Chris Plaford outlines the best locations for fly fishing.

1. The Best
Locations for
Fly Fishing
Chris Plaford

2. When it comes to fishing, few forms of the sport offer
greater challenges, thrills, and pleasure than fly fishing. It’s
as much an art as anything in the angling universe.
Certainly, fly fishing is among the most difficult forms of
fishing to master. But just ask any dyed-in-the-wool
angling enthusiast, and they will tell you – nothing delivers
satisfaction more than snagging a trout in a sparking river
or stream in a prime location.
Speaking of prime locations for fly fishing in the U.S., here
are some of the top spots.

3. Southwest
Montana
This region might easily claim to be
the finest fly-fishing location on the
planet. Here you will find the
Yellowstone River, Missouri River,
Bighorn River, Madison River, and
others that team with brown trout
and hard-fighting rainbow trout. In
addition, the mountainous scenery
in these locations is breathtaking
and inspirational.

4. Central
Pennsylvania
This might be the last place that
comes to mind when people
ponder good fly fishing, but the
central part of the KeyStone
State is an area of numerous
spring-fed creeks and freestone
drainages that offer abundant
brook trout. Spring Creek, Bald
Eagle Creek, and the Little
Juniata River are some of the
best streams.

5. Rocky Mountain,
Colorado
Where you find mountains, you also find
glacier-fed streams that tend to be
teaming with trout. The Rocky Mountains
in Colorado feature what can easily be
classified as the best fly fishing in the
world. The Colorado River, Eagle River,
Yampa River, Gunnison River, and South
Platte River are some of the best locations.
In addition to rivers, the Colorado Rockies
are home to high alpine lakes that support
populations of cutthroat trout. They cruise
shallow water areas, so wading in and
casting your line can produce trophy-
caliber trout.

6. Western North
Carolina
This is an often-overlooked area for fly
fishing, but it truly offers top-notch
opportunities for trophy trout. Some say
the Great Smoky Mountains are among the
“best-kept secrets” in terms of superb fly
fishing. The Nantahala and South Holston
rivers have a strong reputation for copious
quantities of fish. This is also an area
where wildlife management agencies have
aggressive trout stocking programs, but
wild trout populations remain robust in the
upper reaches of the streams here.

7. Thank You!
Chris Plaford
ChrisPlaford.org