Purists shouldn’t read this article. Folks who live for trophy trout, bass, salmon, steelhead and sturgeon might be offended by this piece.
This is a story about the underdogs of the fishing world and where to find them in less-than-glamorous locations you’ve probably driven past dozens of times without a second thought.
kAmsx%rw !&#x$% ux$wx}vk^Am
kAmx 8C6H FA A=2J:?8 :? E96 5:E49 369:?5 >J 49:=59@@5 9@>6 @? q6= p:C6 sC:G6 H96C6 x C6:8?65 @? 2 E9C@?6 72C D>2==6C E92? E92E @7 2 AC:?46 @G6C 2 <:?85@> @7 >FD<C2ED[ 7C@8D 2?5 7:6=5 >:46]k^Am
kAm%25A@=6D[ F?:56?E:7:65 >:??@HD 2?5 E96 @55 H2JH2C5 49F3 @C 3F==9625 42E7:D9 7@F?5 E96:C H2J :?E@ E96 =:EE=6 5:E49[ 2?5 E9@F89 E96 H2E6C H2D AC@323=J 7:=E9J[ >J ?6:893@C 2?5 7C:6?5 y@9??J {69E@ 2?5 x FD65 E@ A=2J :? :E 2== E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm~?46[ x 42F89E 2 >FD<C2E F?56C 2 =:EE=6 J6==@H 3F4<6E x E@@< 7C@> E96 D2?53@I 2?5 23@FE H6E >JD6=7 H96? x =:7E65 E96 3F4<6E 2?5 D2H 2 9@CC:7J:?8 4C62EFC6 DEC2:89E @FE @7 “%96 !C:?46DD qC:56” 32CC6=:?8 E@H2C5D >J 7246]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C E:>6[ H6 7@F?5 2? 232?5@?65 5F4<=:?8 H6 ?2>65 “vC292>BF24<6C” E92E H6 EC:65 E@ <66A 2D 2 A6E 7@C 2 H66< @C D@ 367@C6 :E 5:65[ E2<:?8 @FC 49:=59@@5 :??@46?46 H:E9 :E]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 x ?6G6C FD65 2 9@@< 2?5 =:?6 :? E92E 5:E49[ x 5:5 =62C? 5:E496D ?665 =@G6[ E@@ — 6DA64:2==J 7C@> 7:D96C>6?]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 >J >@DE >6>@C23=6 5:E49 42E496D 42>6 ;FDE >:?FE6D 27E6C 4C@DD:?8 :?E@ u=@C:52] x 2CC:G65 2E E96 D>2== E@H? @7 r6?EFCJ 2?5 D2H D6G6C2= D>2== 492??6=:K65 4C66<D W5:E496DX 3:D64E:?8 E96 9:89H2J] |J :>28:?2E:@? E@=5 >6 ;FDE 23@FE 2?JE9:?8 4@F=5 =:G6 :? E9:D H2E6C[ D@ x AF==65 :?E@ 2 (92E23FC86C A2C<:?8 =@E[ 8C23365 >J F=EC2=:89E C@5 2?5 H2=<65 E96 d_ J2C5D E@ E96 DEC66E 4C@DD:?8]k^Am
kAm|J 7:CDE 5C@A C6DF=E65 :? 2 D>2==[ 52C< DF?7:D9 E92E =@@<65 =:<6 2 DA2H?:?8 >2=6 3=F68:== 2E 7:CDE 8=2?46[ 3FE :E H2D pF8FDE — >@?E9D 27E6C E96 3=F68:== DA2H?]k^Am
kAm&A@? 4=@D6C :?DA64E:@?[ x C62=:K65 :E H2D 2 DA@EE65 DF?7:D9] x 42F89E EH@ >@C6 :? E96 E:?J A@@= @7 H2E6C 4@2=6D4:?8 36=@H E96 4F=G6CE E96? 4@?E:?F65 @? >J >6CCJ H2J]k^Am
kAm$~|t%wx}v %~ !~}s\t#k^Am
kAmv@=7 4@FCD6 A@?5D 92G6 =@?8 366? 32DD 724E@C:6D[ 3FE >2?J 8@=7 4@FCD6D 7C@H? H96? ?@?\8@=76CD 6?E6C E96 4@FCD6] x’G6 DE@AA65 2E 2 =@E @7 AC@ D9@AD 2?5 2D<65 :7 x 4@F=5 7:D9] |@DE @7 E96 E:>6[ :E’D 2 ?@[ 3FE 2 =:EE=6 492C> 2?5 A6CD:DE6?46 H:== C6DF=E :? 2 “J6D” @? 52JD H96C6 E96 H62E96C :D A@@C @C H:E9 E96 BF2=:7:42E:@? E92E J@F 7:D9 @?=J 27E6C E96 =2DE C@F?5 6?5D]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E 25G:D6 :E[ 3FE J@F 42? 2=D@ 8@ E96 “2D< 7@C8:G6?6DD[ ?@E A6C>:DD:@?” C@FE6] xE 92D?’E H@C<65 G6CJ H6== 7@C >6 :? ~C68@? @C r2=:7@C?:2[ 3FE @E96C DE2E6D D66> E@ 36 >@C6 2446AE:?8 @7 7:D9:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 @E96C H2J @?E@ 8@=7 4@FCD6 A@?5D :D E@ 7:?5 AC@A6CEJ @H?6CD H:E9 =2?5 3@C56C:?8 E96 A@?5] %96 9@>6@H?6C >:89E 8C2?E J@F 2446DD :7 J@F 2D< ?:46=J[ 3FE 2 76H 3F4<D A2:5 2D 2 “EC6DA2DD 766” ?6G6C 9FCED[ 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm%96? 282:?[ 5@?’E =:>:E J@FCD6=7 E@ 8@=7 4@FCD6 A@?5D] x’G6 42F89E 32DD :? CF?@77 A@?5D Wp=232>2X[ <@: 2?5 E:=2A:2 :? H2E6C EC62E>6?E A@?5D WpC:K@?2X[ 42CA 2?5 EC@FE :? >:== A@?5D W~C68@?X[ 42E7:D9 :? 564@C2E:G6 FC32? A@?5D W(2D9:?8E@? s]r]X 2?5 6G6? $24C2>6?E@ A6C49 :? E:?J[ :D@=2E65 42EE=6 H2E6C:?8 A@?5D :? E96 {2?86== '2==6J H96C6 E96J’C6 ?@E DFAA@D65 E@ 6I:DE]k^Am
kAmv~ (x%w %wt u{~(k^Am
kAmx7 H2E6C :D 7=@H:?8[ :E 42? DFAA@CE 7:D9] !@?5D ?665 E@ 36 2 46CE2:? D:K6[ 3FE 6G6? E96 D>2==6DE A@4<6ED @7 7=@H:?8 H2E6C 42? >2:?E2:? E96 5:DD@=G65 @IJ86? 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6 =6G6=D DF77:4:6?E E@ DFDE2:? 7:D9]k^Am
kAm*62CD 28@[ 2E 2 82D DE2E:@? :? %6??6DD66[ x ?@E:465 2 E:?J 4C66< E6C>:?2E:?8 :? 2 D>2== :CC:82E:@? 52> 2 DE@?6’D E9C@H 7C@> H96C6 x H2D 7:==:?8 FA] %96 H2E6C H2D >2J36 E9C66 766E H:56 2E E96 A@@= 2?5 EC:4<=6 ;FDE 2 76H :?496D 24C@DD 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 A@@=[ 3FE x D2H 2 7:D9 DFC7246[ D@ x 42F89E 2 8C2DD9@AA6C :? E96 C@25D:56 G686E2E:@?[ AFE :E @? 2 D>2== 9@@< 2?5 AC@>AE=J 42F89E 2? 288C6DD:G6[ g\:?49 D:=G6C\2?5\3=24< 7:D9] xE H2D >J 7:CDE 4C66< 49F3]k^Am
kAm%H@ >@C6 7:D9 E@@< E96 32:E 367@C6 >J 8C2DD9@AA6C H2D 56DEC@J65[ 2?5 x’5 =@DE `_ >:?FE6D @7 EC2G6= E:>6 7@C 2 ?6H DA64:6D] w2C5 E@ 362E E92E]k^Am
kAms@?’E EFC? FA J@FC ?@D6 2E H2E6C E92E :D?’E 8=2>@C@FD @C J@F >:89E >:DD @FE] x’G6 D?28865 9F?5C65D @7 8@=57:D9 :? :CC:82E:@? A:A6D] x’G6 42F89E 49F3D 2?5 3F==9625D :? >2?J D68>6?ED @7 E96 42?2= =2EE:46H@C< :? E96 q2D:?] x’G6 42F89E D4F=A:?D 2?5 4C@2<6C 2?5 C@4<7:D9 :? E96 D92==@H H2E6CD FA 2?5 5@H? E96 4@2DE 3J 7:D9:?8 E96 9@=6D :? 76?46D[ 82AD :? 5@4< 362>D 2?5 C2:?H2E6C 5C2:?D H96C6 >@DE A6@A=6 H@F=5?’E 5C62> @7 H6EE:?8 2 =:?6]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F ECF=J =@G6 7:D9:?8[ J@F >:89E @442D:@?2==J 92G6 E@ =62G6 J@FC 4@>7@CE K@?6] s:E496D 2?5 A@?5D 2C6 J@FC 36DE 36E H96? E96 3=F6\C:33@? EC@FE 7:D96C:6D 2?5 32DD 3@2ED 2C6?’E 2? @AE:@?]k^Am
kAmk6>m%96 4@=F>?:DEUCDBF@jD 3@@<[ U=5BF@ju:D9:?8 p4C@DD p>6C:42[UC5BF@j :D 2G2:=23=6 @? p>2K@?] %9:D H66<UCDBF@jD 4@=F>? H2D 2? 6I46CAE 7C@> E92E 3@@<] #625 >@C6 7@C 7C66 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^42F89E@G82C5]4@>Qm42F89E@G82C5]4@>k^2mj 7@==@H @? x?DE28C2> 2?5 u:D93C2:? o=F<6@G82C5j 4@?E24E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i=F<6]@G82C5o8>2:=]4@>Qm=F<6]@G82C5o8>2:=]4@>k^2m] %92?< J@F 7@C J@FC 4@?E:?F65 DFAA@CE @7 =@42= ;@FC?2=:D>]k^6>mk^Am
