Bristol Bay Lodge, Bristol Bay, Alaska
Species: Pacific salmon, char, and grayling
Bristol Bay should be at the top of your list for a”last frontier” fly-fishing experience. On Lake Aleknagik sits the lodge looks out over the lake, while outpost camps mix wilderness with comfort. Vintage De Havilland Beaver floatplanes fly guests to new spots daily, where guests can catch chinook, silver and pink salmon, arctic char, Dolly Varden, or rainbow trout. There’s a 70 fish a day limit, so go wild!
Weekly rate: $7,350 (October?-May)
The Cabin By The River, Okanogan, Washington
Species: Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Eastern Brook Trout, Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Burbot, German Brown Trout
The Cabin by the River is one of the best Washington cabin rentals around. It is one of the true log cabins, authentic, traditional, and absolutely beautiful too. The Cabin is located on the picturesque Timm Ranch on the Colville Indian Reservation along the Columbia River. It’s 25 miles downriver from Grand Coulee Dam and 25 miles upriver from Chief Joseph Dam. Lake Rufus Woods is the 51-mile reservoir between these two large dams, and one of the most secluded and private areas in Washington State to fish and boat. With only three public boat launches on the entire 106 miles of shoreline, you will have miles and miles of undiscovered waters to fish, boat and relax.
Weekly Rate: $600
Firehole Ranch, West Yellowstone, Montana
Species: Rainbow and brown trout
Firehole Ranch, a renovated 1947 family camp, is found on Hebgen Lake, which feeds the Madison River. It’s within a short drive of the powerful Yellowstone River, the uniquely challenging Henry’s Fork of the Snake in Idaho, and all the places to be within Yellowstone National Park, like Slough Creek, the Gibbon, and the trout-heavy river that gives the place its name. Hospitality is top notch here, and you can expect the staff will know you on a first name basis.
Weekly rate: $4,775? – $5,350
Wilson’s Sporting Camps, New Brunswick, Canada
Species: Atlantic salmon
Wilson’s captures the mellow Canadian Maritime mood. With cozy cabins and copious amounts of comfort food, you can’t go wrong with Wilson’s. This is especially true during the fall run of Atlantic salmon, when the trees on the banks of the Miramichi River metamorphose into brilliant yellows and reds. Keith Wilson is the sixth-generation owner of the lodge, and some of his guides have worked there since the 1950s. The 16 pools at Wilson’s include some of the best water on the Miramichi.
Weekly rate: $4,200
Agua Boa Amazon Lodge, Brazil
Species: Peacock bass
Agua Boa, in the heart of the northwest part of the Amazon basin, has exclusive access to its namesake river. This river features some of the world’s best fly-fishing for peacock bass- a fearsome fish decoratively adorned in festive yellows, oranges, and greens. Anglers sight-fish shallow white-sand bars for prowling peacocks; 20-pounders are not uncommon. Local caimans and jaguars will check out your cast. Guests stay in air-conditioned bungalows overlooking both a pool and the magnificent river, or take up residence on the roomy houseboat.
Weekly rate: $5,500
Atlantic Salmon Reserve, Kola Peninsula, Russia
Species: Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic Salmon Reserve features 2 million acres of Russian tundra 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Fishermen here cast arguably the greatest collection of Atlantic salmon water in the world: the Kharlovka, Rynda, Eastern Litza, and Zolotaya rivers. No more than 38 guests stay in well-appointed cabins, deftly staffed to by an all-Russian crew of 100. Helicopters take fishermen each morning to beats on the rivers, where 30-pound Atlantics are caught with some regularity and even 40-pounders show up on occasion.
Weekly rate: $3,500 – ?$20,000
Kamalame Cay, Andros Island, The Bahamas
Species: Bonefish
Kamalame Cay is a 96-acre and very private island that is a popular getaway for Hollywood types. But fishermen, of course, go for another reason: Andros’ incredible bonefishing. On the Joulters flats, anglers wade barefoot through reefs topped with white sand, and cast to bones of up to 10 pounds. The lodge hosts 35 guests at time. There is a big soaking tub in each room and a spa at the end of a 200-foot pier with treatments like hibiscus wraps and coconut scrubs. Luxury, natural beauty, and more can all be found at Kamelame Cay.
Weekly rate: $4,700? – $7,000
Lower Dean River Lodge, British Columbia, Canada
Species: Steelhead
The Lower Dean River Lodge, found on the eponymous Dean River, hosts one of the last great runs of summer steelhead. The lodge is just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean, so the fish–averaging between 8 and 12 pounds–are fresh and rowdy when hooked. Dry-fly-fishing, which is considered the apex of steelheading, is the norm here. Guests helicopter into the camp, composed of handmade wooden buildings and surrounded by snowcapped 8,000-foot peaks. Meals consist of local organic vegetables and wild seafood. The lodge has a 95 percent repeat booking rate, which few other lodges can boast.
Daily rate: $1,000
Nomads of the Seas, Chile
Species: Rainbow, brown, and brook trout
Nomads is not a lodge, but don’t let that fool you- this 150-foot luxury yacht sailing down the coast of Chile is a mobile fishing fiesta. Each day, guests board a helicopter and are transported back in time, to virginal streams and lagoons, some of them only recently discovered, to fish for wild rainbow and brown trout. Night dining includes grouper, abalone, and crab with Chilean wine, then are rocked to sleep by an overnight cruise to new fishing grounds. The ship has an onboard spa as well as a team of naturalists.
Weekly rate: $15,000? – $29,000
Poronui, New Zealand
Species: Rainbow and brown trout
Poronui, New Zealand may have the most challenging trout fishing on the planet, with huge fish that inhabit air-clear water and take only tiny, perfectly presented flies. If that is your cup of tea, this resort on the North Island is your place. Fishermen are helicoptered to secret river pools. Guests stay in the main building, in separate cabins, in luxury tents on the Mohaka River, or in the Blake House, a modernist masterpiece with four bedrooms, a sauna, satellite TV, and full library. The lodge offers wine tours, horseback riding, even nanny services.
Weekly rate: $5,000 – ?$7,000
