The 10 BEST Trout Rivers for Fly Fishing in America | Ep. 83
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ARTICLE – Keep Fish Wet – https://rebrand.ly/UT83-KFW-Article
VIDEO – Finding Places to Fish – https://youtu.be/PdHMrA7jwmw
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About this video: What are the best trout rivers in America? You know, the rivers that every angler should fly fish before passing on to that great river in the sky. And for that matter, why do we hold some rivers in such high regard? What makes some rivers greater than others? On this week’s episode of Untangled, Spencer Durrant walks you through his own ranking of the country’s best trout water. You’ll also learn about: Dry-dropper rigs, the science behind water temperature’s impact on trout, why fly anglers don’t use barrel swivels, and how to find fishing spots in brand-new areas.
#venturesflyco #livereellife #flyfishing #beginnerflyfishing #howtoflyfish
I’m glad my river isn’t on the list
The Delaware has serious access issues for wading anglers. If you are wading, you will be doing so with a lot of other people (unless you own property on the river or its branches, of course).
First time listening to you! Enjoyed this list very much! Fished many of those rivers and agree completely with what you had to say about them!
Should have vegetation for aquatic insects to develop. Like the BOW RIVER in Calgary Alberta Canada.
I thought Canada is considered America North America , it would be great to include Canadian rivers Like the Skeena river Steelhead
The Colorado should be considered if for no other reasons than its diversity of water and the history of the many sections of the river. From fishing for brookies in the headwaters near RMNP to the trophy rainbow sections near Kremmling to the unbelievable scenery and rainbow/brown fishery of the Lee’s Ferry tailwater section, it kind of has it all. Oh and it seems to have had something to do with the largest hole in the ground ever.
When is the best time to fish the Green?
How do you forget anything in the catskills! Even if they get crowded they’re still the most important rivers in the country!
So you have fished all these rivers?
The river I fish consistently produces 20” trout, I fish it almost every day after work in the summer. The only days I haven’t caught a single trout over 18” were when the small fish were too aggressive for my dry fly to pass a big fish! I had a weekend where I caught a 21” football one day and a 24” slab the next. Some days I will catch over 80 trout without moving my feet, some holes are so productive! Many wild fish.
These list are stupid and damage our fisheries, about the same as polluting the water
I completely agree leaving the Provo, Weber and San Juan off this list. You guys listening should not visit those rivers as there are no fish there. The scenery is terrible and you will have the worst time of your life. You’re better off fishing those other rivers so be sure to stay away from these 3.
I’m glad you didn’t list my favorite totally road accessible river in Alaska. I get to fish by myself in the late fall and catch monsters!
I just want to say that the upper green river above flaming Gorge sucks. Don’t go there.
Love the show, lots of great info and fun topics. However, pretty surprised the amazing St Joe River didn’t make the list.
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If you haven’t already, you should add additional Top Ten categories:
1. Western Freestone streams
2. Western Tailwaters
3. Eastern Freestones
4. Eastern Tailwaters
5. Western Spring Creeks
6. Eastern Spring Creeks
7. CONUS Salmon streams
8. Alaskan Salmon streams
9. Western trout lakes (natural)
10. Western trout Reaervoirs
11. Eastern trout lakes (natural)
12. Eastern trout reaervoirs
13. Wilderness areas that require hiking / portage
On my way to Idaho next week! Sooo looking forward to fly fishing!
I won’t get jumped if i wear a Ute sweatshirt on the Provo will I?
Trailer hitches work well keeping the hook bend clear, but its expensive!
How does SF meet your public access for wading? I found it very limited access.
I think that you have to be more clear with the video name and say that its only EEUU, because if you talk about america there are a lot other rivers like the patagonian ones
Excellent presentation! Thank you!
Floated the Green river 50+ years ago, before Field and Stream went crazy with stories about it. Saw 2 other fishermen from the dam to little hole and none from there to Browns park. Now it’s overrun with guides ( people who won’t get a real job) and their clients.
Pretty much ruined.😥
The Missouri river near helena montana from holster damn to cascade average 3500-4000 catchable fish per mile.
I fished the green for the first time last week. My new brother in law lives about 40 minutes from the dam. I caught my personal best brown and then one upped it within 30 minutes. It was a lot of fun, he is very new to fly fishing so he struggled. However he brought his spin caster and did really well with some hard lures. Really cool to see huge fish within feet of you. The water was a bit fast for my skill level but if I got my fly on the line I wanted I caught a fish nearly every time.
Trophy water of Michigan’s Ausable or the Pierre Marquette.
Love your show! Hey how about the 10 best fly fishing lakes in America…..
Thanks
just jim
A guide friend of mine who grew up in Jackson hole and guided on the Deschutes for over 10 years, said if you could fish from a boat on the Deschutes, it would probably be the number one river in the country. Only a small part of that river is fishable because you can’t fish from a floating device.
3 minutes in and I am out of here
The only disagreement I have, and it’s not a big disagreement, is I would put the SF of the Snake first. The long float that takes multiple nights to complete has no rival. I know the B section of the Green can be good but it’s just my personal preference to be on the SF Snake.
The Green is a fine, fine fishery though. Hard to argue against it.
10 minutes 15 seconds to get to the #10 river if anyone has anything to do today.
This is exactly how places get over, visited by tourist and overfished
Get rid of the COKE products
Come on down to the white! I’m mostly a gear guide but I do fly sometimes. Love chasing those big browns, 4 over 25” last fall.
I’ve fished 7 of your pics and here is my two cents. I obviously have a “fishing problem”.
In America?, you have to include the state of Alaska rivers, at least 1 if not more need to be on the list
Kinda love the Driftless like the Kickapoo
You’re crazy! No North Platte!!!!!
Hi, I started fly fishing in June 2024. I have caught a few trout. Your videos are what have helped me do that. Thanks 😊
After watching this I want to ask if you will come to Bend OR and give me lessons. You will get to fish the 4th top 10 river. The Deschutes River.
How could you leave out the Big Hole River? The salmon fly hatch on the Big Hole is outstanding (25-30 big fish days) and it also has Artic Grayling that you can catch which none of the other rivers have that. I have to disagree on putting the Yellowstone over the Madison. Live in Montana and fished both extensively, have caught bigger browns and rainbows on the Madison, plus the Yellowstone has wading access but you really need a boat to fish it because of it’s size. The mother’s day caddis hatch on the Madison is legendary as well. Had 30 fish days with some big ones on caddis. Another great river is the Gunnison in Colorado, if you can do the hike, it is fantastic fishing for sheer volume and size of fish.
I have fished a lot of the these and unless you have a guide boat they are hard to fish. East coast has so many more easy access streams than the ones that everyone gets a guide and fishes. Southeastern stream you can wade and catch 20-32’ fish in smaller streams. Much better than the commercial streams
I fish the White River all the time. Gear is defendant on flow, but the big ones are deeper and better caught on the White River Zig Jig!
Surprised the blue ribbon trout stream The Yakima
Not sure if anyone mentioned this but I love using a swivel before my fly. I have. My nail knot and then my 3 blood knot then a barrel swivel then a 2-1/2 ft leader to the fly that way if I change a lot or I have a break off it usually breaks at the barrel and I can quickly get back at it as opposed to re tying a blood knot on a section
Austalia, why wouldn’t he just go to a good local fly shop and see what, where they recommend.
Not including the Upper Arkansas in Colorado is criminal.
The Madison is the most over pressured stream in Montana. I’ve fished all of the major rivers between Missoula and Livingston and the Madison is by far the hardest hit river I’ve fished. We live between Bozeman and Butte. I used to love the Madison before COVID, but now every river access is a wal mart parking lot. Even in the winter. I quit fishing it altogether because I don’t like combat fishing. My last float trip was literally like bumper cars. We had 10 rafts bump into us. Just give the Madison a break. That’s just bad for the fish to put that much pressure on them. I am definitely not going to share my favorite streams on the internet. 😂 I will say that there are no bad streams in Montana, or Idaho, or Wyoming, if you can’t catch trout on any of them you should work on your technique. And I’ve seen 5lb trout in all of them, on a reasonable frequency.
Thank you for not mentioning any of my favorite streams. I only fish public water and most of the streams I like to fish have no special restrictions on them, either. May the crowds always flock to the famous places. I’ll take an unsung stream any day. Where I do most of my fishing, it’s rare to bump into or even see another angler unless it’s the buddy(s) who came with me.
First photo was Snake River east of Tetons.