In the Northeast, as the last delicious days of late April blossom into early May, a certain section of the Delaware River gleams like the center of the universe. No, it’s not the Upper Delaware’s wild trout section, smothered by too many drift boats and wade anglers (yeah, I’m one of them). To reach these less fashionable waters, head south into the 40-mile-long Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area — sometimes called the Middle Delaware. Swap out your five-weight with a stout six or a forgiving seven. And don’t forget the stripping basket you used last fall for stripers.

I spent a beautiful spring week on Montana’s Bighorn River, one of those western gems that gets fished aggressively come summer. And, on a glorious April day when the mercury tickled 80 degrees, the river saw its share of anglers. The good news? The ‘Horn is one of those rivers that just keeps on delivering big fish, no matter how many boats and how many anglers find their way to its chilled waters below Yellowtail Dam.