A Very Rough Guide to Fishing New Zealand
By Mike Thomas, New Zealand
Mike,
Thank you for your great Article! The photos are very nice!
Doug
You are more than welcome, depending on the feed back I may even do some more on the North Island in the future, it realy is so different to the South Island.
All the best.
Mike.
Perfect timing Mike, thanks for thinking of us!
A very good and informative summary Mike. Nicely done.
- Jeff
Mike,
I, for one, would appreciate more on fishing the Land of the Long White Cloud. You can elaborate on the North Island all you want. More on the South Island would be welcome too.
Great article.
REE
Thanks for that Ron, and my Mother in Law would also like to thank you for your kindness.
All the best.
Mike.
Mike,
Great piece. Because it’s not “over marketed” and relatively " single issue" like Patagonia or Kamchatka etc., New Zealand is on my wish list. A SAFE place one can take a non-fishing spouse with NO compromise in the quality of fishing. Lotsa bang for the buck. All you need to do is learn just a few words of the language and you’ll get along fine.
Mark
Mark, Kiora, that stuff would be Vegemite, Dont try it at home, it is addictive stuff!
All the best.
Mike.
Here we go!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite
Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, “Do you speak-a my language?”
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said, Source; Group- Men Down Under.
Doug 
My son had more fun throwing the floating rocks in Taupo than almost anything (he was six at the time.) I loved the intelligent, welcoming people when we went there. My brother taught at Massey while he was getting his doctorate. They lived in Palmerston North so his son had me catching 'bows in the Manawatu (free guide service, that). I was fishing the Tongariro with my five weight when a chap comes by with a fresh buck whose tail was tied to his waist and his head was brushing the grass at his feet. I put my five down and picked up a seven. No joy but what fun thinking that I might lose my seven to one of those beasts. I introduced my son to the salt at Ohiwa Harbor where my brother’s friends had a bach. We caught kawai(sp) by the buckets (not that we kept any). I spent four glorious weeks there and can’t wait to get back. My bro might retire there (I hope). Cheap lodgings and all that. Thanks for your wonderful rough guide.
Mark
Nice little story Mike, well done.
Can I add a couple of things?
1/ These are true wild fish, they see a lot of anglers and can be hard to catch sometimes.
2/ But some of these fish are definitely SCARY!
3/ The water is freaking COLD!
4/ Always put your keys/phone in a waterproof bag.
5/ Even the ugly parts of NZ are still beautiful.
Lastly Mike, many thanks for not posting those pics of me.