You can catch just as big trout in the West as you can in Chile or Argentina, and so on-maybe not as many, and you might have to get off the beaten path-but they’re here. The envy of all the other angling communities around the world, literally, because of the sheer vastness of opportunities-miles of rivers, and millions of land acres, available to the public, for free.

The American Rockies Sheep Falls, Fall River, Idaho. Hands down the best mouse fishing in the world, and perhaps the last place that demonstrates how predatory trout really can be when they’re not pressured. Do your homework, only go with the most dialed, reputable outfitters, and even then, have contingency plans. You will be about as far from the comforts of home-and at the same time immersed in virgin wilderness-as you can be anywhere on the planet that isn’t covered by an icecap. Not at all like the “Russian version of Alaska,” which is what I had envisioned. Probably the strongest angling tradition and community anywhere in the world. Bring long hemostats to pull your tongue back up your throat after your first encounter with a tiger snake (should not be a deal-breaker, but you should be aware).

Overlooked, under-appreciated and wide open, the trout in shallow lakes cruise, wake and tail like 7-pound bonefish. How can I adequately capture the essence of fishing the world’s wildest fisheries in a few sentences when only a book might do them justice? I can’t. But it’s fun trying, so what the heck… Tasmania, Australia Sign Up for Auto-Renewal & Sustainer GivingĪn angler tangles with a Dolly Varden on Alaska’s Stikine River.

Fishing planet alaska bull trout