This blog is intended to help show what fly fishing in the Central North Island Of New Zealand is really like. This blog acts as a fishing report although a lot of the place names will be numbered for the obvious reasons that I don’t want people flocking to my spots when I report that the area is fishing well. There are other links to other fly fishing reports under the links page.

This blog also acts as my own personal fishing diary, recording the catch at various locations for future reference in years to come.

Fly fishing in New Zealand could well be the best in the world. It is great because of our un-spoilt scenery and our large sized hard fighting trout. The trout average around 4 pounds and 20 - 22 inches. Of course there are plenty of smaller fish and a few bigger ones but contra to what other advertisers would have you believe - the tropies (trout over 10lbs) are not an everyday occurrence. With bigger fish you can expect lower fish numbers here than in some areas overseas that support large populations of stocked small trout. We are about quality wild fish and not quantity stocked fish. A typical guiding day here would average around 10 hookups. It is a great place for beginners to learn to fly fish. There is a great deal of skill required to catch our trout generally - you often do not need to match the hatch as much as say in Montana but on the other hand you must approach the fish with stealth and make good casts and drifts. Often we fish to sighted feeding trout in the 4 - 6 pound range and one false move will put the fish off.

Fishing without a guide is not advised unless you have been here before and are familiar with New Zealand Fly Fishing.