[schmedlap]

When I started out stream fishing in Alberta back in the early 80's, as an immigrant from NS, I didn't know anyone else who was interested, there was nothing like this forum (hell, we didn't have PC's), I really knew little about successful tactics, and the access to good maps was comparatively pathetic. Once I got out there it didn't take long to hook up with some like-minded people with some "secrets" and Mr. Mitchell's yearly mag was definitely my "bible". But it had no info at all on some of the places I eventually managed to find and access. Most of my fishing during those years was actually 80% "exploring" and, you know what, though some of it was quite futile in terms of catching fish (hell, I had whole days and weekends of "failure" on occasion), it was always rewarding in terms of adding to my catologue of amazing places and experiences, and, in the end to my knowledge of some uncrowded places which offered fantastic fishing experiences.
The foregoing advice from contributors is good. Be "versatile" in every aspect of the hunt, acquire the available info and maps (the cost is tiny compared to the value), and be very bold in finding ways to get to those remote stretches of good streams that will reward you with great fishing and, maybe more importantly, the incredible experience of being all alone in incredibly beautiful parts of the remaining wilderness. It demands some time and a lot of physical effort (I just can't "bushwack" at that level any more), but it was one of the best endeavours ever, and has provided me with a lot of irreplaceable memories.
If you think of camping as involving showers, microwaves, or even official toilets, or "campsites" for that matter, this approach is not for you. But if you get out the maps that are now available, give the possibilities a little thoughtful analysis, and are comitted enough to "bushwack and wade", you will be surprised what you find "out there".