
With all the talk of polar vortexes, La Nina, El Nino, and the Farmer's Almanac, it is hard to know year-in and year-out exactly how harsh the winter season will be. Even with all the variables--and variety of sources--one thing is for sure: from December through March there will always be a place to go fishing that is warmer, and fishier, than most places in the United States. Whether you want to just get to someplace warm, chase trophy-sized trout, try to tag a permit, or wrestle with predatory peacock bass, finding a place to get away from the cold and snow to go fishing is a lot easier than you might think. Here are Five Fly Fishing Trips to take in winter.

Cuba: Bonefish, Permit, and Tarpon Close to the U.S.
It is hard to believe that even as close as Cuba is to the United States, the fisheries in Cuba are some of the least pressured saltwater flats on the planet. Add in the possibility of a grand slam on any given day of fly fishing in Cuba, a winter-time trip to go fly fishing here is something every angler should consider. The fisheries here are carefully managed and the the guides working the flats have been exploring these waters for decades and most of them are generational guides having had knowledge passed down from life-long guides as well. These fisheries truly have it all: oversized bonefish, excellent permit fishing and some of the best tarpon fishing on the planet. Legal travel to Cuba has become much easier and flights now run daily from Miami to the island. The pristine flats environments in Cuba are nearly the same now as they were hundreds of years ago.

Chile: Amazing Variety and Trophy-Size Trout
Chile is a favorite destination among many of our longtime fly fishing guides. With perhaps the greatest diversity of fly fishing waters for trout on the planet, a fly fishing trip to Chile is an annual event for many. Flanked by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, superlatives reign in Chile and if you are fortunate to fish in this special country, you will not disagree that Chile is a country worthy of the praise. With aquarium clear rivers, rugged mountains, expansive glaciers and lush forests, the fishing opportunities offer incredible variety with huge rivers for float fishing, smaller mountain streams for wading, productive spring creeks and gin clear lakes with massive trout. Leave your nymph box at home when visiting Chilean Patagonia because dry flies rule the day. Trout in these remote regions see very little humans and have a strong affinity for the biggest foam dry flies you can throw. Streamer fishing can also be productive and is a great way to target some truly massive brown trout.

Argentina: Discover Massive Estancias in the Wilds of Patagonia
From the steep valleys and lush mountain sides of northern Patagonia near San Martin and Bariloche to the windswept landscape of Tierra Del Fuego, a fly fishing trip to Argentina is rooted in adventure and intrigue. Argentina looks and feels like Montana and Wyoming of fifty years ago. Many of Argentina's lodges and fisheries feature massive estancias with private creeks, lakes, and even large rivers. The regions for fly fishing are rural and a lot of fishing occurs on massive estancias on unpressured private waters. Throw in the opportunity to fly fish for golden dorado in the northern regions or urban dorado in Buenos Aires, and a fly fishing trip to Argentina should be on any angler's radar to get out winter. Many of Argentina’s fly fishing waters offer up legitimate opportunities for traditional dry fly and hatch-matching situations. The amount of available aquatic insects for trout in Argentina is often more than in Chile’s rivers and streams. Argentina has more reliable hatches than Chile, but not as much overall diversity of fishing than Chile.

Brazil: Peacock Bass in the Jungle Wilderness
Many traveling anglers make trips to fish in Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand before considering a trip into the heart of the largest jungle wilderness. With abundant species available and the only fly fishing-only lodge in the Amazon, a trip to Agua Boa Lodge in Brazil is an ideal winter fly fishing get away. The rivers here are not silty or muddy and in fact run clear, creating exciting sight fishing opportunities for the primary target species here--peacock bass. Known as one of the most voracious predatory gamefish on the planet, fly fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon River system is a fly fishing trip everyone should consider. If there were a fish to match the grandeur and vastness of the Amazon, the peacock bass is ideal. With aggressive takes, thrilling jumps, and colorful markings and patterns, landing a peacock bass is thrilling. At first, a fly fishing trip to the Amazon for peacock bass might seem intimidating, but doesn’t any fish worth catching come with a little bit of risk and excitement?

New Zealand: Sight-fishing to Some of the Planet's Largest Trout
A fly fishing trip to New Zealand isn't nearly the logistical and travel endeavor as many people think. With daily non-stop flights from the West Coast to Auckland, you can fall asleep on the plane and wake up the next morning in New Zealand. That seems like an easy exchange for the opportunity to fish in the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand with some of the planet's most adept guides. The guides in New Zealand are experts at spotting and stalking large brown and rainbow trout. Fly fishing in New Zealand on these back country rivers requires accurate casts to spooky trout, and some times a helicopter to get there! But even in these remote rivers and creeks, a large trout in New Zealand is often earned--catch rates are lower than on many of the legendary Montana Rivers but the average size is very high and nearly every trout is caught by "spot and stalk" tactics. New Zealand is an ideal destination for experienced anglers desiring some of the most challenging fly fishing for trout...but because New Zealand is home to plenty of large trout the rewards are often worth the tribulation.

As many of us in the United States and northern hemisphere begin planning for shoveling snow or morning frosts, many other parts of the world are gearing up for another fishing season. Whether you desire to simply get out of winter for a bit, pursue a personal angling goal such as landing a permit on the fly or a ten-pound brown trout, just because the calendar says winter, doesn't mean that it isn't summer somewhere and the fish you desire aren't swimming around waiting for your next great double haul.