Time for Fishing - Fishing Licenses - Fishing Techniques & Gear - Fishing Options
Some Trout Fly Recommendations - Weather - Insect Pests

The open season for fishing all rivers in the Nelson - Marlborough and West Coast Fish & Game Districts is from October 1st - April 30th. There are limited areas open for trout fishing from May 1st to September 30th. While December - March is historically the most popular period for overseas visitors, there is excellent fly fishing throughout the season. Highest average daily catch rates are generally achieved early season. Late season fishing has a magic all of its own as the trout reach peak condition.

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Every person who wants to go fresh water sport fishing in New Zealand must first purchase a licence.
Fishing Licences are issued by Fish and Game who are the statutory managers of freshwater sports fishing and game bird hunting in New Zealand. The licence fees are primarily charged to cover the cost of managing the fish and birds and the habitat they depend on. The provision of services to anglers and hunters and advocating their interests are also included in the licence fee.

Licence fees were originally spent on increasing fish and bird populations. The priority changed in the 1960’s and became focused on protecting important habitat against development. Habitat advocacy remains the major focus of Fish and Game Councils and a significant percentage of the councils’ money goes into advocating habitat protection.

For more details on Licence Categories or to purchase a Fishing Licence Online, click here - Fish and Game New Zealand

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• Fly fishing techniques vary throughout the district according to the time of year, the size of the streams fished and river flow conditions.
• The most successful methods for fly fishing the Brown Trout of Nelson are nymph and dry fly, in hook sizes 8 - 18. Small dries and tiny nymphs are used on the smaller creeks while larger dries and weighted nymphs are successful on the larger, faster, freestone rivers.
• Rod / Line combinations are generally best in the AFTMA #5 - #7 range, in lengths 8'6" - 9'. Lighter line weights from #3 - #4 are fun on smaller streams during lower flows from mid-December to mid-March, for experienced anglers.
• Floating lines are used for 99% of the fishing. The choice of Weight Forward or Double Taper is a matter of personal preference.
• Line Colour is however of significant importance. For daytime fishing green, olive, earth-tone or grey coloured lines are recommended.
• While bright coloured lines such as yellow or white have a place on very dull days or evening fishing, they can be definitely counter-productive most of the time.
• Leave the flouro-orange line at home!!
• Leaders fished are generally 12' - 15'. Bring leaders that are at least 9' tapering to a minimum of 3X. Tippet sizes range from 3X - 5X depending upon river flow and water clarity.
• Fishing Clothes and Hats should also be in subdued colours …( beware blues and yellows as you will become a focus of interest for bees.)
• Good quality lightweight waders and felt soled wading shoes are recommended in the cooler waters of our rocky streams. The latest breathable waders such as the Simms Gore-Tex are excellent.
• Through the height of summer (Jan - mid March) you may choose to wet wade. Polypropylene long underwear under cotton wading trousers or shorts are a good combination for wading wet.
• Polarised fishing glasses are essential, if you are to learn the secrets of spotting trout.
• A wide brimmed hat is useful for protection against our sun and as an aid in reducing glare to assist in spotting trout.
• Sunblock is important in New Zealand.
• Ensure too, that you have a top quality, waterproof, windproof rain jacket.

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Local River Fly Fishing
The Nelson / Marlborough / West Coast regions at the top of the South Island have a tremendous variety of rivers and streams which are easily accessible on a daily basis by vehicle. I operate from three bases depending upon anglers' preference for accommodation: Richmond (Nelson), St Arnaud and Murchison, which give me easy access to thirtyfour different rivers and streams.

Typically a day's fishing involves angler pickup at 8.00 - 8.30am, travelling to a stream or river in any one of the Motueka, Pelorus, Buller, Wairau or Grey River catchments and fishing until late (to suit anglers' preference or commitments) before returning to accommodation.

Travelling Times to Fishing Water: Richmond (Nelson) 1 - 1.5 hours St. Arnaud 15 mins - 1.5 hours Murchison 15mins - 1.5 hours.

There is fishing available to suit most levels of fitness.

Backcountry Fly Fishing

• Walk-in:
  There are several more remote streams that are accessible on day trips from any of three bases. These require a much greater level of fitness and commitment from anglers as they involve extensive walk-backs at the conclusion of the day's fishing. Some of these streams require access to the starting point by charter boat, which is an additional cost to the day's guiding rate. These are, without exception, beautiful places to fish. A day's fishing will start as early as 7.00am and may extend to very late, depending upon anglers' other commitments.
• Helicopter:
  Using a helicopter to access some of our truly remote rivers is an exciting fishing option, providing spectacular scenery and some fabulous fish. We fly only with top quality helicopter operators whose machines are fully maintained and the pilots have many thousands of hours flying in our rugged mountainous terrain. A days' fishing involves pickup around 8.00-8.30am and a short drive (15 - 30mins) to the helicopter base. The day's fishing generally concludes at around 6.00pm. Helicopter fees are additional to the daily guiding fee.
• Campout Fishing
  From mid-November to late March, the opportunity exists for anglers who have the energy, commitment and a love of wild places to undertake a range of campout options. Campouts range from overnight camps accessed by helicopter or 4WD, to several days backpacking on remote rugged streams. Anglers considering this option must have good personal fitness and be prepared to face the fickleness of New Zealand's backcountry weather. Helicopter fees are additional to guiding rates. There are also additional campout fees.

As with all backcountry hiking experiences, anglers should be aware that the weather can change and after heavy rain, rivers often rise quickly, sometimes sufficiently to halt progress. On occasions when it may not be safe to proceed anglers must expect to spend additional time in the hills. Accordingly we advise that all anglers planning backcountry campout trips should allow at least a two-day space before international departures, beyond the proposed end of the trip.

As with all our backcountry trips we carry satellite phones and emergency equipment. All backpacks, sleeping bags and camp equipment is provided.

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You may wish to seek out your own preferences, but we can recommend the following:

• Dry Flies:
  Bring a reasonable supply of dry flies with good quality hackle, in sizes 10 - 18. Good general purpose patterns are:
  -Royal Wulff, all sizes.
  -Adams and Parachute Adams sizes 12 - 18
  -Humpy sizes 10 - 16 in body colours yellow, red, green, black
  -Elk Hair Caddis sizes 12 - 16.
  -Hoppers (Dec - Feb), sizes 6 - 10.
  -Quigley's Cripple, sizes 12 -14.
  - Klinkhamer Special, sizes 10 - 14.
  
  We have found various No-Hackle, CDC and spent spinner patterns useful when river conditions are low. You may well have other favourites, which will also be effective. The names of many of our dry flies will be strange to you, but the naturals they represent will be familiar.
• Nymphs:
  American patterns that work well here and are worth bringing are: Whitlock's Red Fox Squirrel … sizes 8 - 14. Pheasant Tail … sizes 10 - 18. Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear … sizes 10 - 16. Zug Bug … sizes 10 - 14. Borger's Red Brown Nymph … sizes 10 -14. La Fontaine's Deep Sparkle Pupa sizes 14 - 16. Prince Nymph … sizes 10 - 14.
• Bead Head Nymphs:
  As with many places in the angling world Bead Head nymphs have gathered a strong following here. Beads in Gold, Copper and Black in Brass and/or Tungsten are very effective. Caddis patterns in tan, green, brown and yellow, sizes 10 - 16 are very useful, as are Stonefly patterns in green, brown and black in sizes 8 - 12.
• NB. All nymph patterns should be weighted with lead wire during construction to assist sinking in our faster waters.

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New Zealand is a sub-tropical island group, lying as a chain across a westerly airflow in the Roaring Forties. Nelson province lies at latitude 41'- 42'S. New Zealand has a variable temperate climate. While the climate in the northern area of the South Island is generally quite pleasant and experiences some of New Zealand's highest sunshine hours, visitors are likely at times to experience extremes of weather and should ensure they come prepared. Over very short periods of time NZ weather may range from very warm to quite cold or from dry to very wet and sometimes windy. Come equipped for change.

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You may have heard of our infamous 'sandflies', which are similar to 'blackflies', and can be a nuisance in some fishing areas, especially at evening time or just prior to rain. They can be controlled to tolerable levels by the regular use of a good insect repellant (gels, liquids or roll-ons are better than sprays) , which are readily available in local stores. Use repellant liberally and sandflies are seldom more than nuisance value. For anglers who do get bitten, Hydrocortisone creams 0.5% - 1% such as SkinCalm or Egocort are excellent for taking away the inevitable itch and are a useful addition to the travelling first aid kit. Unlike Alaska's 'No See-ums' … at least these guys are big enough for you to get your own back!

During February, March and April, Wasps (Yellow Jackets) are around in many areas of native beech forest, some years in large numbers. Their sting is very unpleasant. Any person who is allergic to bee or wasp stings, should ensure they carry their medication with them, and be sure to advise your guide of your condition. Mosquitos are rare and seldom a nuisance. They carry no disease and are around only at night in some remote wilderness areas.

New Zealand's insect pests are small fry compared to many 'insect and animal inconveniences' you might experience while fishing other destinations.

NO SNAKES - NO BEARS - NO LEECHES - NO DEADLY SPIDERS … … but plenty of trout

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