Covering the majority of Iceland is an enormous plateau, rising roughly 500 meters above the seas that lap at the island nation's shores. Sparsely inhabited due to the harsh conditions that prevail there throughout most of the year, the plateau—known as the Icelandic Highlands—is wild and desolate. Though predominantly desert due to how quickly precipitation drains through the volcanic soils and sands, the highlands are veined by ancient rivers, which carve dramatic canyons and draw vibrant green corridors across the plateau's otherwise charcoal landscape.

Thanks to a partnership between Mongolia River Outfitters (MRO) and the Mongolian government, the river you'll journey down in search of the world's largest trout is officially protected as the Amur Taimen Sanctuary. Both are  unabashedly protective of the river and all of the life in and around it. Visitors to the region will likely take note of the staunch conservation approach employed by guides and camp staff during their time in the region, which is as diverse and dramatic as the fishing.

The American West is full of big tailwaters. From the Green to the San Juan, trophy trout rivers beckon anglers every season. But the South Fork of the Snake River is different. It’s big and sweeping and, especially for a tailwater, it remains wild and wonderful. And it’s fishy all season long, from the lip of the dam at Palisades Reservoir until it joins the Henry’s Fork near the little town of Menan some 40 miles downstream. 

The middle section of Rio Blanco is some of the most untouched water in all of Patagonia. The lower reaches of the Blanco, near its confluence with Rio Aysén and mere miles from where the river dumps into the Pacific Ocean, can be reached via both an unimproved dirt road and by upstream jetboat—until powerful waterfalls and class IV rapids block your way. And, the first few miles downstream of the river's origin can be accessed by portaging across a massive lake and hiking downriver before an impassible canyon halts your progress.

Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of the South American continent, is the southernmost land mass on the planet, with the exception of Antarctica. Though the archipelago's southern and westernmost reaches are mountainous and wet, Tierra del Fuego's largest island and eastern half is covered mostly by arid plains whose enchanting, austere landscapes are sparsely inhabited.