I run a few links sites and get to see quite a few sites about Canadian and Alaskan Fly Fishing - has anyone here tried these places, or any other foreign shores?

No boss but anytime you have a free fly fishing holiday to give away to one of these locations I am your man

fly fished in Cuba and in Spain, but its all been salt water stuff.
Will be off again in May with my new 12# outfit

Ahhhhh, Cuba. Hope I get to go back there and do some fishing.

Been twice, but obly ever did a few trips out and with no real success

Snatcher - if I get offered a holiday, you won't see me for dust

I've not fished abroad myself (unless you count Wales as abroad?), but I know a few guys who have fly-fished for Salmon in Norway and Canada, Bonefish in Venezuala and Christmas Island, Striped Bass and Blues in Cape Cod, Redfish in Florida, Pelagics in Austrailia. Most of these trips have been self booked and self-guided too.

Hi Elton,

I've done the Canada trip a couple of times. Got all my info from the web. Stayed in Chilliwack BC both times. Fished for all 5 Salmon species both on fly and with lures, only got the Pink to catch for a full house. Also had a little bit of success with Sturgeon, around 200lbs being my best.
I can certainly recommend Canada as an outstanding fishing location certainly BC is. The scenery has to be seen to be believed, especially Vancouver Island, if only I were 30 years younger!!

Also Salmon fished in Ireland, mainly small spate rivers in Co. Galway and Co. Mayo.

Thinking about Australia and NZ. Oz for Barramundi and the many sea species. Perhaps some trout fishing in NZ. Still looking for a good deal!

Hope this helps?

Colin

I have more done more than just a bit of this 'have fly rod, will travel' stuff. Not mere 1- to 2-week agent-booked lodge packages, but months and months of independent travel and in-depth fishing from the ground up over a number of years, long before or at least some time before all the guides and their paymasters arrived. By and large, I had a fabulous time - not just with Indian mahseer that many people know about now, but with salmon, sea-trout and trout in Iceland, and with the latter two species in Argentina and Chile. I looked at an old notebook the other week and found that I had had just under 300 double-figure foreign-caught sea-trout, eleven twenty-pounders to 27.75 pounds among them (and all these as I was figuring out ways and fly patterns that would catch them; a lodge-based fisher, fishing for the same amount of time as I did, would probably quadruple the number now)...

To my mind, though, there there is a definite downside to all this 'hop on a plane and cast away' stuff, and it is the effect that 'super-sexy fly fishing' can have on anglers and angling in countries which, after the first few independent-fisher pioneers have been through, suddenly become must-do, big-bucks "Destinations" on the International Flyfishing Circuit. Sudden, often highly covert and devious, big-money buy-ups and closures of waters long available at accessible cost to local flyfishers being a major problem in the last region that I did in depth during the 1990s and early '00s (twenty-two months solid fishing) - Argentina and Chile. Local fishers in these countries (and I am not talking poor, baitfishing, meat-hunter 'peasants' now, but everyone right up to top-flight flyfisher professionals in the countries concerned) lost virtually ALL of the good to half-decent water to outfits setting up and running rich men's fishing playgrounds, in the space of a very few, barely comprehensible to the local-fisher victims, years. Not merely bad for anglers but bad for the very future of Angling, in my opinion: fish and fisheries will only survive, now and in the future, if LOTS of people value them; no amount of fencing, gates, locks, bailiffs or even dog-handling security men will be able to save them from the chilly environmental winds that now blow.

So, if you do decide to travel abroad to fish, then, I suggest you do what I and similarly minded, responsible fishers do before booking: take a very good look at just what you are considering buying into. SOME outfits, lodges, operators and destinations are fine - local people in the countries continue to get a look-in and benefit financially from all the fluff flickers who descend on them and their rivers in due season. Many others, however, are most definitely NOT, and merely pander to the egos of fishers (NOT 'Anglers', that would be a misnomer for such sorts) who, to my mind now, just couldn't care a toss.

I fished in the UK.....does that count? LOL.
Colin, them pesky Salmon ruin a good day trout fishing don't they.. over here they don't understand that ptn's and the like aren't meant for them..

Many a true word spoken in jest.

NEVER underestimate, guys, just how much how much those - well, the Smart, Traditional, Control-Freak Variety, People of Substance who REALLY value their Privacy - who fish for Spotties With A Salmo Tag and a True WILD Pedigree ("Well, only oiks go after the other stuff... we're probably selling it to them, after all..."), ANYWHERE, not just here, quietly despise (amongst themselves, discreetly and charmingly, of course) the likes of US (but, by God, HOW they need us to make up numbers!). Takes one to know one etc.......

Good first post Paul but you lost me on the second one.

I have fished in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming (Yellowstone) and had a great time. The fishing is almost always public and simply involves the purchase of a state licence. A lot of the rivers are in national park areas or forestry commission land so there are free campsites right next to the water. The scenery is magnificant and the fishing equally good - not as good as NZ but then again its not a 24 hour flight. Fishing there or NZ avoids the expoitative element of destination fishing that Paul describes. I remember fishing on the Fire Hole next to Old faithful - snow, Elk, volcanic springs bubbling away and very spooky fish rising to blue winged olives.

You clearly haven't dined with (and, on a few occasions, had fish with you - in Argentina) extremely well-to-do Brits who without irony could speak a line like: "The Kiwi trouting is doubtless very fine, but is horribly public." Verbatim quote from a man I once knew who had fished the world many times over.

fished the falklands once, now there's somewhere i'd go back to like a shot....

And when the Americans hit the IMAX screens with this 3D megabucks international feature...

http://www.flyfishermedia.com/about.html

I tell you, guys, we are lucky to be fishing for stuff the smart set don't want.

I wonder where they will be fishing. I will be tempted to watch it though!

Re - the Falklands. I looked at there for sea trout but was put off by the 2k flight cost on an RAF Hercules - the only direct flight. Were you in the army?

The Falklands sea-trouting, even at its best, doesn't come within a whisker of the South American mainland stuff - I knew people (people I considered old and firm friends at the time) who had fished the Falklands in depth before fishing with me on TDF and in Patagonia: "no comparison" was their universal opinion by the end of their first day's mainland fishing, after I had put them onto and into fish to 14 pounds and into much bigger ones by the end of the week.

I posted summat about that IMAX film production on another board last night, a real pukka fly affair, entitled "The River Runs Through It Effect"

http://www.sexyloops.co.uk/cgi-bin/theboar...t=NW;f=4;t=3564

Some interesting responses.

of course paul, i forgot anything you had done was better than anything anyone else had done

and no sewinman i wasn't in the army, i was making a television program over there. luckily we didn't have to fly on a hercules, we had the luxury of a tristar which now (i think) is the regular plane they use. still about 2 grand though

Bitter, over-competitive, little bugger, aren't you, Jeep?

am i paul, all i did was mention a location where i've fished, you then name dropped a few more locations, and then droned on a bit about how big the fish were you'd put people on to.

seems you're the bitter one

i was merely making a joke paul, that's why i put a smiley face after the words you find so bitter and over competitive.



look there's another



and another

stop taking yourself so seriously and you'll find the world is a much nicer place

Falklands eh, Jon!
You weren't doing a most haunted out there where you?
Did you catch any of the fabled sea trout? I had friends visit there last year birdwatching and they where knocked out by the place.
Tony

the place is amazing tony, the fish may not be the biggest in the world, but the location more than makes up for that. i'm no bird watcher but even i was impressed with what i saw. (i'll try and find my penguin pictures)

no, we weren't doing most haunted, i was making a show about the history of the navy, it went out a couple of years ago.

the falklands is one of the few places i've been with work that i'd seriously consider going back to and paying my own way.

Merely spent much of my life having one heck of a laugh and an Angling feast, Jeep. And trying to make other fishers aware of some of the incredible possibilites out there if they were to only take a few risks that i have done, to stretch a leg and go that extra mile, both here and abroad; to see their lives and outlook transformed by the experience. I've done it pretty well all for free, and not for Cult of A Personality Brownie Points...

Me? Serious about myself?

Well, I ask you...

You wouldn't have written that if you had ever met or fished with me. Indeed, in my time, many a respected, well-known, po-faced "serious angler" has despaired of and given up on me. I'd much rather have fun.

Yet, there are some things worth becoming serious about, and one of them is when our pastime or recreation (that's all it is, lest we forget) starts playing economic and social hardball with other people's pastimes, prospects and lives. Now, to my mind, that is serious - not just for the people concerned but also for the very future of fish and fishing, anywhere.

Well Jeepster you patently stopped on Ascension Island, but was it just for a refueling stop?

I've fished there on three occasions now and, although the primary quarries have been Blue Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna, always take along a range of fly rods. From the beach, near the Pierhead, you can catch a number of different species including Black Jacks (Caranx lugubris) that range up to 25lbs or so - great fighters on a fly rod - and a Kiwi friend (one of the crew) has also caught Rainbow Runner (Elagatis hipinnulata) into double figures. But, slightly offshore, we also target Horse Eye Jacks (plus many more Black Jacks) and Dorado and have caught the odd Yellowfin Tuna up to 40lbs, not I hasten to add on your average fly rod! Some anglers have also caught Sailfish and, only the one, small Blue Marlin.

it was indeed a refuelling stop, we were allowed off the plane (got my passport stamped with a 'wide awake airport' stamp, which trumps pretty much anyone elses stamps in those departure lounge 'let's have a look at your passport' conversations )

seeing the island from the air it looked an amazing place, and i spoke to some servicemen who were stationed there, who fished regularly, they loved it

Scroll down to "The Angler's Coast and Other Hidden Gems" on this fishing news blog -

http://www.midcurrent.com/news/index.html

- then hit the link to the article mentioned.

It seems that at least somebody got the message.

He logs off and bows outs now, blushing...

I've done a fair bit over the years both fresh and salt in places such as US, (Florida, Alaska and Wyoming), NZ, UK, (Hampshire, Scotland and Wales), the middle east particularly Bahrain and all over Africa. Now that I am based in South Africa, most of my travels are in the dark continent where I concentrate on Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and the Seychelles, not forgetting home base in Cape Town. If anyone is travelling to these areas and would like an honest heads up ( I am not proclaiming to be an expert, but may be able to help) drop me a mail. Personal favourites list would be bonefish in the Seychelles, sails in Kenya, kingfish (caranx) in Tanzania and tigerfish in Zambia. But on saying that, wild brownies from Scotland accompanied by a few glasses of amber liquid are hard to beat!

where in bahrain did you fish fin? i spent 4 months there after 9-11 and struggled to find much good fishing

Jeepster, was there '76 till '88 both at school and as first job as diver. Had a boat out of Bahrain Yacht Club in Sitra. Used to fish the channel alongside the ALBA pylons for barracuda, out to the mooring bouys for chanard (king mackerel) and the reefs for hamour (grouper) and sharks. Could catch queenfish and big stingrays almost anywhere, but they were prolific 5nm south of black bouy and on the flats at the edge of the channels. Sails were seasonal during spring and were found at the 30m line due east of Mina Sulman. North, West and South of the island not so good as the water gets too warm and shallow. Before the boat I used to go to the old Sitra causeway and still managed queenies and rays from the shore. I guess the gulf has changed since those days

Given the relative ease of getting to most places in the world now - alright it does come at a cost - there just so many opportunities to fly fish in both Freshwater and the Salt. And importantly for a whole range of different species and using quite different techniques, particularly in the salt.

Flats (shallow) fishing in the salt, especially when you wade, is really exciting. Unlike Trout, Bonefish don't stay still! But it's not restricted to the Tropics. Last year for instance, as part of a family holiday, I fished the coldwater flats of Cape Cod and Nantucket Island - Massachusetts in the 'States. Just as exciting, most of it still sight fishing, except the quarry was then Striped Bass. One of the key differences is the water is cold, even in the summer you need waders.

But then again, sticking to the salt, how about 'Bluewater' fishing. The individual skill usually comes out of the targeting and casting but it's really great fun playing a gamefish, that might exceed 100lbs in weight, on the 'long rod'. Now I know some places, and I mentioned Ascension Island in a previous post and the 'wilder' parts of Central America I been to, can only be considered as 'out and out' fishing destinations. But there're loads of places where you can combine a day offshore with the family holiday, places like Key West in the Florida Keys. There're I've targeted Little Tuna, Blackfin Tuna and Amberjack by chuming them up. And it has the advantage of its inshore fishing as well - the 'big' three, Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit - plus a range of others including Barracuda and Sharks. Now sharks, things like Black Tips and Lemons are fun on the fly!

The 100 pounders? Our Club members have released Pacific Sails and Blue Marlin over that figure. And, whilst not into 3 figures, but certainly amongst the most difficult they've released two Broadbill Swordfish from Kenya and weighed World record Roosterfish and Wahoo from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

As to freshwater I've done very little overseas, and still to target a Salmon. But I guess the most agressive was undoubtedly Peacock Bass from Lake Gatun in Panama, a magical place.

Back to Elton's original question though where's the fly rod personally gone? Bahamas, Belize, Venezuela, Florida, Massachusetts, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama plus the Azores, Cape Verde Islands and Ascension Island. Collectively though our membership have been just about everywhere - as far east as Outer Mongolia and west to Alaska, north to Lapland and south to the Falklands. The remotest, and this does take a long time to get to has got to be Bikini Atoll.
Dave

my next door neighbour lived in the falklands, we both now fish on the south tyne, he keeps harping back to the times he had in the falklands..............wonderful I believe, he would certainly go back.

personally tobago was my favourite destination, though I've never fished the fly there, Hopefully I'll have chance again in november as we've just booked for another 14 days.

Phil
I don't know whether you're intending to just go offshore, or intend to 'mix' it with some fishing from the shore. If it's of any interest, particularly with the fly, there's a knowledgeable chap - Steve Pitts - who posted a thread on Tobago on the ukswff forum. Might be worth reading and, if you need to, contacting Steve.
Dave

Dave W. quote:- As to freshwater I've done very little overseas, and still to target a Salmon." You`ve had the tel No for years and you know where to come for the salmon.

PS tried to phone you tonight. Stan.