Fins and Feathers Fly Fishing Desitinations
New Zealand 2006
New Zealand 's South Island is world renown as the premier fly-fishing destination for large, wild trout. Unlike many fisheries in the western US, the trout numbers in NZ streams are fewer with the overall average size being considerably larger. The gin-clear rivers, streams, and spring creeks make for ideal stalking and sight-fishing conditions. In addition to the amazing fishing conditions, the island is also known for its breathtaking scenery, unspoiled conditions, and the ever-hospitable Kiwis. A trip to the South Island is a must-do for any adventurous fly-angler and I have designed an itinerary that combines all the aspects which makes this part of the world such an incredible fly-fishing destination.
After traveling and fishing most of the island on two previous trips, I have built strong relationships with a handful of some the best professional guides in New Zealand . There are plenty of guides in New Zealand , but like anywhere, there are good ones and then there are really good ones. I have been fortunate to meet a handful of guides that I would rank as the best that I have ever been around and we will be using them exclusively on this trip. In New Zealand , more so than anywhere else I have fished, a great guide is worth the price and a big tip. Their uncanny ability to find fish in a variety of conditions really makes the difference between landing a fish or two and having a great day. Each of our guides has intimate knowledge of the majority of waters on the island, but are based in the southern half of the island where we will be spending our time.
The South Island is about half the size of California with an amazing diversity of landscape and eco-types. The island climate and volcanic origins of the country has created dozens of relatively small ecosystems within each of the two islands. The south island is generally broken up into several districts which are each unique in topography and flora. Our fishing will be based in two distinct areas, the Mackenzie Country and the Southland. Each of these regions has dozens of fisheries within them which is beneficial from a fishing viewpoint for the diversity of experiences afforded as well as offering plenty of choices for a variety of weather conditions.
We will start our trip in Queenstown, which is the “Adventure Capital” of New Zealand and serves well as a starting point because of it's proximity to our destinations and the availability of services found there. Unlike in the states, the rural areas of New Zealand (most of the country) really are relatively undeveloped and services can be far and few between once you leave the larger cities and towns. We will arrive into Queenstown and spend a few hours decompressing from the long trip, walking around, do some shopping, grab some lunch and then head to the town of Twizel which is about 2 hours away.
The drive from Queenstown takes us through river gorges, vineyards, and the historical mining towns of Otago. This is an easy drive with great views along the way and will serve as a nice introduction to the diversity and scenery of this part of the island. Twizel is a small town established during the massive hydro-electric projects early last century. There is a series of large canals that divert water from the mountain lakes around Mount Cook to supply power to the majority of the island. These are the same canals that produce the ridiculously huge (30+pounds) trout that you occasionally here about being caught in NZ. Twizel is situated at the base of the Southern Alps and surrounded by magnificent views of several mountain ranges and wide-open valley floors.
We will be staying at the Heartland Lodge in Twizel with our hosts, Steve and Keri Carey. Adjacent to the main lodge building is what they call the “loft” which will be our home for the next several nights. The loft is a self-contained unit that comfortable sleeps up to 6 guests. Steve and Keri are genuinely hospitable hosts and terrific fun to be around as well. Steve is a master fly-fisherman, member on the Professional Guide Association of New Zealand and will be one of our guides for the trip. During our stay in Twizel, we will combine dinners at the various restaurants and pubs around Twizel with a few meals at the lodge. A large part of this trip and what makes it unique to other New Zealand trips is that we will get to meet and interact with lots of the locals which is often missed in traditional lodge environments.
The fishing around Twizel is among the best in New Zealand with a large range of options ranging from tiny spring creeks to some of the largest freestone rivers on the island. Some of the rivers around the Twizel/Mount Cook area include the Ahuiri, Dobson, Gray, Twizel, and Tekapo, each of which hold good numbers of both Rainbow and Browns in the 4-6 pound range with double-digit fish not being uncommon. In addition to these larger rivers, there are dozens of smaller streams and spring creeks which all offer good-sized trout and days of exploration. Twizel is also surrounded by several large, man-made reservoirs used for hydro-electric generation which offer some incredible stillwater opportunities as well.
In addition to the great fishing opportunities around Twizel, there are several activates for that day or two that we want to take off form fishing. The scenery and people of this country are really amazing and I strongly encourage everyone to take a day off from fishing every few days and experience some of the many other attractions that the area has to offer. Mount Cook and the surrounding Southern Alps are peaked year-round in hundreds of glaciers which are much larger than the ones we have in the lower 48 and are definitely worth checking out. There are dozens of short hikes in the areas surrounding Twizel which will almost guarantee solitude and breath-taking views. For the wine connoisseur, there are several vineyards in the area which offer tours and sampling throughout the year. The lodge offers internet access, television, and a terrific common area for relaxing and reading a book.
From Twizel we will head south though the towns of Cromwell, Alexandra, and Gore on our way to the agricultural heartland of the island known as the Southland. Our base for the second portion of our trip is the town of Lumsden which is situated among the rolling hills of the southern plains of the island. Along the way from Twizel, we will follow the Clutha River which winds its way through the “fruit basket” country of Central Otago . We'll stop at an orchid or two and get some fresh cherries along the way. Much of this country is barren rolling hills lined with magnificent rock outcroppings like those in much of the “The Lord of the Rings” movies. The drive from Twizel to Lumsden will take most of the day, but we will stop along the way for photographs and a bit of shopping in Cromwell and Gore.
Lumsden is a true small New Zealand town in that it is home to a convenience store, grocery store, one restaurant, and a handful of pubs. We will be staying in a non-hosted vacation rental during our stay in Lumsden which comfortably sleeps 6. Here, we will fend for ourselves with adventures in the culinary art of grilling and creating pasta dishes. Trust me, by this time, everyone will be ready for eggs and bacon done American Style as the local version of scrambled eggs is closer to stew than what we consider scrambled!
The local restaurant, the Mayfly Café, just happens to have one of the better menus that I've come across in New Zealand . Aside from the fine Mayfly Café, Lumsden is pretty limited in its services, but serves well as a base for fishing the many waters of the region.
The Southland of New Zealand is well known for it's abundance of waters and large brown trout. The most well-known river in the area is the Matura, which has uncharacteristically (for New Zealand ) heavy insect hatches throughout the warmer months. In addition to the Matura, Lumsden serves well to fish the many other rivers and streams of the Southland such as the Oreti, Aparima, Waimea, Waikia, Mararoa, and my personal favorite the Hamilton Burn. There is plenty of water around Southland and our guides are intimately knowledgeable with all of them. This part of the island is sparsely populated and access to the various fisheries is easy and abundant.
Fiordlands National Park is a beautiful hour's drive from Lumsden and makes for a great side trip for those non-fishing days. Fiordlands is a stark contrast to the Twizel area with its rainforest setting and lush tussock valleys. The drive from the town of Te Anau to Milford Sound is a must and takes you through what is simply one of the most spectacular places on earth. Other attractions in the Te Anau area include, endless hiking opportunities, scenic flights, and a trip to the glow-worm caves on Lake Te Anau is a trip in itself. The Eglinton River follows the road to Milford Sound is worth a few hours of fishing as well. There are several rivers around Te Anau which we may fish with our guides, but I would recommend spending a few hours on your own here on those days that you want to take off from guiding.
As I have tried to emphasize, this trip is unique to most New Zealand hosted trips in that I have designed it with the intent of giving anglers a variety of options and flexibility. I have taken care of the logistics and securing some of the best guides in New Zealand so that everyone can get a great experience that is focused on the fishing opportunities. The flexibility of the schedule allows everyone to have plenty of time for exploration, sight-seeing along with the ”Kiwi Experience.”
How it works
This trip allows for lots of flexibility within our schedule so that you can choose the numbers of days you want to fish with a guide along with the days that you want off. I would encourage everyone to fish 2-3 days followed by a day or two off for some sightseeing and R&R. The fishing here can be rather intense and I've found it to be very beneficial to take a day off every few days to relax and taker in some of the other local attractions. The daily rate for guided fishing days is $375 US and includes guides, lodging, and meals*. The asterisk is to let everyone know that I have estimated the meal costs to take care of a combination of dining out and cooking for you. If we dine out more and drink lots of wine, I may end up coming back to everyone during the trip and asking for some more food money. The cost for non-fishing days will be $100 per person and includes food and lodging.
After the group is assembled, we will get together and arrange for 2 rental vehicles. I would recommend getting two station wagons as we won't be really driving into any 4x4 country without the guides. These should run about $25 per day for everybody, but if we want to upgrade to SUV's the price would go up to around $35 a day.
Other costs that you will need to take care of are gratuities for the guides and lodge staff, airfare, and personal expenses. Everyone should plan on tipping between $30-50 a day NZ when sharing a guide. Fuel is expensive in NZ and the guides are incredible so I like to try to tip them pretty well. Lodge staff tips in Twizel should be around $15 a day NZ per person.
Airfare to New Zealand is not cheap. If you wish to use frequent flyer miles, I encourage you to get on it right away as seats can be pretty sparse by mid-summer. Last year, I was able to get airfare for $1200 US from LA to Christchurch on Air New Zealand . If you are unable to find a better deal than that, let me know and I will arrange to get this fare for you in 2005 (based on availability and various other disclaimers!).
Dates:
Jan 27- Feb 11, 2006
Everyone is responsible for getting to Queenstown by late afternoon on the 27 th . After getting settled in at the airport we will head into Queenstown for some supplies and decompression before we head to Twizel. We will fish for 5 days around Twizel and plan on heading down to Lumsden on the 4 th or 5 th . We will stay in Lumsden for the remainder of the trip and head to Queenstown on the 10 th . Flights home are in the late afternoon, so plan on having some time in Queenstown before heading home.
This trip is a once in a lifetime experience for many anglers and I hope that you can join us. Please contact me directly at 406-586-2188 to discuss the trip or, if you prefer, e-mail me at toby@mcn.net . I will be happy to answer any questions that you have and help in anyway.
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