This is the first episode Rob and Tom shot and, in many ways, their favourite. The Howqua is their 'home' river: they learnt to fly fish there and know just about every bend. And the opportunity to stay in an genuine cattleman's hut made the hike worthwhile.
This episode begins at Bilbury in the Cotswold Hills at a privately owned stream. Rob and Tom then head north by train to the tiny village of Altnaharra (pop. 35) in the far north of Scotland. Heather-covered hills, unspoilt lochs and some sensational single-malt whiskys make this a very special trip. There were trout, sea trout and the possibility of a salmon, the most highly sought after fish in Great Britain.
A well-kept secret amongst fly fihing devotees are the numerous luxury lodges in New Zealand dedicated to visiting anglers. One such retreat is Rotorua Lodge, in New Zealand's South Island. Here Rob and Tom are treated to gourmet food, luxurious accomodation and some of the finest brown trout river fishing in the world.
One of the most beautiful yet remote regions on the planet, the Kimberley is cut with magnificent rivers flowing through massive gorges. Each of these waterways is full of barramundi, a fish that must surely rate as one of the best tasting in the world.
A series of tiny coral islands off the coast of South America are home to the legendary bonefish, a big, fast beautiful fish that inhabits the clean white sandflats of this tropical paradise. Rob and Tom discover this area is one of the last truly undiscovered gems on the travel map.
A unique area of Italy tucked in at the foot of snow-covered Alps. Rob and Tom came in search of trout and the perfect espresso, but found much, much more.
Arriving in Calcutta, Rob and Tom catch the Darjeeling Mail Train north, and continue the journey of discovery across the border into Bhutan, a tiny country nestled in the Himalayan mountains where few tourists are allowed each year. Here, they are in search of wild brown trout, said to inhabit the rivers of this magical kingdom.
The pristine creeks and rivers of the High Plains are a fly fishing wonderland. To reach this remote alpine region Rob and Tom abandon their jeep where the road runs out and trek in on packhorses, armed with a few provisions, a very slow dog and of course their fly rods. The target - sweet river trout from the Snowy Mountain wilderness. Rob Sitch and Tom Gleisner travel to the Cobungra River in Victoria for a wonderful trek into a genuine cattleman's hut with rabbit and fish on the menu.
In the heart of America's mid-west, Wyoming is your classic fly fishing destination. To reach there, Rob and Tom hire a car on the west coast and set off on a road trip that takes them through four states and two flat tyres in search of wild west trout from a rocky mountain creek.
In the sleepy village of Port Douglas, Tom and Rob charter a yacht and and sail north past world heritage rainforest and the world's largest reef in search of the elusive, brightly coloured coral trout. Not to mention the tropical fruit, crayfish and oysters fresh from the shell.
Way up north on the Queensland coast there's a rarely visited river flowing through impenetrable jungle. The only way to reach it by boat, navigating your way past reefs, deserted islands and the odd saltwater crocodile. But the journey is worth it becuase that river, the Yarraki, is not only stunning, it's full of fish.
A train ride through the volcanic region of New Zealand takes Rob and Tom to perhaps the most famous of all trout rivers. Every year thousands of huge trout make thier way up the Tongariro to spawn and every year people lie in wait with fly rods. It's winter and the weather is cold and wet, but the fishing is red hot.
A group of little-known coral islands off the coast of an even lesser-known country called Belize draw Tom and Rob in search of salt-water fishing's holy trinity; a bone fish, a tarpon and a permit, all in one day. It's not an easy task but the location, people, food and wine make it all well worth a try.