For many people, summertime is a celebration— a blur of barbecues, and fireworks, and songs around the campfire. But for those who really appreciate fly fishing, the moments that define the season tend to be much more subtle. The dapple of fish rising during an evening hatch, the backhaul and release of a perfect cast, or that eternal split-second between when the big brown emerges from the depths and when it actually takes your fly. For some of us, summer doesn't get any better than that.

Outdoor writer Mark Williams is a man who appreciates these moments— has traveled across the United States and around the world in search of the best trout rivers, their most productive waters, and the flies and techniques that fish them successfully. What we present here is a distillation of five of his favorite Blue Medal waters that fish particularly well during the summer season. For a glimpse of where your next defining summer moment may come, browse the descriptions follow— or click on the rivers in the left-hand margin for a full explanation of where, and how, to flyfish these classic waters.

Move on to North Platte River

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