First Destination - South Island New Zealand

OK, First destination, South Island New Zealand!! Got to be the Mecca for all trout fishermen, where sight fishing for 5lb+ Brown and Rainbow trout is the Norm.

After spending 3 years in the rat run this is a welcome change!!

 Now normally waders, wading boots would be used however somewhat difficult to travel with whilst backpacking so shorts (sometimes leggings) very kindly donated by my brother's girlfriend and a pair of Crocs, which I have come to the conclusion that they were specifically designed for wet wading, are the clothing of choice. Luckily there are no poisonous creatures lurking in the back country as I wouldn't attempt this in Australia!!

So where to start...

New Zealand is definitely set up for the travelling angler with free fishing nationally (once your $120 - £60 fishing licence is obtained) which in comparison to spending around £30 for a day stocky bashing in the UK is not too much to ask.

There are maps for each region giving brief overviews of the rivers and maps with access points so you are never far from some of the best trout fishing the world has to offer!

So I am headed down to a quiet little village called Te Anau south of Queenstown to the Fiordland region where I have work at a 5* Orvis endorsed fishing lodge for the season. The great thing about hospitality work is that generally most shifts are in the evening leaving my days free to explore rod in hand.

Now I am lucky as my twin brother Alastair arrived here 1 month prior to me and had learnt many of the waters to give me some tips and guidance. It was him in fact that got me here in the first place, as I said before I have spent 3 years in the rat run in sales and recruitment, however after a skype call with Al one evening and after seeing some of the trout and gin clear waters he had been fishing it took around 2 weeks before my notice had been worked and I was on a plane!!

Te Anau is a quiet town offering outdoor trips to the famous Milford and Doubtful Sounds, Treks, kayaking and helicopter trips which keeps the tourists visiting. However more importantly within 10 minutes drive there    
are 3 great rivers all with large rainbow and brown trout ready and waiting!!

So I liked to regard myself as an adequate fly fisherman having fished for 10 years and been a Ghillie on The Grimersta (a salmon fishing estate on the Isle of Lewis) for 4 years and never struggled catching trout in the UK. Well when fishing down under you realise that actually you are not as good as you once thought and these wary wild trout are as cunning as fish get!

On many occasions after first of all spotting the fish (which isn't easy) managed to get behind it within casting distance without spooking the fish performed that perfect cast over the fish with flies drifting down drag free straight in front of the trout. He swings out to take a look, at this point you are so excited waiting for him to take tension is building and you are doing everything you can to stay calm and collected to get the strike just right, and he proceeds not only to totally dismiss your fly but casually does what I would call (give you the finger!) and swim on up either to the next pool or under a bank where it would be impossible to get a fly to. Yes he has been spooked by seemingly absolutely nothing but the reality is these big trout haven't got to that size by casually taking any imitation offered this fishing requires so much more!!!

So I have been here two weeks and have had some success and some failures!! But am absolutely addicted to out smarting these monster fish in gin clear waters in some of the most spectacular landscape known to man!!