Trout Fishing New Zealand
Fishing Vacation Nirvana
Trout fishing New Zealand is, in Zane Gray’s words "The Angler's El Dorado".Now don’t get us wrong, we are not fishermen (or fisherwomen Charley). Phil would of course pipe up and say “hold on Charley that’s not true!” So perhaps it’s best to say we are beginners. At least I am. Phil’s got a whole trumpet of his own to blow! I’m in the school of fisherwomen that take a comfy chair and a crossword, my i-pod and a flask of tea so at least I can lose myself in
the new zealand scenery.
This is all whilst I quietly watch Phil snag his line, again… I can almost see the trout pause and feel sorry for him as they vanish into the shadows. Tee Hee!
But he is happy. Trout fishing New Zealand is just that; a happy experience. Something then to definitely make a part of your holidays in New Zealand whether you’ve fished before or not.
At school Phil used to go out to the River Wey in leafy Surrey and fly-fish for rainbow trout. Not only that he caught them, cleaned and grilled them and
served up those lovely fish
with buttered rice.So without further ado, whilst the hazy mists of Phil’s halcyon day’s fishing are fresh in his mind, we have our top tips and information for the best trout fishing in New Zealand:
• The trout comes in 2 distinct personalities: The brown intelligent and cautious trout and the colourful acrobatic rainbow trout. There’s also the Sea-run brown trout and brook trout. The latter being the most scarce and hence sought after. • Trout Fishing is available all year in New Zealand. • To fish for either you will need patience and a degree of knowledge. Luckily for you on your New Zealand fishing vacation there are a host of fishing guides out there to help. • You will have the choice of wet flies (wee wets, streamers and lures), dry flies and nymphs for your trout fishing New Zealand river or lake experience. You see, it’s fun already!
• So why not take time out of your travels and
stay at a fishing lodge
for a couple of days of immersion into the rural life of New Zealand? How about a day in the company of a seasoned angler fishing for your supper? Yes, that’s right, catch it and eat it! Awesome!• You need to have a licence to fish in New Zealand. There are of course different types but the main areas of interest for trout fishing are, 1. The annual licence – around a $100 from October to September 2. The winter licence – around $60 from April to September 3. The day licence – around $20 for 24 hours 4. Taupo fishing licence – This is issued by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and is required for fishing the lakes and rivers in the Taupo area. You can obtain your licence from agents in many of the North Island towns and cities including sports outlets and some service stations and Dairy’s. 5. New Zealand backwater licence for some Otago rivers (this is free) • Your New Zealand fly fishing guide will arrange all this for you as well as providing most of the gear and of course, the location! • New Zealand's weather can be changeable so as all scouts and girl guides will tell you “be prepared” so have the clothing to suit the trip. Take advice if necessary and enjoy your trout fishing New Zealand trip.
• Effective from October 1st 2008 is a total ban on felt soled boots as these can spread the invasive algae didymo. Do not underestimate the impact on the rivers and lakes of this algae.• Like any good scout if you are heading off the beaten track then consider a map, always sunglasses (polarised), sun lotion, a watch, matches, first aid kit, compass, some sort of thermal blanket if necessary, a pen knife and of course a mobile phone. • Let’s not forget drinking water, maybe a hot drink, snacks and fruit and for overnight trips add a can opener to your new zealand backpack. • You can bring your own fishing gear with you if you wish but make sure your equipment is clean and declared to New Zealand customs on arrival. Sadly no homemade flies are allowed into New Zealand. So that may be your opportunity to go out with a trout fishing New Zealand guide and borrow some of theirs! • Etiquette is important. Crossing land and fields may entail asking permission. Do ask, as permission is almost always granted. Perhaps most important is to know that the trout is easily disturbed. So when approaching a river grant other anglers the space they need. • Even your reflection on the water may spook the trout.
The New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association represents licensed guides. The Taupo and Rotorua areas of the North island and Otago in the south are where you can start looking for your Trout fishing New Zealand Guide. Check their sites, their affiliations and mail or call them for more info. There are new zealand fishing vacation packages available too. For those of you with memberships of Fishing organisations outside of New Zealand see if they have any contacts or affiliations for you to make use of.
The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing. Babylonian Proverb
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