There is a saying that adventure travel is only adventurous after the fact. during the trip it is more like a day-long pain in the butt. sometimes fly fishing is like that. It is not until the last rays of the sun (or later for those Madison river evenings) slip away that the day starts to become fishing stories. As friends gather around a table of food and drink the eats become more epic, the flies smaller, the wind harsher, the misses more painful and the mistakes become more hilarious. It is here, in this moment, that memories are cast. And it is here, in this place, at this time, that you need a cold one, a fried one and one on a bun. Or something like that. Follow my blog with bloglovin

Yellowstone National Park




Bears, bison, wolves... they are all here in large number. Good food however is not. It is a bit of a source of constant frustration that such a wonderful, magical place can be ruined with overpriced, overcooked, often unpalatable food. There is really nothing redeeming about the food the lodges produce, some is just worse than others. Rather than sticking to a few American classics like burgers, pizza, chicken fried steak, etc. they try and get fancy with gourmet dishes that contain multiple ingredients. If it takes more than 3 words to describe what you are going to eat - run.

There are secrets to getting a decent slice of pizza in the park, but you will have to figure that one out on your own. It should only take a night or two at the bar to make the proper connections.

Or you can go the cheap and easy route and eat salami and cheese on a tortilla. Go crazy and put a little brown mustard on it. If you want to step it up a notch your local grocery store has wonderful, salt-rich bags of Indian food that you just plop in boiling water for a couple minutes, or as I learned last year, just leave them in the car all day for a perfectly lukewarm, no hassle dinner. Tasty and filling. And it replaces all of that salt you sweated out. Remember, you are here to fish, not dine. That potato chip in your hand is merely fuel for the next day's stalking of fish.

La Despensa



Never had a better empanada
Lower Limay. Cross the foot bridge. Walk till you come to a fisherman's ladder. Look left. Order homemade empanadas and Quilmes. Watch chickens. See goats. Scratch dog's ear. Repeat.

Camp Fatima



It was a hot Quilmes.

So let's just say that the fishing was so good that you tamped down your hunger with a protein bar and now it is that nowhere time between a suitable late lunch and an early dinner - which in Argentina means 8:30. You have fished miles of the rio Pulmari and are now so hungry and so thirsty that you can no longer tie on another fly. What to do?

It's Camp Fatima to the rescue. It is an Argentinian camping spot where the caretakers will bring you a fresh loaf of bread, a litre of Quilmes (or 3), a little potted meat (picadilla) and a plastic lawn chair. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Titusville, FL


Lonely little Titusville is a land that time forgot. And maybe not in a good way. But if you are chasing redfish (and if you're not, why the hell not?) then here are some places to keep you fat and happy. Just like those big 'ole fish.

The Shamrock & Thistle Pub
2035 Cheney Hwy
No food. No atmosphere. But they have quality pints from across the pond on tap. The owners are friendly folks from the UK. Watched the US v. England World Cup match here and there were as many flags with the cross of St. George as there were with stars and stripes. It's the type of place where locals gather for the big game and bring pot luck.

Corky Bells Seafood
4885 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, FL 32927
Food by the ton. Sweet tea by the gallon. Heart attacks by the dozen.
Just fry it.

El Leoncito 
4280 South Washington Ave, Titusville, FL 32780
From what I could tell I would skip the Mexican part of the menu and aim straight for the Cuban dishes. Vieja Ropa was like momma's Sunday pot roast.

Hebgen Lake, Montana

The Happy Hour Burger
A sample of the wall and a pint of amber
Fried Creamed Corn. I kid you not.
















The Happy Hour Bar. They call ya "hun" and "dear." They use old-fashioned diner order slips. Polaroids of boobs n' butts adorn the walls. They serve a fancy "something or other" cocktail in a copper mug. It is popular with the friendly HD crowd. It is dark and cool. The waitresses are appropriately surly. There is a deck overlooking the lake where you can see all of the gulpers you missed that day. The staff plays wii when they are not busy. And did I mention the polaroids? 

But really all you need to know after a long day wrestling trout on the lake or along the Madison is this this little overheard exchange.

Customer, "I'd like a frazzlerazzleupsidedown whatever."

Bartender, "Why can't people drink normal shit?"

The Grizzly Bar in Cameron is another nice place to stop for a beer and a bite. I can only say that the food looked good, but I can confirm that the beer is ice-cold and the Manhattans are stiff. 

Harriman Ranch, Henry's Fork

Caroline and a popper

Homemade Jalapeno Poppers
Last Chance Burger
Hot Wings Sandwich
The TroutHunter in Island Park, ID does a lot of things right. Great location, great looking lodge, knowledgeable guides, rusty spinners tied just right... but you could make the argument that what they do best is food. Their food is so good and that is not just because the rest of Island Park is so bereft of quality food. The TroutHunter's Last Chance burger can hold up against nearly anyone. Certainly anyone within casting range.

Super friendly staff, cold beer, sweet patio for summer days and a great bar/restaurant for colder nights and perhaps most important, quality iced tea.

Go for:
The Last Chance Burger
The Hickory Burger
The Bison Burger
Jalapeno Poppers (photo above)

The TroutHunter on Yelp