If you had the same money as you have now and the same fishing gear and were transported back in time 150 years , where Would you fish ???
For steelhead it would have to be the North Umpqua River of Oregon.For trout it would be any of the waters of Central Oregon.
Rocky
Right where I do now, but “minus” factories, housing developements, shopping areas, etc.
Mike
Kinda like to agree with OT. We got about 12 different saltwater and 12 different freshwater fish within about 45 min. of the house…and 100yrs is still well after the stripes and shad were introduced. 
…lee s.
Guess that kinda puts the kapoots on farm ponds, resevoirs and channelized rivers. Nice thought, though. My choice would the very same Minnesota River I now fish minus the years of septic tank and city discharge contamination, without the years of crop nutrients and soil particle-runoff common to open tile drainage that is all the rage here in the flat prairielands, where a simple two inch rain wouldn’t cause a major river “event” with a rise of two or so feet within an hour or two that is so detrimental to fish propagation, and where God provided a natural buffer strip called prairie grasslands that kept the rivers clean and healthy from such man-caused pollution. According to journals prior to Euro-American imigration, this was a clear-water river with good populations of pike, smallmouth bass and other “sporty” fisheries. Lots of work has been been done in cleanup efforts over the past ten years but the river has so much healing to do. River watershed projects and federal easement programs have been responsible for much of that. Yet, I would have loved to have canoed and fished a pre-imigration Western Minnesota River. JGW
[This message has been edited by white43 (edited 05 February 2005).]
Well it wouldn’t be in Arizona 'cause I’d be the only fly fisher around here and the Native Americans would probably think I was some evil spirit if they took into account, the beaded lanyard, waders and fins (while float tubing), flys stuck in the wool patch, funny looking Safari hat, etc. and I’d probably end up very bald (which would make my alias Baldtop2 wouldn’t it?)
So, I’d probably go back to the Battenkill. But before I flailed one fly at the water, I’d mortgage my heart to buy up all the land on both sides of the river as far up and down that I could possibly reach. Then I’d name two of my sons “Or” & “Vis”. The third son would be put in Harvard to get his MBA (or whatever was the best Management degree of the times) and the 4th would go to Yale to get his LLD. Finally, my daughter would take over the reins of the family fortunes and I’d spend my days fishing the pristine waters waiting for that (now) well known company to come along and ask me and my family to be their partners.
Whatcha think?
Snow on the roof with fire in the hearth
The Spokane River, eastern Washington. Before the dams, and the mining in northern Idaho, it was a great salmon river. 30 pounders were fairly common. I only live about a mile from the river, so the walk would be do-able. Living here was pretty tough in 1855 though.
A free gift waits for those who ask.
Lotech Joe
AS for me, I’d buy Wyoming and put a tall strong fence around it. And then I’d fish there for a while.
I would also have started a flyfishing outfitting company there and I’d call it ORVIS.
I’d rather be in Wyoming!
Same general area - the Catskills. The one thing I’d definitely do is buy the land that ER Hewitt did along the Neversink, the land along the upper Beaverkill and the land presently owned by the DeBruce Club along the upper Willowemoc. It don’t get better than that!
Allan
Well. . . certainly not here since almost all of the places I fish wouldn’t exist. So, I guess I’d just go anywhere with natural water sources! Anybody know where and when the first carp were showing up in the US?. . .
southeastern washington state, near the deschutes and columbia and snake rivers. then id also buy all the land for as far as the eyes could see in every direction and protect it from pollution and dam building projects that are sure to come.
maintain the rivers as natural wild fisheries for “future” (read present) generations to enjoy.
The Adirondacks. It’s always held my heart. Streams and lakes both.
Pyramid lake and the Truckee river. Cutthroats to 60 lbs!
The Ventura River and Santa Ynez river in S. California. These rivers had had annual runs of 7,000 to 20,000 steelhead as late as the early 1950’s. What a shame they have all been nearly wiped out.
The Mc Cloud River in N. CA when they still had salmon runs
North Umpqua…this is a no-brainer if you’ve read Zane Grey
Talarik Creek, Nusugak River, Kanektok River, Kenai River in Alaska…before they got pounded by the lodges
The Dean in British Columbia.
Aw, what the heck, just build me a time machine I’ll learn how to ride a horse and fish everything from Mexico to Alaska for 50 years!!!
Diane–i grew up in the Adirondacks. Second most beautiful place in the country 
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I’d buy all the land in Florida from just north of Okeechobee south to and including the Keys.
Bass, Tarpon, Permit, Snook, Bonefish, not to mention a few dozen other species…bill fish just a short boat ride away…warm, never snows, the indians are smart, peacable, and would welcome the chance to keep their lands…
Sorry, wouldn’t waste such an opportunity on trout.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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Right here in Oregon. The Calapooia is withing ez walking distance and the steelhead, Chinook salmon, and cutthroat would be calling me loudly.
Hey LeeS, is that 45 minutes by car, on those highways that wouldn’t exist? think about how you would get around, carry your stuff, get food, water, etc etc etc.
Got horse?
Baja!
Hi folks, RW here,
I’m with Allan (tyeflies) on the Debruce water on the upper Willowemoc. I’ll poach that dang water yet before I die…
Later, RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
same river-only than it had atlantic salmon minus all the people-o-to dream??
bob faorite past-times winter steelie fishing-fall bow-hunting-would write more but with my typing i would be here for wks.??