Fly Fishing Bucket List?
 

Hi,

I am making a bucket list of rivers and lakes to fly fish in Canada and the States. Please put your recommendations in the comments.

The Stellako river. Central BC between François Lake and Fraser Lake.

Elk River, BC

Dean River, BC

Columbia River at Trail, BC

Missouri River below Helena, Montana

The Mighty Mo ( Missouri river) is a must, some amazing dry fly fishing there.

I'm sorry I can't recall the specific name of the place I heard about in BC, but my bucket list item is a lodge that offers both fly fishing and pheasant hunting. There are a few around. Would be amazing.

Of course there are also the exotic destinations like the Russian far east or Patagonia in Argentina. Doubt I'll ever do those without lottery winnings.

I think that place is up around Terrace or Smithers, right?

The Green River in Utah. Some of the guides feel it beats New Zealand fishing...

I was hard to get used to walking by hundreds of rising fish to get to the "good" holes...

Great trails and different red rock views. It is really special.

Yes, I think it is.

The Ledges Inn on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick offer fly fishing for atlantic salmon and pheasant hunting.

www.ledgesinn.com

The Humber - Atlantic Salmon
The Minipi - Brook Trout
Algoma - Brook Trout
Ungava Bay - Arctic Char
The Ponoi
Somewhere in Siberia where a guy could catch a taimen

Mongolia for taimen.

GT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0NqIEDfPvI

Portland creek
 

Portland creek on the northern pennisula of Newfoundland.

Not a river but Tarpon in the Florida Keys.

Hooked 100+ pounders already using barracuda fillets on circle hooks as bait and was stripped, incredible!

Will be awesome on a wet fly :) Word of advise you will require lots of backing and it can only be done in a boat!

I would love to do some arctic Char up north near Nunavut, and some brook trout on the Nipigon river! I also want to do most of the hike in mountain lakes, right here in Alberta!

One of those diefenbaker mutant colossal rainbows on the 8 wt? Are they still in there does anyone know? Haven't heard much lately, but man are they ever hawgs.

Im not sure, I think the lifespan of those fish has expired. tried finding more out myself, but no info yet.

Babine river in BC. for sockeye. Pound for pound the hardest fighting salmon in the pacific. First time I went there with my 6 weight thinking it would be ok cause they average about 6-10 lbs. boy was I wrong, every fish I hooked except 1 spooled me and I had to break them off on the leader before I lost all my line. The one I did land took 1 hr to get in. Long story short I drove to smithers and bought an 8 weight. One of the best trips I've ever done.

I would love to spend a day on a free stone river that was small enough to cast across, that I would not see others, that had a nice population of eager trout of decent size 16' would satisfy me. Second would be a small spring creek, again where I would be alone with some nice browns. Do they exist, I don't know, till then I will ply my little spring creek with some pressure.

Mackenzie river grayling
Great bear lake pike
Hanson lake road pike

In no particular order:

Tree River, Nunuavut
Smith River, Montana
Cree River, Saskatchewan

Yeah, same size in the Skeena. I started with a 7 wt and normal AB size reel. I learned too :)
Now I'm a 10 wt and larger reel. Still only using a 9 footer though and you really need that 10 foot plus to help.

BC - stikine, skeena, babine, dean, chilko, elk, flathead, wigwam
Yukon - Teslin, anything along the dempster
NWT - tree river, mackenzie grayling
east - Haven't researched much but I'd like to find some good atlantic salmon and brookie rivers.

Idaho - salmon, snake, owyhee
oregon - deschutes, owyhee
montana - bitterroot, missouri, madison, blackfoot, yellowstone
Wyoming - yellowstone, north platte
Cali - natural golden trout lakes and creeks
Ark - white river, buffalo river

On the Skeena I use an Orvis MACH VI reel with a 10wt 9' rod, works like a charm. Gotta love the Skeena and the tributaries! :sHa_shakeshout:

Sure not much alberta bucket lists....thought it 'was' THE fly fishing destination. Anyone remember the cow lake hawg rainbows around 1986 or 87? Man that was a cool fishery...how about crawling valley when it was first formed and the 20 pound rainbows we had a shot at in the same time frame? I guess nothing last forever but the shrimp in crawling valley were 3 ft thick and miles long along the windward shore. I'm sure we could have managed that as a world class trout fishery.

You know the funny thing about that, there are probably other boards in other provinces or the USA listing Alberta destinations....just nature of the beast. And, tight lipped locals :)

AB is just fine with plenty of bucket lists. People just tend to think further which is natural. No need to turn this into an other AB beat down post.

Easy there big fella....just saying it's been awhile since alberta had a hot big trout bite. Swan ain't what it used to be either. Now everyone all worried about mussels and whirling disease...don't worry, I know where I can catch a hog trout or two. Just suprised that the odd fly guy ain't wishing he could pop a big local trout. Don't need to read more into it Snap. Just hoping i maybe jog a memory or two maybe someone put up a cool old picture of an outstanding trout fishery now a collapsed pike and stunted walleye or perch fishery that will never get anywhere under current management. ✌

Bucket list tends to make people think about exotic locations or something different that you can't get at home.

That reminds me of another good bucket list mention, the Manitoba Parkland. Great area of so many lake choices and trophy trout. Patterson Lake is a gem.

Yes if you like a legitimate shot at 30 inch trout then the Patterson lake area is what you need to scratch that itch. There's browns rainbows and tigers in that area and it's only a twelve hour run from central alberta. Rather support the nice people of manitoba. Lots of fishing on the way thru sasky too. But for an enjoyable relaxing place to catch outstanding trout on your own terms Manitoba is the place to try. Estavan saskie has the largemouth bass and it's on the way too.

1) A 10+ pound river run rainbow trout in the upper North Saskatchewan river. Not sure if it still a record but 20-30 years ago a fellow caught the biggest river run trout there where the Mistaya River connects to the North Sask. river. I believe his fish was in the 10 to 12 lb. size. A 3 hour drive from home.

2) I would love to fly fish Fortress lake in the Alberta mountains for big brookies too. Hike in or fly in are the only options to get there.

3) The Athabasca river near Jasper park for big bull trout on a fly would be a blast too.

4) 30+lb. pike on streamer flies in the North Saskatchewan river around the Edmonton area reach of the river. I've caught a 28 lb. pike on hardware so I know there are some brutes that would be a real challenge on a streamer.