Is fly-fishing the new surfing? Certainly, while surfers are running out of fresh beaches to discover, adventurous fly-fishers are carving out untouched corners of the planet to find virgin waters and catches to brag about. With its meditative, go-slow mindfulness, its immersive, deep-cover wilderness hits, the sport is everything we need right now. My lifelong obsession recently took me to Cosmoledo, an atoll 640 miles from the main Seychelles island, Mahe, where we slept in shipping containers and chased the bird-catching giant trevally, a fish made famous by Blue Planet II. It has led me to search out peacock bass with Kayapó warriors in Kendjam, the most remote village in a vast Amazonian reserve. This month, I'm off to Chilean Patagonia, the latest destination from next-level adventure fixer Eleven Experience, which has shaken up the scene with its low-key-luxe lodges, from Scarp Ridge in the Rockies to Deplar Farm on Iceland's windswept Troll Peninsula, each trading in hard-to-reach fishing. The new Rio Palena is a stilt lodge on the wild banks of the trout-filled river of the same name, where guests can helicopter to pure Andean mountain waters, then return for wood-fired hot tubs and asados. Eleven has also taken over Cedar Lodge on New Zealand's South Island, giving fresh access to Makarora River trout. I was taught fly-fishing by my mother on our farm in the Scottish Highlands, mesmerized by the way she'd cast her line with a fairy dusting of water. Perhaps driven by our current frazzled state of mind, and a desire to reconnect with nature, it's a joy that feels more relevant than ever.
The new cool angle: a glossary of terms
“He gone”Saltwater angling for bonefish in tropical seas is a high-end sport with famously harsh guides. When you mess up, nothing is as soul-sapping as this pithy Bahamian epithet.
#5050OnTheWaterA campaign by outdoor brand Orvis to bring more women into fishing—taken up by influential anglers such as Jennifer Holbrook and Moe Newman.
Bass ProThe rock gods of angling. They have $50,000 boats with huge engines, race car-style sponsorships, and names like Kevin VanDam. We all secretly envy them.
#KeepEmWetA slogan to make it unacceptable to, for example, lift up a catch and hold it in front of your chest for a picture. Now fish are left in the water for as much time as possible.
Sedge (or caddis, or midge)Real fishermen are naming their dogs after flies. It's a thing.
“Tight lines”How to say good luck to an angler. More often than not, they'll need it
