EXOTIC COMBINATIONS
Ever had the urge to just pack your bags, grab your
fly rods, and consider never coming back? If you have
the time and the budget, fly fishing based combination
trips can be interesting. This sort of adventure
allows for experiencing two or more different natural
environments in one trip, taking advantage of the fact
you’ve spent the money and flight time to be in a
general geographical area. Examples can include:
New Zealand – Tropical South Pacific: Let’s start with
Fiji, a wonderful “second honeymoon” type getaway.
While not a great fly fishing destination, Fiji does offer many wonderful couples type options and it’s only a
three hour flight from Auckland. If you’re looking for a stronger South Pacific salt water fly fishing option than
Fiji to pair with a New Zealand adventure, Air Pacific flights now offer an option to get from Christmas Island to Auckland. Either way, the contrast between a tropical South Pacific stop and New Zealand makes for a very interesting trip.
Argentina – Land of Options. There may not be a country with the angling diversity of Argentina. In the north, there are the tropical jungle rivers that offer trophy golden dorado on the fly; to the south, there’s Tierra del Fuego and the giant sea run browns of the Rio Grande near the tip of South America. In the middle, on the eastern side of the Andes, there’s Patagonia and it’s more conventional trout fishing as well as the very unconventional Jurassic Lake and Barrancoso River. For the angler who likes to mix in some world class bird hunting, there are some of the world’s finest dove shooting operations. And then there’s Chile, across the crest of the Andes to the west, and the peacock bass of the Amazon in Brazil to the north. There are many ways to combine two, three, or more adventures in Argentina.
Ponoi Atlantic Salmon – Taiman in Mongolia: How ‘bout pairing the finest Atlantic Salmon fishing on the Ponoi River in Russia with pursuing the giant Taiman in Mongolia’s rivers and streams? Pretty exotic stuff. Also, you can combine either of these with a Russian tour.
The Seychelles – African Safari: Off the east coast of Africa lie the stunningly beautiful Seychelle Islands with the world class Alfonse Island Resort…..and great bonefishing and trevally. What a contrast to mix with a “top drawer” African safari?
New Zealand – golf, fly fishing, and touring: Not only does New Zealand offer the finest rainbow and brown trout stalking in the world, it also has some of the finest golf courses to add to the overall appeal of a New Zealand visit. If you have dual passions that include both fly fishing and golf, they don’t mix any better than in New Zealand.
Belize: With your own beach front villa on a private island as your headquarters, mix the most outstanding golf course (and also the only golf course) in Belize with it’s reknowned tarpon, bonefish, permit, and snook fishing. Can add in snorkeling and/or diving on the globe’s second largest barrier reef.
South American Potpourri - South America has a collection of options that could be mixed. How ‘bout mixing two or three of these options into one trip?
Patagonian Andes rainbow and brown trout
Amazon for peacock bass
Tierra del Fuego for the giant sea run browns of the Rio Grande
Chilean Fjords with a first class hotel and spa as your base of operations
Dorado in Northern Argentina
Obviously, itinerary planning for dual environment opportunities present their special challenges. Most important is availability – many of the destinations referenced above sell out a year (and sometimes more) in advance. Combining different elements means having them both available in consecutive time frames. Early planning is critical to getting all the options you want when you want them.
There are many such opportunities if you have the resources and the time and can handle the packing challenges.
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Don Muelrath
Fly Fishing Adventures
888-347-4896