There are still some great travel options for fly fishers looking for adventure this year
Chetumal Bay
The Mayan Riviera that stretches south from Cancun all the way to the Mexican border with Belize is one of the fishiest stretches of Caribbean coastline there is, but escaping the throngs of tourists can be a real challenge. A decade ago, a short drive to Tulum was all it took to get away from the craziness and into some really great fly fishing. These days, though, Tulum can be just as chaotic as Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and there are more and more anglers plying the green Caribbean waters for bonefish, permit and tarpon. It pays to venture even a bit further.
Traveling alone to fishing lodges around the world can be expensive. Here are some ideas to crack the code and save money
Makarora
If you could survey every fly angler for their bucket list of fly fishing trips, you’d end up with a cornucopia of diverse, coveted, fishy destinations. And, chances are, a small handful of locales would get scribbled down far more often than any others: Alaska, Patagonia, and New Zealand. Each of these world-class destinations has undoubtedly earned their countless appearances in the restless dreams fly fishers.
Windhoek
Travel to the southern coast of Africa and craft a customized safari that will take you across the amazing country of Namibia. This choose-your-own adventure will take you to some of the finest lodges and within insanely close (yet very safe) proximity to fabled African wildlife. Watch prides of lions as they lounge in the sparse desert shade, or gaze in awe as herds of elephants, giraffes and zebras wander among the acacia trees and act as if you and your travel partners aren't even there.
United States
Tim and Joanne Linehan have put together a unique operation in the wildest, least-understood corner of Montana, where inland redband trout launch themselves from the waters of the storied Kootenai and Yaak rivers, and where wild browns and brookies haunt fir- and spruce-lined creeks in the remote and pristine country known simply as “the Yaak.” Join Linehan Outfitting Co., either at the classically appointed Kootenai River Lodge in Libby, Mont., or in one of the outfit’s beautiful and remote cabins in the woods, for a choose-your-own-fly-fishing-adventure