Species

There’s a certain point where fly fishing stops being a local hobby and turns into a reason to travel.

It often starts with trout, perhaps on a quiet chalkstream in the UK, where everything feels controlled and familiar. Once you get comfortable, it’s hard not to wonder what else you can catch on a fly. Salmon are usually next. In Scotland, Norway, Iceland or Russia – they are powerful fish that demand patience more than anything else. Sea trout in Wales can quickly morf into European fishing and further afield to Argentina.

Then things might shift to saltwater. Or perhaps that is where you started. You might start off targeting bonefish on shallow flats. It’s faster, more visual fishing than perhaps you have been used to and it opens the doors to a whole new batch of species to target from permit to tarpon, triggerfish to sailfish and a whole lot in between.

If you keep going, the trips get more remote. In Mongolia, taimen are the main target—large, aggressive fish in rivers that feel completely untouched. Or you might go to Argentina or Chile for big trout in Patagonia, where the conditions can be just as challenging as the fish.

At some point, you realise the pattern: each species gives you a different reason to travel. Some are technical, some are physical, and some are just an excuse to see a place you wouldn’t otherwise visit. Of course the fishing matters, but it’s really about where it takes you.

Dogwood lodge, redfish fishing, redfish USA, Aardvark McLeod, US fly fishing

Redfish: King of the Salt Marsh

Along the shallow coastlines of North America, where salt marsh meets open water and tides shape the rhythm of life, swims one of the most iconic inshore species in the

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Largemouth yellowfish, Kalahari, South Africa, Orange River fly fishing, South Africa fly fishing, Kalahari fly fishing, Aardvark McLeod

Yellowfish: Africa’s Unsung Heroes

Across the rivers of southern Africa, yellowfish embody power and athleticism. Indigenous to the waterways of South Africa and Lesotho, these golden-scaled fish have become icons of the region’s freshwater

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Golden Dorado, Boliva, Aardvark McLeod

Golden Dorado: The Acrobatic Predator

Golden Dorado are freshwater fish that seem as though they were destined for the sea. Brilliant golden-yellow in colour, acrobatic, and immensely powerful, they are the quintessential game fish. In

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Tigerfish; toothy monsters

Tigerfish comprise five currently recognized species within the genus Hydrocynus, each occupying distinct African geographical areas while sharing the same fundamental design. Freshwater apex predators, they have laterally compressed bodies,

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Westfair River Anton Grayling Fly Fishing

Grayling: The Lady of the Stream

Grayling, often referred to affectionately as the lady of the stream due to their long dorsal fin that often dances in the current, has had a mixed past between being

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Taiman – an ancient species

The largest salmonid in the world, Taimen are capable of reaching notable sizes with fish up to 62 cm having been recorded. They can be very long lived and while

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Peacock Bass: Icons of the Jungle

Peacock bass occupy a singular place in the world of fly fishing. They are not subtle, not delicate, and never incidental. For many anglers, the first encounter with a peacock

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Char: Jewels of the North

Few pursuits in fly fishing feel as wild and rewarding as chasing char. Belonging to the Salmonidae family, char thrive in cold, clean northern waters and offer aggressive takes, stunning

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