adventure
fly fishing
Full Package Details
Abundant native bird wildlife can be encountered if fishing a Western location. A highlight would have to be a likely encounter with the cheeky and highly intelligent Kea, New Zealand’s largest and very beautiful flying parrot. Other favorite birds to also encounter would be the native Bush Robin or the Fantail which are usually quite inquisitive of anglers, and will venture very close and sometimes land on your fly rod. A rare glimpse of the New Zealand Falcon may be possible in eastern regions but generally abundant sheep, cattle, deer and dairy farms are the norm to be seen.
West Coast fishing destination: Much of the same scenery seen on the world famous “Trans-Alpine Train” journey can be seen on our journey from Canterbury to the West Coast.
East Coast fishing destination: This route may take us past the famous town of Hanmer Springs where the natural thermal therapeutic hot pools are located. It can easily be arranged to have a meal and a relaxing swim in the pools on the way home if desired by the client.
Packages
Prices are current for the 2024/2025 fishing season and are listed in New Zealand (NZ) dollars.
A spectator may also come along for single day trips at no extra charge. Drinks and snacks are not provided for the free spectator but can be organised for a small fee. Maximum capacity is 3 persons plus your guide. See Pricing page for full list of what is included.
Like what you see and want to book or simply want more information? Just contact us via phone or email we are here to help!
Logistics
Depending on whether we are fishing in Canterbury or on the West Coast, the day could start as early as 5:30am where you will be collected from the arranged pick up point. If you are visiting the region and are staying in Christchurch or the wider Canterbury area we would be happy to pick you up as part of our service. Travel time to the fishing location would be between 1.25 – 3.5 hours when departing from Christchurch city.
On a day with good weather conditions you can expect to get in about 7-10 hours of fishing.
Drop-off on single day trips would generally be between 7:00pm and 8:00pm but this may vary depending on the location fished. It could also be later if an evening rise is on the cards and the client wishes to stay on, or if any food stops are requested by the client on the way home.A Personal Locator Beacon (P.L.B.) is always carried by the guide when travelling to remote locations
Please note that we consistently practice "Catch and Release" (refer "Key Fishing Information")
On booking your trip if your guide thinks there may be a better option based on time of day, year, weather or any other factor you will have the option of altering your choice either at the time of booking, or in some cases even on the day if you so choose. For example if you are very interested in ecology and local scenery the trip duration and time of year may mean that the West Coast or High Country lakes will provide you with a more "kiwi nature" focused experience. Just tell us what you want from the trip and we can tailor standard packages or when desired make it totally custom.
- A Personal Locater Beacon (P.L.B) is always carried when travelling to remote locations.
Multi-day trips have the following accommodation types available. Camping, private hut with gas/electricity, Department of Conservation public hut or Luxury log cabin style lodge located in a private isolated valley.
Pricing
Package Details
Choices
The Backcountry action adventure focuses on the types of water which you would likely see featured in the top fly fishing magazines and which truly represent what is the essence of fly fishing New Zealand's South Island.
Some unforgettable lifetime fly fishing memories will be obtained as you travel to either scenic East or West Coast locations to take advantage of the most favorable weather patterns.
Travelling by comfortable, air conditioned 4WD into the mountains in search of our quarry we will focus on the types of water which you would most likely see featured in magazines such as "NZ Fish & Game" and "Flylife", and which truly represent what fly fishing the South Island is really all about.
The adventure entails stalking the margins of a variety of free-stone rivers, streams, gorges and spring creeks, to cast nymphs and dry flies to spotted trout. Quarry is mostly large Brown Trout of usually 4 – 7lb’s (2-3.2kg) in size, however as some backcountry waters can contain a combination of both trout species, you will also encounter some serious Rainbow's while out fishing.
In many of these fly fishing locations we will be surrounded by native vegetation which is not only extremely beautiful, but will often contain interesting NZ wildlife. Your guide will endeavor to point out this NZ native flora and fauna, plus gain sightings of amazing native birds that inhabit the area. The often eerie and beautiful bird song radiating from some areas of bush can be enchanting!