Fly Fishing New Zealand: Stalking Giant Brown Trout

Francene and I had the opportunity to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this spring with a trip to Australia and New Zealand, and it was one of those adventures that you know you’ll remember for the rest of your life. We packed a lot into the trip—scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, hiking, kayaking, and exploring some incredibly beautiful country—but one of my personal highlights was getting the chance to fly fish in New Zealand.

One of the things I appreciate most about living in Crested Butte is access to outdoor experiences like fly fishing. Whether it’s fly fishing Colorado freestone rivers or exploring rivers halfway around the world, the outdoor lifestyle is something Francene and I truly value.

For years, I had heard stories about New Zealand trout fishing. Big fish. Crystal clear water. Technical sight fishing. Extremely spooky trout. The kind of fishing where one bad cast, one wrong step, or even the wrong shadow can send a fish racing for cover. It’s a place where good guiding matters and where accurate casting becomes everything.

After spending time hiking and kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park on the northern end of New Zealand’s South Island, we stayed in the town of Nelson. Nelson is an incredible basecamp for outdoor adventure. The area has a mix of mountains, rivers, coastline, and wilderness that reminded me a little of Colorado, but with a completely different feel. The rivers there are famous among fly anglers around the world for large wild brown trout and sight fishing opportunities that are unlike almost anywhere else.

A Great Day Fly Fishing

I hired a guide for a day of fishing, and it turned into one of the most memorable fly fishing experiences I’ve ever had.

The night before our trip, a storm moved through and dropped enough rain that many of the rivers became unfishable. Instead of fishing close to Nelson, we ended up driving an extra hour or so to find water that still had decent clarity. We eventually settled on the Owen River.

The river was running a little higher than normal and had a slight tea-colored tint to it. Normally, New Zealand rivers are unbelievably clear—so clear that the trout can see you long before you ever see them. On this particular day, the off-color water actually worked in our favor. We spotted fewer fish than normal, but the fish we did see were less spooky and more willing to eat.

And these were not small trout.

Over the course of the day, we probably spotted around a dozen large brown trout. I hooked five fish and landed two, including one beautiful brown trout that I was pretty proud to get into the net.

What makes New Zealand fly fishing so unique is the way you fish. Most of the day is spent slowly stalking fish rather than reading the water and blind casting to places you have certainty where the trout are. You move carefully upstream, scanning the water constantly while your guide looks for subtle movement, shadows, or the white flash of a trout turning underwater. Once a fish is spotted, the guide helps position you for one or two precise casts. It’s equal parts hunting and fishing.

Typically – it went like this…

Hans: “Okay – there is a very big brown trout right there (pointing)”.
Me: “Right there? (pointing)
Hans: “No – right by that big rock.”
Me: “Oh – that white rock”
Hans: “No – that dark rock next to the white rock – he is right behind that dark rock (pointing).”
Me: “Okay – I can see the rock – but not the fish…”
Hans: “He is there – he just ate something – cast just to his left…”
Me: “Okay…(casting)”
Hans: “Great cast – he looked at it – one more cast then we will change out the fly…”

One fish we changed out the flies 6 or 7 times before the trout ate the fly.  45 minutes for just that one fish. It was a big fish – they are very selective..

The Big One That Got Away

One of the funniest moments of the trip happened on the very first fish we encountered.

My guide Hans was standing on my left side. I am casting right handed. The current was flowing right to left. Fish are always pointed upstream looking for bugs floating downstream toward them. I cast upstream at a 45 degree angle and it was a great cast just above the fish, and my dry/dropper rig was floating directly toward the this large brown trout… When the trout ate the fly, I instinctively set the hook downstream to my left into the fish’s mouth. The only problem was that my rod came across a little faster than expected and smacked Hans right in the face. The fish exploded out of the water.

It was a very large brown trout.

Unfortunately, the fish got away, but the whole thing was pretty exciting. Hans immediately apologized for standing too far forward in the wrong position. Then he complimented me for correctly setting the hook downstream. Later in the day he told me it was refreshing to fish with somebody who could already cast accurately because most days he spends more time teaching casting than stalking trout.

I took that as a pretty high compliment – and it was a relief to know that my skills were up to the task…

A Day of Stalking…. 

Over the course of the day, we probably covered close to three miles walking upstream through an incredibly beautiful wilderness setting. The scenery alone was worth the trip. There’s something special about fishing in another country—especially when the environment feels both familiar and completely foreign at the same time.

One thing that definitely caught my attention were the occasional eels we saw.

Seeing large freshwater eels swimming through the river was something I heard about. New Zealand’s longfin eels are native to the area and can live for decades. Apparently, they’re common in many rivers there, although it still felt strange seeing them while stalking brown trout.

I also asked the guide why there seemed to be relatively few trout compared to what we’re used to seeing in Colorado, especially around Crested Butte. The answer was really interesting.

New Zealand rivers generally don’t support the same density of aquatic insects and biomass that many Western U.S. tailwaters and freestone rivers do. The rivers are often nutrient-poor, incredibly clean, and relatively infertile compared to trout fisheries in Colorado or Montana. As a result, there simply aren’t as many fish per mile.

But the fish that survive tend to get big.

Because trout populations are lower, individual fish have access to larger feeding territories and more food resources. The trout are also primarily wild fish with very little competition. Add in long growing seasons, abundant terrestrial insects, and relatively low fishing pressure in some waters, and you end up with fewer trout overall—but a much higher percentage of large trout.

That really matched what we experienced. We didn’t see huge numbers of fish, but nearly every trout we spotted was substantial.

Fly Fishing Nelson Area on the South Island New Zealand

The Nelson region itself is considered one of the premier fly fishing destinations in New Zealand. Rivers like the Owen, Motueka, Wangapeka, and Baton are known worldwide for sight fishing to wild brown trout. Many anglers travel halfway around the world specifically for the chance to stalk these fish in clear water conditions.

After spending a day there, I completely understand why.

I am an above average angler – but I would never go without a guide – they are invaluable to spot fish and select the right flies.
One day was great – if I had more time, or a trip where the focus was fly fishing there are heli-fishing options that sound great.
Sand flies – there were some small biting sand flies that landed on the backs of my hand and were annoying, and for the next week it was very hard not to itch the bites… take fingerless gloves or insect repellant.

There’s something incredibly rewarding about the combination of hiking, spotting fish, careful presentation, and technical casting. It’s not easy fishing, but that’s exactly what makes it memorable.

Thankful for my guide Hans and Nans Kirkpatrick with Southern Latitudes Guides who made the booking a smooth experience It’s definitely a fly fishing experience I’ll never forget.

A Great Trip

Between the hiking and kayaking in New Zealand in the Abel Tasman National Park for 3 days, 30 miles – spending 2 nights in great homes with gourmet dinner/breakfast and pack-lunches, diving the Great Barrier Reef on a live-a-board ship, relaxing on Hamilton Island, exploring Sydney with Francene…

This anniversary trip was already special. But having the opportunity to stand in a beautiful river halfway around the world and catch wild brown trout in New Zealand made it even better.

 

 

 

Crested Butte Fly Fishing – Additional Reading… 

One of the things I appreciate most about fly fishing is that it gives you an excuse to experience incredible places in a completely different way. Whether it’s stalking brown trout in New Zealand, chasing sea-run fish in Patagonia, or spending a summer evening on the rivers around Crested Butte, every river has its own personality and memories.

If you enjoy fly fishing and the outdoor lifestyle, you may also enjoy reading about my experience chasing sea-run brown trout in Patagonia, my thoughts on fly fishing around Crested Butte, or learning more about the outdoor lifestyle at The Reserve on the East River.

Summer is special in Crested Butte – and I am looking forward to fly fishing! Let me know when you are in town – lets get together for a cup of coffee, breakfast, a round of golf, or to spend time together fly fishing in our many rivers and streams…

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