Getty
Please be advised that hiking out to and wading into rivers can be dangerous. Research all regions and bodies of water before heading out. Also, you’ll need a permit to fish in certain rivers.
The fishing line unfurls behind you. You gently push your arm and fishing rod forward and let the line unwind. It gracefully lands atop the river without making a ripple. Then, a mouth rises from the water and snatches the fly, you pull back on the line and feel a sharp tug—this is fly fishing.
Much like producing an exceptional bottle of wine, to find success on the river, one must be in touch with nature. This makes fly fishing in wine country the perfect combination.
Here are a few regions where you can fly fish and enjoy a glass.
The Hudson Valley/Catskills, New York
While sometimes disputed, the Catskills, located in Central New York, is often called the birthplace of American fly fishing.
“As it developed in the 1800s, we became the most popular location, and indeed, many of the innovations of those early years occurred in our area,” says Paul T. “Terry” Shultz, a board member of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum. Shultz has fished the Catskills since the 1950s.
Early innovators in the region included Theodore Gordon, who revolutionized dry fly fishing; Reuben Cross, who shaped how flies are tied; and Joan Wulff, who reshaped casting techniques and still has a fly fishing school in the Catskills today.
