Staring down through the break in the clouds my heart races as the spectacular New Zealand landscape reveals itself to me. This is the place that has occupied my dreams since I first picked up a fly rod and had my life change forever. About two-thirds the size of California, New Zealand boasts an astounding variety of landscape and climatic zones. Flying high above this amazing land, two of my closest friends Ben Knight, Tim Trevithick, and I remain quiet, fantasizing about the next six weeks together in trout heaven. Our plan is to spend roughly three weeks on the South Island and three on the North fishing, hiking, sea kayaking, camping, and oh yeah more fishing.

Walking along the riverbank looking out over a sea of bright orange filling the water I feel as if I have been transported back in time to a wilderness so wild and untouched that it almost feels wrong to be here. Just as I’m about to cast out to the hundreds of Sockeye Salmon that make the river look like an impressionistic painting, something catches my eye in the dirt at my feet. I bend down for a closer look and realize I’m staring at the imprint of an animal so large I can barely conjure up a mental picture of its mass.

Patagonia

On the southern tip of the South American continent Patagonia is home to some of the best trout fishing in the world. There are many great options for the adventurous angler but if you want giant sea-run Brown Trout head to the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego and the Rio Grande river.

New Zealand

Shorter days and biting cold temperatures make fishing in the winter months an unpleasurable experience most of the time. When tying flies, reading Gierach gets tiring, and cabin fever sets in there is only one option, head to the tropics. A week of wading the flats for Bonefish and Permit can refresh the mind and spirit, keeping you rejuvenated until the long awaited spring thaw. The Bahamas have long since been a great tropical fly fishing location offering large numbers of Bonefish close to the United States. Andros Island and Grand Bahama have the reputation as world class Bonefish destinations but there are still undiscovered gems in the Bahamas with eager Bones. The Exuma Islands are a chain of 365 Cays stretching 120 miles long with large uncrowded flats and mangrove coastline. The extensive flats have seen far less pressure than than most other islands in the Bahamas and the Bonefish are less weary to the saltwater angler.