Traditionally, when many people have thought about fly fishing, scenes of rising trout in Montana’s blue-ribbon streams, jumping tarpon on flats off Islamorada, or evening hatches on the Battenkill in Vermont fill their minds. They associate the sport with extensive and expensive gear, grand trips, and technical skills. Though these certainly can all be attributes of fly fishing, this is the not the whole story—not the true story. Rather, fly fishing can be practiced and enjoyed most anywhere by anyone. Most if not all fish species can be targeted, caught, and enjoyed on the fly in each and every state of America. The gear can be expensive and intimidating, but it can also be simplified and accessible. The goal of Catch50 is to reveal this side of the sport—to convey that fly fishing can indeed be done in all fifty states, targeting a variety of species. I hope you will enjoy hearing stories from this journey of experiencing the country, one waterway at a time, and feel inspired to chase fish in your home waters as well as far off destinations on the fly. Tight lines!
