorite location in the lower 48 to fish for trout. Rising trout on dry flies is the best, as far as I'm concerned. Long casts to targets make brown trout a remarkable species.

I don't consider the Delaware tailwater system to be a natural fishery. The ghosts of Theodore Gordon and Walt Dette, Harry Darbee and others make the Catskills special.

The brookie is America's fish, and it is a shame to choose the brown trout from a tailwater before brook trout from a small, but wild tributary.

But their ghosts haunt the Catskills, and occasionally a brookie is caught in these waters still, albeit of questionable heritage or hatchery origins.

But I got my start fly fishing small Jersey streams for brook trout, and the experience of teaching my sons to fish these wild trout streams will lift them again to the top of my list.

The Louisiana Swamp for redfish is a dream of mine. Until then, I've been skunked targeting reds on the fly on Amelia Island, Florida, and have looked for opportunities within driving distance to target an underrated saltwater species that doesn't attract the attention of angler snobs as do bonefish, permit and tarpon. Morehead City, North Carolina is about 600 miles from New York City, and I will do that before my dream trip to the Bayou.

And then there's the striped bass. I dream of flats style fishing for striper in New York's Sag Harbor.

That's Long Island, somewhere between the Hamptons and Montauk, I think.

The striped bass starts it's migration from North Carolina. It reigns as our supreme northern Atlantic saltwater game fish, as the redfish does along our southern Atlantic coast.

These are our gamefish, that bring friends together.

Not destination trips, but in our backyard.

Redfish are near the top of my list as well.

Also you described the correlation of red fishing in the south and striper fishing in the north wonderfully. I always knew they were similar in a way but that sealed the deal for me.

Reds are the stripers of the south.

 

[Trout Guy]

Okay, in leu of all the bs posts I've been attacking CMM with, I find this topic quite interesting.

Like the most of you guys, I find that NY's catskill rivers and residents like Theodore Gordon and even notable historians such as Ed Van Put (great guy btw, they dont make them like him anymore..) have popularized fly fishing and the history of fly fishing beyond comprehention. If it weren't for Theodore Gordons iconic presence in fly fishing's origin and Ed Van Put's book 'Trout Fishing in the Catskills,' I may have not been captivated in the glory of what is New York's Catskill rivers. Another factor is that NY offers an unique opporutunity to fish for Pacific salmon and Steelhead in its great lakes region.

I have not fished outside of NY much so I cannot comment on fishing in other states, but I do feel like NYS has a very unique history and diverse oppourtunity to catch so many diffrent species of fish.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Okay, in leu of all the bs posts I've been attacking CMM with, I find this topic quite interesting.

Like the most of you guys, I find that NY's catskill rivers and residents like Theodore Gordon and even notable historians such as Ed Van Put (great guy btw, they dont make them like him anymore..) have popularized fly fishing and the history of fly fishing beyond comprehention. If it weren't for Theodore Gordons iconic presence in fly fishing's origin and Ed Van Put's book 'Trout Fishing in the Catskills,' I may have not been captivated in the glory of what is New York's Catskill rivers. Another factor is that NY offers an unique opporutunity to fish for Pacific salmon and Steelhead in its great lakes region.

I have not fished outside of NY much so I cannot comment on fishing in other states, but I do feel like NYS has a very unique history and diverse oppourtunity to catch so many diffrent species of fish.

We were the foreground of modern day American fishing techniques, watershed biology and geology experimentation, fishing clubs, and NYC is the largest natural deep water open harbor in the world.

It was almost as if it was set up for NY to be the way it is in regards to fishing and fishing standards; With easy(ish) navigation up the hudson and all of a sudden the great lakes and st lawrence sea way is only 200 (maybe) miles away from our initial settlement of the state, the hudson valley.

Fishing is a NY state of mind

 

[Matt Grobert]

Oregon is a great trout fishing destination, it has it all, and stays under the radar for the most part. I guided there when I was in college - Wiliamson, Wood, Sprague Rivers, and many unnamed spring creeks and high lakes.


New York, for the history and wonderful Catskill streams.


Northern California is also hard to beat with all the great rivers born of the melting ice and snow of Mt. Shasta.

 

[golden beetle]

Oregon is a great trout fishing destination, it has it all, and stays under the radar for the most part. I guided there when I was in college - Wiliamson, Wood, Sprague Rivers, and many unnamed spring creeks and high lakes.


New York, for the history and wonderful Catskill streams.


Northern California is also hard to beat with all the great rivers born of the melting ice and snow of Mt. Shasta.

With this post, you have regained some of the credibility that was lost from those overdubbed fly tying video disasters.

 

[golden beetle]

Don't take Beetle too serious...

The joke was on me...

irony..........

 

[Trout Nazi]

So in keeping with the theme of posting videos, found this on midcurrent. Its a little longish, but I'm starting to get the itch to go to Montana (now that I have been given an open invite at a place to stay). Love'em or hate'em, I'd say the potheads in this video are living the life.

http://midcurrent.com/2014/01/10/video-hatch-when-winter-ends/

 

[flyI4]

The more states I fish the more I realize how lucky we are to have New York so close. We have steelhead fishing, the catskills which rivals any dry fly fishing in terms of challenge and reward that I've seen anywhere including montana, salt water action for those that like chasing stripers and albacore. Bottom line is its a very diverse state with a lot of options that few states can match.

I think new is always fun though and that's why traveling to a new region to fish is worthwhile. Out west, its a lot of fun throwing big hoppers and other large attractor dries to trout that don't inspect the fly with the same scrutiny the trout here in the catskills do. Its also nice being able to fish large sections of prime trout habitat and never see another fisherman, which is definitely possible out west if you avoid the big name tailwaters and/or head out there during the non-peak times of early spring and fall when the fishing is actually at its best though more difficult to time right with conditions.

My top 3 as of now is (1) New York because I never get bored fishing here and have yet to come close to exploring the whole state (2) Montana because of its beauty and the unlimited options it offers when it comes to trout and (3) Florida - because nothing helps to break up the winter like the flats and while its not belize- the keys and southern part of florida as a whole offer a fun selection of game fish that we are lucky to have availalble to us in this country.

I have yet to hit the pacific northwest which from what I hear is putting a lot of eggs and money into one basket for 1-2 steelhead on a trip- but one day I hope to get out there and see what its all about out there.

 

[sneelhead]

#1 - NY - simply nothing compares to steelheading

#2 - NJ- accessibly, easy trout fishing that is mildly entertaining when not steelheading

#3 - repeat #1

 

[LyNcH]

NY - Home state, so many places and species to fish for year round.

Maine - Once you fish wild Landlock Salmon and wild brute Brookies, there's no turning back.

Oregon - Between the Redside Rainbow trout (put our rainbows to shame strength-wise) and steelhead, you can dry fly fish with a 5wt single hand on the same day your swinging a 7wt spey rod......all on the same river, all in the same run!

 

[Matt Grobert]

Don't take Beetle too serious...

The joke was on me...

irony..........

Really? I'll let Everybody's Friend know.......he was getting upset and didn't sleep well last night. :no:

We'll be sure to underdub those video disasters next time...........

 

[Rusty Spinner]

#1 - Montana. There really isn't any argument here except perhaps from those that never fished it. As for "extreme ruggedness", I can assure you a much more rugged day in the Ken Lockwood Gorge than on some fabled spring creeks in MT. But I digress. It has it all from rugged mountain streams to huge rivers to spring creeks and the fish are all wild.

# 2 - Oregon. What Matt said. And he (thankfully) left out the name of the best river in that state, IMO. So will I...

# 3 - tie between NY and PA for their history alone as well as diversity of trout and the streams they live in.

 

[LyNcH]

Oregon. What Matt said. And he (thankfully) left out the name of the best river in that state, IMO. So will I...

That's a good thing. We were all planning on hopping on a plane the next time you fish Oregon just so we can low and high hole you (no homo).

 

[Rusty Spinner]

That's a good thing. We were all planning on hopping on a plane the next time you fish Oregon just so we can low and high hole you (no homo).

I'm a renowned hole-hog. Just ask my fishing buddies

 

[Joe D]

1. Local brookies.

2. Blue fish on a party boat (NJ). Which by the way pound for pound are one of the strongest fish in the northern atlantic. They represent the more bestial side of fishing for me and are a great balance to our high class finesse filled trout fishing. Sometimes a guy needs a bunch of blood, bait, cigars, and beers once in awhile.

3. Fluke (nj) best tasting fish I can catch.

Honorable mention: BLUE CLAW CRABS!! I love catching a bushel off a dock all day into the night. Nothing beats sitting on a public dock watching the sunset over the barnegat bay (lavalette docks are the best spot for this) in a lawn chair slyly sipping a coors light. A slight warm breeze and some fiesty blue claw wrangling while a little tipsy is seriously my favorite pastime. If I lived closer to the bay/s instead of the mountains I'd be Barnegat Bay Man for sure.. I love estuaries.

Stick some bluefish on the fly either from an open boat or from the beach. Like you know, they run jump and fight like the dickens and readily take a fly. What's not to like? Blood, cigars & beers can still fit into the equation and as for the stink of bait, well, cast you fly into a chum slick.

 

[golden beetle]

Really? I'll let Everybody's Friend know.......he was getting upset and didn't sleep well last night. :no:

We'll be sure to underdub those video disasters next time...........

Matt, let's get a beer at Somerset.

You buy the beer, and I'll give you a tying lesson at the bar.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Stick some bluefish on the fly either from an open boat or from the beach. Like you know, they run jump and fight like the dicks and readily take a fly. What's not to like? Blood, cigars & beers can still fit into the equation and as for the stink of bait, well, cast you fly into a chum slick.

I would obviously need a wire leader, no?

And how far do I need to cast consistently? I'd think my arm would tire with how far I'd constantly need to cast, no?

I'd love to tie on a squid imitation and grab a keeper fluke while wading around a jetty, that's a dream I have

I caught a monster blue like 20 feet from the shore but it was in serious stormy conditions with waves breaking at my feet. Obs with a spin rod.

What size and wt rod, reel, and line am I looking at for real surf casting? I just got a brand new (i believe to be) 5 wt reel. Can I smack that onto a 6wt 10 foot rod with 6 wt line? It's a nicee real but I don't want it to be my stream real cause the one I have is very durable and I can throw it around alot while scrambeling stream side.

To the people who no longer scream and seethe "of course you can, idiot!" and "of course you can't idiot", I thank you. This should be a site where we build up people's skills instead of belittling their learning curve.

 

[Matt Grobert]

# 2 - Oregon. What Matt said. And he (thankfully) left out the name of the best river in that state, IMO. So will I...

I know, no one has heard of the Deschutes..........:dizzy:

The Williamson is also one of the best, too. Huge wild rainbows (20-25 inches) that take caddis off the surface in June and July just before dusk. There's also a load of coastal rivers that start high in the Cascades that are pretty awesome, and the scenery ain't bad either.

 

[golden beetle]

I know, no one has heard of the Deschutes..........:dizzy:

The Williamson is also one of the best, too. Huge wild rainbows (20-25 inches) that take caddis off the surface in June and July just before dusk. There's also a load of coastal rivers that start high in the Cascades that are pretty awesome, and the scenery ain't bad either.

How about the Columbia and the Willamette?

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I would obviously need a wire leader, no?

And how far do I need to cast consistently? I'd think my arm would tire with how far I'd constantly need to cast, no?

I'd love to tie on a squid imitation and grab a keeper fluke while wading around a jetty, that's a dream I have

I caught a monster blue like 20 feet from the shore but it was in serious stormy conditions with waves breaking at my feet. Obs with a spin rod.

What size and wt rod, reel, and line am I looking at for real surf casting? I just got a brand new (i believe to be) 5 wt reel. Can I smack that onto a 6wt 10 foot rod with 6 wt line? It's a nicee real but I don't want it to be my stream real cause the one I have is very durable and I can throw it around alot while scrambeling stream side.

To the people who no longer scream and seethe "of course you can, idiot!" and "of course you can't idiot", I thank you. This should be a site where we build up people's skills instead of belittling their learning curve.

Wire bite tippet is the norm for blues, but sometimes you catch them without it. The rule of thumb is that if blues are known to be around and unless you're targeting Albies alone, use the wire bite tippet.

For NJ or NY saltwater, an 8 weight is bare minimum for adult fish and I suggest at least a 9 weight. That's for a one-handed rod. If you only buy a standard fly line (not shooting heads, etc.), then go with an intermediate sink line. You'll use that almost exclusively. As for long casts, blues and striped bass often feed right in the wash. A zero weight will cast far enough when that happens but won't allow you to land the fish. Two-handed rods are nice when you need to reach out far and they require less arm action, so they are a joy to fish all day.

If the blues or bass or Albies are biting, casting isn't what is going to give you the sore arm.....