Recently there have been a few questions on the Bulletin Board
about fishing in New Zealand so I thought I would try to give
you all a rough guide.
The fishing in New Zealand can be fantastic but please do not
believe all the hype; you do not have to hide behind a tree
before you open your fly box! The fishing can be quite hard
and the Trout very educated on the more popular rivers, but
they can be fooled and if you happen to find an uncooperative
fish you can simply move up to the next pool and try the next
trout.
New Zealand's fishing can be roughly broken down in to 2 types of rivers:
Backcountry or wilderness rivers and rural or low country rivers.
Each type need there own unique approach with the backcountry
fishing often being sight fishing in very clear water for large
trout that seem to be able to spot you from about a hundred yards
away and often are sitting in spots with lots of cover and lots
of escape routes for the fish. As a general rule the bigger the
fish the more awkward the lie from a fishing point of view. If
you want to have a go at this most rewarding fishing you can of
course just arrive and give it a go but if you can afford a guide
I would recommend that you use one, if only for the FIRST day. You
will learn a hell of a lot from a good guide about the local fish
and how to catch them in a full days fishing. There is absolutely
no point learning lots from a guide on your LAST day, you will
just leave frustrated.
The lowland rivers are a bit different, they are often a little
coloured from farm run off or just from running through bush
upstream where the leaf litter may give the water a tannin-like
stain. Lowland rivers can be easier to fish and may require you
to cover the water rather than just sight fish. The trout in
these types of water are just as big and feisty as their
backcountry cousins. As you are not sight fishing you never
know if the next fish is going to be a small one pound rainbow or a
giant fish of a lifetime. The biggest trout I ever landed was a
Brown trout from a lowland stream coloured by farm run off and
pulled the mark on my weigh net to 12lb. This stream was no more
than 15 to 20ft wide so do not ignore the smaller streams they
will often hold a few surprises.
Just about every region in N.Z. has some fishable water that
holds good stocks of wild trout, the North Island has a good
mix of both Rainbows and Browns and some of the best lake
fishing anywhere in the world. The South Island has mostly
Brown trout with the odd river holding Rainbows as well. The
South Island also boasts some great Salmon fishing though these
are mostly caught on spinners.
The weather in N.Z. can be very variable even in the summer
months and as the land warms up a stiff sea breeze can kick
in most afternoons. Because of this Kiwis tend to fish a bit
heavier than strictly needed, however when you do hook that
monster Rainbow or Brown you will be glad to have a six weight
rod rather than a four!
I would recommend a six weight for most of your fishing in N.Z.
Some of the bigger rivers like the Tongariro may need an eight
weight to fish effectively but a six will cover most of both
islands. No matter what your preference for fly fishing you will
be able to indulge it in N.Z. and often on the same river. One
of the rivers I fish quite often is the Wanganui upstream of
Taumaranui and I will often start off with a weighted nymph
in the morning, change to a dry fly in the middle of the day
and then fish wee wets in the late afternoon and take good fish
on all of them. This is not unique to this river, most rivers in
N.Z. will fish well to all methods at some time or another during
the day so be flexible, if you are not catching fish try a different
approach. As for fly selection most American and English patterns
will work in N.Z. and of course all the local tackle shops will
sell you the local "must have" fly and normally throw in a bit
of advice about local rivers as well. They also will have free
access guides produced by New Zealand Fish and Game that are
also available online in pdf format (Do a search for Fish and Game N.Z.).
I hope this helps if you are thinking of coming to The Land Of The
Long White Cloud, it is a very rough guide but I believe most of
the advice given will cover both Islands and if you think you need
more info you can always P.M. me, I am always happy to help as much
as I can.
I hope you can come and experience the fishing and the people
of New Zealand for yourself; it truly is a wonderful place full
of good fishing and great people as well as some spectacular scenery.
All the best and "tight lines." ~ Mike Thomas
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