Orvis Staff

The Madison River, The Henry’s Fork, The Firehole River: blue ribbon trout waters of legendary stature that are on every fly fisher’s “bucket list.” For years, local guides have been taking folks to these incredible rivers to partake of the gifts these waters offer up every season. However, there are numerous other options available to anglers who travel to Yellowstone Country. So let’s talk about a couple of these.

Capt. Rick Grassett’s brother, Kirk, with a seatrout that fell to the Deep Flats Bunny. photo courtesy Rick Grassett

As I drifted over a deep grass flat in the shadow of John Ringling’s Ca’ d’Zan mansion on Sarasota Bay, I stripped my fly next to my flats skiff, mesmerized by the pattern’s wiggle. In an instant, there was a flash, as a fat 22-inch seatrout inhaled the fly and my fly line came tight. Not only did my new fly. . .

The author with a nice rainbow from a Pennsylvania spring creek. photo courtesy Mike Heck

I guide a lot of fly-fishing trips every year.  But until a couple weeks ago, I’d never had clients ask the same question four times in three trips.  Our Eastern Pennsylvania spring creeks can be some of the most difficult to fly fish, and they have a reputation for extra-wary trout.  So, as we were gearing up, several different anglers asked trepidatiously, “Can I use strike indicators”?  They seemed. . .

Thinking of Alaskan fishing brings to mind images of sockeye salmon jumping up Brooks Falls, the powerful brown bear, bald eagles, and snowcapped mountain ranges seemingly touching the skies. What I found on my adventure to Western Alaska near the Yukon River and the Bering Sea was quite different: the land was flat, water was muddy, and no bears were in sight. We landed at. . .