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Thread: Be sure to have New Zealand on your bucket list.

  1. #1
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    Default Be sure to have New Zealand on your bucket list.

    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post
    I have been down three times...twice on the S. Island and once on the N. I had an invitation to go this past February from a friend in Queenstown, if only I had known how difficult it might be to go back in the near future when I passed it up.

    At the end of the day it is still fishing...the fish are very spooky and can be quite selective, and you will have days of getting skunked. Stay long enough and you'll also have a banger of a day here and there.

    The scenery and the people are second to none.

    I would recommend strongly staying at least two weeks and renting a campervan. This gives you the ultimate flexibility to find good flows and fishy water versus being married to a lodge or hotel the whole time. Distances are long, lodging is not always where you want/need it to be, and the weather, particuarly on the South Island, can be hugely variable on any given day so sometimes you are "chasing it".

    The good news is that if you go with a small collection of very standard mayfly and caddis wets and dries, you will probably have quite a successful trip. The most effective fly for me down there has consistently been a regular old pheasant tail.

  3. #3
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    PV......your info is excellent and appreciated.

    Not a good trip for beginner fly fishers, especially for the sight casting.

    Alaska is the place for beginner fly fishers.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  4. #4
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    There are places that are more beginner friendly, but the majority of the fishing is not for the faint of heart.

    A common misconception is that NZ trips are expensive. Certainly they can be, but when I go I fly down on frequent flyer miles, rent a nice camper for about $200 a day, do a lot of my own cooking, and only hire a guide for 2-3 days. When I went in 2017 I think I only spent $4000 US/$6000 NZD in 16 days, plus 150k miles to fly round trip in business class. Still not a small chunk of change but for 16 days in country...many lodges would charge that for 4 nights.

  5. #5
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    PV, the way you a going is so good.....





    I was on a two week free trip to NZ 25 years ago where the government, airlines, tourism dept and 4 lodges host a large group of

    people in the fishing and travel industry to familiarize them with NZ fly fishing.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  6. #6
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    Byron Bay,Australia
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    As everyone knows,NZ is in the top echelon of Fly fishing destinations in the world,and if you want a once-in-a-lifetime trip check out Owen River Lodge in the South Island.It's located at Murchison,near Nelson and smack in the middle of some of the best Brown Trout sight fishing on the planet.You don't need to bring anything in the way of equipment as everything is supplied....and I mean everything.Then there's the food and wine.I've not been but a good mate goes regularly from Australia (yes he's rich....lol)

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by dynaflow View Post
    As everyone knows,NZ is in the top echelon of Fly fishing destinations in the world,and if you want a once-in-a-lifetime trip check out Owen River Lodge in the South Island.It's located at Murchison,near Nelson and smack in the middle of some of the best Brown Trout sight fishing on the planet.
    Indeed, the northwest quadrant of the South Island has some incredible fishing and Murchison is such a cool town. I have heard excellent things about both Owen River Lodge and Stonefly Lodge, they are within a few km of each other. I have not yet had the pleasure of staying at either one unfortunately.

    My favorite villages on the South Island are Murchison, Wanaka, Twizel, and Gore. All of them have wonderful people and scenery, and literally dozens of fishing options within a 50km radius.

    On the North Island, while the scenery is not quite as dramatic, the fishing in and around both Taupo and Taranaki are just as good, if not better, than the South Island. Those areas are also slightly more beginner friendly with higher numbers of fish per river mile.

  8. #8
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    I wish the rest of the fishing world would take a lesson from NZ in the way they manage their water. Nearly all water is public. The Queen's Chain Law requires ranchers to keep sheep / cattle one survey chain away from the high water mark, intention is to protect the riparian habitat and water quality. Nearly every ranch I encountered has built angler access styles over their fences or installed gates with simple signs asking anglers to close the gate behind them. I was never turned away when I asked permission to cross property. On the other hand, I never, and I mean never, saw a piece of streamside trash, beer tinny, or an illegal campfire pit like I see on many streams here in the US. So anglers haven't given the ranchers a reason to bar them access.

    New Zealand also has some of the best ice cream anywhere.

    Anyone going would do well to get their hands on a copy of John Kent & Patti Madsen's books.
    Last edited by DLJeff; 09-13-2020 at 09:10 AM.

  9. #9
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    I read once they don't use hatcheries either.......no planted hatchery raised fish.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    el cerrito
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    My dad is a Kiwi, and I have been been down to NZ I don't know how many times, as I have a lot of relatives down there. My dad was the Hydro Engineer for Bechtel whose claim to fame was designing the Manopouri Power Project down there, outside of Queenstown and Te Anau.

    I am sorry to say that I have not had the opportunity to fly fish any of the big name rivers there. Usually we are ocean fishing up on the Coromandel peninsula, but have fly fished up there on some small, lesser known waters. Fishing was decent. All of the ranchers were very polite in allowing us to access streams through their properties, as long as we asked. Making connections with the in the local town pub always went a long ways as well. I showed one rancher some pictures of Rainbows and Browns that my nephew and I had caught on his property, and he was astounded . . . he didn't think there were any trout in there!!!!

    But yep, great people and scenery, the South Island is stunning.

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