May 15, 2010
Gordy Watson was looking after Randy O’connor and his family on a Heli scenic exploration/fishing trip that would take us from Milford Sound up the coast to Haast and back to Queenstown via some back country rivers.
You haven’t seen rain until you see what it can do in Fiordland!! Milford Sound has been called the 8th wonder of the world and when you see the place after its been raining for a few days you will see why!!
Randy & Family had walked the Milford Track. Actually they had to be helicoptered out on the last day because of severe flooding and along with Brendan Thow we were the transfer back to Queenstown via a few special spots along the way.

Gordy, the wild west coast.
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May 13, 2010
This has to be one of life’s treats, going fishing with your son. Doesn’t really matter wheather you are on a boat, a jetty or a lake really, it’s all about being there when a fish is on!!
Paul and Barney Fairbanks were in New Zealand for thier first time and a trip into the back country was the first of many to come.
We flew with Brendan from Alpine Choppers and had an amazing time with both rainbows and browns coming up to dry flies. The boys got a taste of what things can be like when everything comes together just right.

Barney and Paul, hanging out in the hanger before lift off.
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When you think fly fishing for trout, i would have to say NZ is near the top of the list as an ultimate destination for Rainbow and Brown Trout.
The best excuse to go back country i reckon is a fishing rod, camera and even a rifle for some venison! Just being in the places we go is special, and to catch a sighted trout on a fly and then release it however big or small is an experience to be remembered.
I love showing people what is sitting on our doorstep and sharing a few stories that go with the place. NZ is a small island at the bottom of the world and at the bottom of that island is the place that i like to hang out in..
Our fly fishing season is nearing an end as the trout prepare to start spawning up into the head waters of what i reckon are the most beautiful rivers in the world!!
Here are a few images of the summer of 2009/10..

Billy Gates with a baby brown trout.
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March 16, 2010
I hate making excuses, but since xmas 09 we have been flat out busy!!
The Fishing Dairy has lacked evidence of our busyness, I’ll let the pictures tell a few of the stories of some of the adventures we have been getting into.
This one in particular was with Bob Payne and his family from California. A heli-scenic into Milford Sound and some Fly Fishing on the way. Not a bad way to finish 2009 off and see 2010 in..

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February 7, 2010
Take a look at some of the places we have been going..
Some of the people we have been showing around..
And some of the fish we have been meeting..

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December 21, 2009
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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April 18, 2009
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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February 24, 2009
Leo and Marcy, love the great outdoors and made a special trip to New Zealand to fulfill a life long dream to see what it really is like?
We made a flight into one of the most beautiful valleys you could imagine, chasing deer, landing on top of a mountain peak along the way, and then landing beside a dream-river to spend the day sighting and fishing to wild rainbow and brown trout.
I have a funny feeling that this was the first of many visits to Queenstown and N.Z, and am looking forward to sharing it all again…………………….. Henare

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February 14, 2009
The Weather could not have been better, we lifted off at 8.15am from Alpine choppers and headed into Milford Sound via some magic spots, a scenic over dose really!! After a 2 hour boat cruise we flew over lots of dream-water, parked on a mountain over looking Glenorchy and Lake Wakatipu and had some lunch, played some guitar, enjoyed the magic views then dopped down onto a river and cast and caught some local trout. First time on a fly Rod for both Nev & Jenny and they both got fish to the net!! That is awesome!!! Flew back to Queenstown and had a speights on the way and landed at 6.15pm.
That was Valentines Day 2009, a day to remember for sure!! Take a look at the photos and see for yourself, every day is a valentines day we reckon………….

Dream-waters
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February 7, 2009
Queenstown is right on the doorstep of one of the worlds largest World Heritage Areas. Fiordland National Park is on the list of places to see when you visit New Zealand. Photographs don’t do the place justice, you have to see it for yourself to beleive it and more so feel it. If you have travelled from the other side of the world and your time is limited, let us organise a day that will feel like a week long journey of experiences and leave you thinking that it was all just a dream…….
We even caught some Rainbow Trout on the way. Now that is a day that is hard to forget!!
If you ever talk to Anthony and Angela Hamilton or Leon and Fiona Christianakis or Bruce and I then we will tell you how it was…..

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