Fishermen are natural road-trippers. Wanderlust, after all, is at the heart of both fishing and the road, where every new bend—in the water or on land—offers a new world of possibilities..
With this in mind, we’ve plotted a path for you: Assume you can find 10 days this summer to embark on the great American fishing road trip with your family or some fishing buddies. In the outdoors, where it's still possible to have fresh air and avoid crowds, there are myriad ways you might brush off the cobwebs from the couch and breathe again. Here are three routes your road might take you covering the the Northeast, the deep South and the Rocky Mountain West.
Earn Your Stripes
Synopsis: In the spring, millions of striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay begin their annual run north along the coast. Following them—and taking part in this massive migration—is thrilling. Bring along your light tackle gear or, better yet, an eight-weight fly rod. In the summer, you’ll find stripers on inshore flats on the beach and in the open ocean rips. Bonus: If you stay after them long enough, you can reverse course in the fall and follow them right back down the coast to the Chesapeake
The Route: Start in the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island. This haven for the rich and famous happens to be one of the best spots in the world for targeting striped bass on the flats. The shallow water and the white sand will remind you of the flats of the Bahamas, except that the stripers are bigger and wilier than bonefish. Make your way up north to Cape Cod, where you’ll find stripers on the beach, and then to Nantucket, to fish the ocean rips.
Guides: Captains Paul Dixon (flyfishingmontauk.com) and Brendam McCarthy (urbanflyguide.com) are two of the best when it comes to finding stripers on the Long Island flats. On Cape Cod, do it yourself, fishing the beaches near Nauset and Truro in the early mornings and in the evenings. On Nantucket, book a guide from Bill Fisher Outfitters (billfisheroutfitters.com) and get out to the giant rip at Great Point.
Where to stay and eat: In the Hamptons, stay at the Maidstone Hotel (themaidstone.com) for an excellent boutique experience, and grab dinner at Jean-Georges at Topping Rose House (toppingrosehouse.com) for a farm-to-table experience after a day on the water. Cape Cod’s iconic Chatham Bars Inn (chathambarsinn.com) is an excellent spot for families. Be sure to get the fish and chips at Sir Crickets (nausetfishandlobsterpool.com/sir-crickets-fish-n-chips) while on the Cape in Orleans. On Nantucket, stay right in town at the Cliff Lodge Bed and Breakfast (clifflodgenantucket.com) and get a bowl of the world famous clam chowder at the Brotherhood of Thieves restaurant (brotherhoodofthieves.com).
The Bass Trail
Synopsis: The state of Alabama is rightly famous for its Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a must-play for any serious golfer. But for this trip, leave the clubs and bring along a fishing rod instead. Alabama also happens to have some of the best bass lakes in the country, headlined by Eufala, Guntersville and Logan Martin, and you can easily fish all three in a week. What makes this trip even better? The state has become an under-the-radar culinary delight. So, while you hunt for largemouths, you can happily fill your own.
The Route: Start in Birmingham and head west on I-20 to Logan Martin Lake, where big bass like to lurk under boat docks. Make your way south through Montgomery to the Georgia border to Lake Eufala, which has been a consistent producer of big bass for the last four decades. Then head a few hours north to Lake Guntersville, which for years has been thought of as an up-and-coming lake. With its aggressive bass lying in wait in the grassbeds, suffice it to say, it’s arrived.
Guides: Do it yourself at Logan Martin. Fish those docks early in the morning with spinnerbaits or plastic worms (try purple ones). David Andrews at Eufala Lake Fishing Guides (eufalalakefishingguides.com) is the bassmaster of his lake. On Guntersville, try Donald Johnson (donaldjohnson.com) who is equally comfortable with newcomers and seasoned sports.
Where to stay and eat: The Elyton Hotel in Birmingham (elytonhotel.com) is downtown, in the heart of the action. Have lunch one day at Demetris (demetrisbbq.com) in the Homewood section of the city for some of the best barbecue in the land. And then have dinner at Highlands Bar and Grill (highlandsbarandgrill.com), helmed by the James Beard Award winner, Frank Stitt. Make sure to get the stuffed fish at the Cajun Corner (thecajuncorner.com) in Eufala. On your way down to Eufala, stop in for some history at the Civil Rights Memorial (splcenter.org) in Montgomery. And while in Guntersville, be sure to save time to make a side trip to nearby Huntsville to visit the US Space & Rocket Center (rocketcenter.com).
Rocky Mountain High
Synopsis: This is the great American trout trip, taking place among the majestic peaks of the Rockies. On it, you’ll fish the Mount Rushmore of American trout rivers, starting with the demanding and technical Henry’s Fork. You’ll then hit the riffled Madison and the breathtaking Yellowstone (the longest un-dammed river in the continental U.S.). The trip ends with the Bighorn, which might be the most plentiful trout river in the world, with an estimated 6,000 trout per mile.
The Route: Start in Island Park, Idaho, at the Henry’s Fork. The river’s rainbows are legendary for their size, energy and difficulty, especially in the spring-creek-like Harriman Ranch section. Then head north to Ennis, Montana, near the heart of the Madison River, where the heavy hatches of mayflies begin in late June with the salmon-flies. Drive a bit to the northwest to Livingston and get on a drift-boat and float the Yellowstone, casting a dry fly with a nymph dropper for rainbows and browns and the occasional cutthroat. End the trip at the Bighorn, where you’ll launch a drift-boat early in the morning near the Yellowtail Dam and slowly make your way downriver.
Guides: Get a guide—and some of René Harrop’s beautifully-tied flies—at Trouthunter on the Henry’s Fork (trouthunt.com). Fish the Madison yourself, hitting the riffles near Three Dollar Bridge. Float the Yellowstone with the affable Paul Weamer (weamerflyfishing.com). On the Bighorn, either do it yourself and rent your own drift-boat, or book a guide. Both can be done through Bighorn Angler (bighornangler.com) in Fort Smith.
Where to stay and eat: Trouthunter has a lodge and a festive bar and grill. Grab breakfast at the Ennis Sunrise Café (ennissunrisecafe.com) before hitting the Madison. Treat yourself to a stay at the Chico Hot Springs Resort (chicohotsprings.com) outside of Livingston. And be sure you leave some time after fishing the Bighorn to visit the Little Bighorn Battlefield, to see where Custer made his fateful last stand.
And, while you're at it, post some pictures and some tall tales to go with them (facebook.com/leesburglifestyle).