Fly Fishing New Zealand - The Trout Country.

Great view of the Alps from the Hapuki lodge.

We have had New Zealand on our list of countries to visit for a long time. We have had many requests over the years for New Zealand but not been able to send any anglers over as we have not been there ourselves. This December we decided to finally visit New Zealand and meet our friends Lech and Adriana who have been travelling in NZ the last 12 months visiting lodges, meeting the local guides and landowners and of course fishing their wonderful rivers.

Misty day on Lake Daniels on South Island.

The luxury Tree Houses at Hapuku lodge.

Great start of the New Zealand trip after a long flight is to stay a couple of nights at the Hapuku Lodge in Kaikoura region. It is a 2 hour scenic drive to Kaikoura from Christchurch. Hapuku Lodge is the finest accommodation you can imagine for a luxury Tree houses. The Tree lodge offers a big bedroom with fire place, spacious bathrooms with a jacuzzi and showers and a veranda with great views. As the owners says “ the view was already here ... all we had to do was tp provide the bed!" It is good to relax for 2 days to recover from your travels and then you are more than ready for the fishing and hunting aventures. The owners of Hapuka lodge know the area intimately and are more than ready to help you schedule some of the endless obtions available for guests.

A bedroom at Hapuka lodge.

New Zealand is aproxemently the same size as Iceland and has a population about 4.000.000 people. The capital city is Wellington, however, Auckland on the North Island is the biggest city. On the South Island the biggest city is Christchurch. The main industry in New Zealand is tourism, and sheep and cattle farming.

Red stag hunting is excellent in New Zealand. Red Deer farming in NZ is popular.

Seal sunbathing on the Kaikoura coast.

Gunnhildur Erla and Valgerdur at the coast at Kaikoura village on South Island, great relaxing place before or after fishing activities.

Our team in New Zealand, Lech and Adriana.  They will take care of Lax-a guests in NZ , from arrival to departure. They can reccomend the best rivers, the guides and accommodation. They will also help out with all the services needed, such as domestic flights , rental cars, and all the sight seeing activities you and your family want to do in New Zealand.

Our first river to fish on the South Island was the Gray River. We stayed with the Bell family at the Blue Gray farm. What a beautyful river and river valley.  Pictured is Phil the farmer and the owner of Blue Gray farm and Gunnhildur Erla with here mother Valgerdur. Phil is holding a young Red Deer fawn.

Walking up to Lake Daniels. Adriana, Gunnhildur Erla, Vala and Arni.

Our first day of fishing on the Gray River system with our  "head guide" Aby ready to take us to the river!

Walking up the Robinson river , a tributary of the Gray River.

Into the first Brown Trout on the Robinson River.

Handsome Robinson Brownie landed. He took a Green Caddis nymph size 12.

New Zealand has true and beautifully colored Brown Trout.

After a hard day´s work.....relaxing and having great BBQ at  Bell´s family guesthouse.

Preparing for fishing the Gray River, young Thomas, son of Phil and Michelle, is planning how to catch the big Brownie he saw yesterday on the Gray.

Phil is a excellent guide and a great angler, he has great eyes...he can spot the Brownies from long distances. Here is Phil and Lech spotting Brownies on the Gray River just below the Blue Gray farm.

The famous Aquarium pool on the Gray River.

Another Brownie from the Gray River.

The best fly for us at the Robinson and the Gray Rivers was the Green Caddis nymph.

Phil is well equipped. He will take you to the river one way or another! Sam, son of Phil, Phil himself, and Lech ready for action.

Up stream nymphing over 5 big Brownies on the Gray River.

Vala and Phil caneoing on the Gray.

It´s not only about fishing but also making good friends...Gunnhildur, Michelle (  Phil´s wife ), Libby, Adriana and Vala. 

Spectacular view from the Gray river. Vala fishing above the Aquarium.

Tired? Yes very often. New Zeland is hard work and if you want to experience the best of fishing you often have to walk distances. It does, however, keep one very fit!

Action on the Robinson River.

Gunnhildur Erla under way. She learned to motorbike at Blue Gray farm.

Some of the rivers in New Zealand are hard work while others easi.  Anglers should get the full details on the rivers before they head out in order that their physical condition will match the river.

Lech chasing a very big Brownie. This one we never caught.

Phil, Aby and Lech with a nice Brownie.

Phil into a good one at the Junction pool where Robinson and Gray Rivers meet.

Well done Phil!

Big Brownie has been spotted.

And hooked ...

And landed!

The New Zealand Brown trout average 3 - 6 pounds. You will find much bigger ones flying with helicopter to the backcountry remote rivers.
Helicopter ride prices.
Robertson R22 , for 1 person and a pilot 450 USD pr. hour.
Robertson R 44 , for 3 persons and a pilot 1.100 NZ Dollar. pr. hour.
Huges 300 , 4 persons and a pilot , 1.100 NZ Dollar pr. hour.

The Rivers to fish at Spring Junction, Grey River, Robinson River, Lake Daniels, Blue Gray and  Marui.

Ideal Helicopter ride to the back country rivers in the Spring Junction area: River Hope, River Trent , River Hurunui , The head Waters of Rough River.

Season is from October through April.

Some of the best flies include:
Caddis Fly Green sizes 10-12 , Caddis Brown sizes 10-12 , Green Stone Fly Nymphs size 10-12, Brown Stone fly Nymphs size 10 – 12, Black Stone fly Nymphs size 10 – 12, diffrent kind of Mayflies, Dobson Fly, Water Boatman, Green Beetle,  Willow Grub, Blossom Fly,  Midge Pupa,  Ichneumon , Fly Damslef,  Fly Cicada,  Daddy Longlegs and  Water Louse.  

Nymphs: Speckled Brown, Sulphur Nymphs, Kakahi Queen Nymph, Grey Darter Orange Nymph,  Striped Nymph, Pheasant Tail, Sepia Nymph,  Horn Caddis,  Horn Nymph (Orman), Wolly Caddis Green,  Caddis Brownstone,  Blackstone, Greenstone, Creeper Damsel Nymph, Crane Fly Louse.

Fighting a good Brownie on Baton tributary of the Mouteka River - South Island.

Steve our guide spots a Brownie in a chrystal clear water.



Lech casting for very educated Brownies.

Arni and and our excellant guide Steve. The guides are so important they make your dream come true! They truly know their home waters and save you a lot of time , and foremost they can teach you endless tricks on how to work on the sensitive trout waters.

Lech fighting a big Brownie on the Baton River.

Leaders have to be thin and long , 12 - 16 foot long leaders are needed.



Lech releasing a fine Mouteka Trout.

Fishing in New Zealand is exciting as it is all about stalking / hunting for the fish. You go for quality not  quantity. Once you spot the trout the real work begins...finding the right fly and not spooking the fish. Often, you will only have one change. Finally cathing the trout is a real victory! The whole experience of fishing for the educated Brown Trout of New Zealand simply makes you a better angler.

Lech with his trophy Brownie.

Arni and guide Steve at the end of a battle.

Fishing the small sensitive Graham Creek...this little creek holds some very big Brownies.

The North Island



From the world famous Tongariro River - North Island

From the South Island we went over to the North Island on a ferry. It  took about 3 hours to Wellington the Capital city of NZ. We drove direct from Wellington to Lake Taupo region where we spent the rest of the trip fishing some of the famous Taupo Rivers.

Lech fishing the river mouth of Waitahanui River 6 a clock in the morning! Here Waitahanui River flows in to Lake Taupo. It is well known place to fish... the various rivers mouths... in the evening and early morning you will have some great moments of furious big Rainbows chacing the small parrs around the river mouths. Here streamers and wholly buggers work well.

Great view over Lake Taupo at 10 o´clock evening just from our bedroom window at our Guesthouse.

Arni into a fish on the Tauranga – Taupo River, up stream nymphing with dry fly on the top and small heavy nymph below.

Silver Tauranga – Taupo Rainbow

Into a fish on the famous Hydro Pool at Tongariro River. We had one after another.... great fishing.

The best time for the Rainbow fishing in the Taupo region is the winter time June - September when the huge runs of the Rainbows migrate from the Lake Taupo up to the rivers for spawning. It is high volume fishing of Rainbows in sizes from 3 to 14 pounds. In Taupo region it is fishing all year around. In the summer, more for the Big Brownies in the back country rivers.

The best fly for the Rainbows is the Glow Bug, immitation og a egg floating down the river. Also various types of nymps and streamers ,wolly bugger black / dark green does the job as well.

Nice accommodation in the Taupo region.

Accommodation:
There are endless great places to stay in New Zealand both on the South and the North Island. Fishing lodges, BB guesthouses and self catering lodges you can rent. Here are a few places we visited.

One of the many comfortable anglers guesthouses in Tongariro.

The founders Fisherman lodge in Tongariro, a great place to stay with wonderful owners Peter and Chris. Lech, Peter (owner ) Vala and Gunnhildur, Chris (owner) and Adriana.

You can also rent an entire house for your family and friends and do your own cooking, relax in the jacuzzi in the evening and still have the benefit of daily housekeeping.

Ika lodge, one of the friendly Guesthouses we stayed in while we visited Tongariro.

How to get there: 23 hours flight from Europe via United States or Asia. Air New Zealand flies from London – LA – Auckland, 23 hours. Air New Zealand flies from the United States, Los Angeles to Auckland – 12 hours and 45 minutes flight.

For all further information please contact:

Arni Baldursson tel: +354 5576100 e-mail arnibald@lax-a.is

For anglers from USA or Canada please contact Fred Clough at fred@lax-a.is OR call in the USA at 207-423-4306.

Or Steffen Juhl at steffen@lax-a.is