Richard Armarti joined 2 of his buddy’s for 3 days of fishing around Queenstown. The weather allowed us to get 2 great days before the rain set in and put most of the local rivers up high and coloured. Richard was an expert with his casting skills and on 1 of our days hooked well over 30 fish, well that’s a guess because we lost count after 20.

Trust me that is not a usual day by any means, but everything lined up on the day and when you understand about casting, presentation and getting the right drift things can work out just right!

After about an hour and making about 7 good casts this beautiful brown finally took a small pheasant tail (#18)  and we reckon he also had a go at the dry. What an amazing fish!

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Terrie, Theresa, & Liz Golden escaped the approaching winter of Chicago (usa) to New Zealand for some Adventure and especially to celebrate Terri’s birthday. (What a GREAT idea!!)

Turns out they left their husbands behind to fend for themselves, while the the Golden girls Hit the West Coast with some heli-hiking, Milford Sound, Canyoning in Glenorchy, TeAnau, and Queenstown.

Also turns out that the boys back home love Fly Fishing. Research and Development was the order of the day, and it wasn’t long before we were somewhere up the Head of Lake Wakatipu.

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Pictures paint a thousand words they say, and for Gordy Watson and myself  well we reckon the place where we went was worth more than a thousand words, much more!!

Myself,Gordy Watson, Craig, Wendy & Shane Cole, Just being there is special. If there was ever a place to go fly fishing in your wildest dreams?? This could be it!!

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Peter Gomm was in Queenstown for about the third visit with his wife and as always makes the most of his time here. With plenty of snow on the mountains around Queenstown and only a coulpe of days in town. Snow shoeing in the morning and fishing in the afternoon was the call.

Peter Hitchman from Snowshoeing Queenstown and Guided Nature Walks Queenstown  showed off what we call our back yard and got up close and personal with country that unless you were a skier or snowboarder would never imagine in your wildest dreams going to!!

From snow shoes  and the mountain tops to a pair of waders and the river valley in a matter of hours is what is possible here in the Wakatipu.

Some people sit in offices and dream about this stuff all day long, we wake up in the morning and do it!! Living the dream!!!

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Bruce and I went for a drive south of Queenstown and went exploring in some head waters of one of our favourite rivers. The weather could not be matched with blue sky and a slight tail breeze, perfect to help roll out our 15ft leeders.

We spotted a few fish and even though it was the first day of the season, they were not making it easy for us!! The stretch of river we chose is known for large fish, but also for the fact that there are not big numbers.

For us as always it is about being there!! And the valley we were in was looking at its best. Lunch and a nice cup of tea or coffee riverside is always a pleasure.

We did get to meet some locals up close and personal and a bonus with one fish happy to take a dry fly. All in all a nice day out in our back yard. Bring on the rest of the fishing season!!!

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New Zealand has no dangerous animals, i mean we have no snakes, no bear no tigers.. what we do have is the weather and if you go back country and are no prepared for 4 seasons then that is one thing that will catch you out!!

Reading a weather map is a skill that is handy, but even then this place is so changeable!! The plan was to go back country by helicopter but looking at the weather things were looking touch and go. We drove south to get away from the North Wester and found some fishing on the Apirima. We spotted a number of fish and managed to time it right for a mayfly hatch. Shawn caught his first fish on a dry fly, made the perfect cast and timed the strike just right, and then landed the brown by net, another first. Worth the travel from Sydney Australia i think.

We are still watching the weather for our chance to go back country, will keep you posted…

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Bob and suzie were booked to take the Dart River Jet boat from 12.45pm. We had done a weather check the night before and found our window of opportunity was a morning fishing excursion.

I picked them up from Blanket Bay at 8.30 and we drove 20 minutes to the Routeburn River. There was evidence of the last weather system that went through days earlier as logs some up to 2 tonnes were no longer where i had remembered them and were now 40 -50 metres down river!!

Despite this there were fish to be spotted and we cast at a few with Bob hooking 2 and landing 1, Suzie had a major battle with a good Rainbow and after 15 minutes of moving up and down the run a few times done a mighty run and took the fly with him. It was hard to leave the river but there was a  jet boat to catch and another adventure to live.

That was a half of a day out on some Dream-water making the most of our beautiful country… living the dream..

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Another family passing the passion of fly fishing on..

We flew to a special high country river that presents a challenge to any fisherman. Flying out across the southern alps is something special that has to be experienced while you are in N.Z. And to land beside a river that is full of rainbow trout is a dream come true.

That is what we did with the brock family from Toronto.. See for yourself what the pictures say..

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Mark La Noue, out visiting N.Z for the first time from Portland (Oregon) and i paid a visit to a river south of Queenstown and introduced ourselves to some local trout.

The drive reminded Mark of some places in the states, and the fact that he grew up in Denver Colarado made him feel pretty much at home hanging out in Queenstown for a few days.

The sky was blue, however the wind was head on and punchy. Armed with his Sage #6 Mark was able to deliver the right casts to get connected with some brown and rainbow trout.

We were well rewarded putting some fish to the net, but had a solid walk to contend with. Was it worth it……………

You bet it was…………………….

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The proposed plan to Dam the Nevis is a scary thought especially if you understand the History and have seen how beautiful this valley really is.

Mike Cornu (Park City, Utah) a buddy from the states hooked up with Bruce and i to check  it out. Just the drive into the Nevis is amazing, with a landscape that could have cowboys and indians riding around on horses to the surface of Mars or the moon.

The river itself offers a challenge that will keep the most stealth angler on their toes, and teach lessons on casting, presentation, spotting, hooking and landing fish.

Long leaders 15ft min are required to entice these fish to take. This day we spotted 3 fish that would have gone over 10 pound. We know where they are and will return to have a go another day………………….

This river offers the ultimate challange that on a good day will present maybe 5 shots at fish for the whole day. If the stars are in line and you happen to be there with us, then chances are that you could hook the largest Brown Trout in your life……………… Drop us an e-mail or call Bruce or Myself and lets go fishing………..

Check out www.savethenevis.co.nz

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