Hi,
I currently live and work in Alberta (12 Hrs drive to Vancouver and 4 hour drive to Montana..just to rub it in !)I am due to move back to the UK and leave the army in a few months.
I want to take my parents,wife and 2 kids (12 and 6) on a trip of a life time vacation.
Problem is that only me and my Dad like fly fishing.
So , I would like some help as to where would be a good all round location.
Please dont all scream British Columbia.We did that last year, great for the men, women were pretty bored.I know my dads mates at the fishing club would chew their arms off to get here..But .not fair on the kids having to sit at a remote camp site for hours upon end.

I am thinking along the lines of Florida, dont know too much about salt water fly fishing there, but the wife fancies the idea of Disney.
I am open to all ideas , even Asia,Australia, who knows? I realy do not have much of a clue, I do know that this will be a one time chance, I will have to start work again and the cash will be gone ..lol
Thanks in advance.

Most bonefishing destinations would be a good option in my opinion. And if you pick the location right, your non-flyfishing part of family will not want to leave
Unfortunately I don't know of any specific places. Bonefishing is still on my bucket list.

Any "once in a life time" trout/salmon/steelhead fishing is pretty much always associated with some serious wilderness.

If it's trout you're after New Zealand has got to be near the top of your list.

Delphi Lodge in the Bahamas - absolute luxury. Not cheap, but you did say 'trip of a lifetime'. Seems to cater for non-anglers too. Run by Peter Mantle, same guy as Delphi Lodge in Connemara. On my to-do list when the numbers come up

Fly Fishing Bahamas : Delphi Club Fishing Lodge : Abaco Island

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Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once - Lee Wulff

For me: Coming from Scotland it would have to be the good ole U.S.A

The Madison,Yellowstone, Henry's Fork of The Snake, Deschutes,
These are the places I want to fish.
For you:
Andros Island for Bonefish or Cairns for Marlin
I am told Islamorada Florida is a good place to fish from.

Tight Lines

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"The Future's Bright The Future's Wet Fly"

Bit of a long shot, but do you think the family would be interested in the wind swept plains of the Tierra del Fuego? Got to be worth a go.

How much dollars do you want to spend?

New Zealand for trout.

South Andros in the Bahamas for bonefish.

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Using a looper and a top makes for a much better furled leader!

For a family holiday that has good flats flyfishing Cancun could be a good choice. I went with the family and booked a days flats fishing in isla blanca (approx 30 mins car journey from Cancun). The Guide picks you up at the hotel- takes you to jetty. My first trip and first ever flats fishing experience saw me bag the super grand slam (bonefish, tarpon, snook, and permit). Tackle provided, lunch and guide- approx $350 for the day. Best months are May to July, but you should catch all year.

Not been to delphi, but i have been to Deep Water cay, and i would wholeheartedly recommend it. lovely accommodation/food/drink good swimming, and suoperb flats for the fly fisherman. those who don't fly fish can go out and catch barracuda, sharks, snappers etc which is a lot of fun. I had an 8 foot shark on a small spinning outfit. awesome fun!

I think it depends on what value you place on spending time with your family and having them enjoy the vacation vs you getting great fishing.

I can think of very, very few "trip of a lifetime" (blah! hate that term!) destinations that will hold the interest of non-anglers for very long. The bonfishing / saltwater destinations have that possibility, but other factors come into play. Sometimes the best time to go fish some of those places is also the worst time as far as having good weather for the non-anglers to enjoy.

Personally, I'd say that if you want a great family fishing vacation I'd say look for somewhere that has high volume fishing so everyone can get in on the act. Alaska for instance has some great high-volume rivers where it's can't miss fishing during the salmon runs and skill with the fly rod is not required.

There are some luxo-lodges in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming that do pretty well in catering for non-angling family members with horseback rides, sightseeing tours, etc. If or how this works for your crew would depend on their interests.

As far as fly fishing trips my philosophy is to go alone or only with other. No use pretending it's about the family when it isn't, they'll just be bored while the anglers are away on day-long outings.

Grouse