HIGH COUNTRY
Planning a wilderness New Zealand fly fishing expedition
No angling trip to New Zealand would be complete without spending time on our world-class wilderness rivers. Around 30 percent of New Zealand land is protected in the conservation estate, in national parks and reserves. Some is accessible and parklike. But other parts are as rugged trout country as you'll find in Patagonia, the Rockies, or Alaska. Here on the South Island the fly fishing adventure can match the stunning scenery. And often we use dry flies.
Let me help you plan an unforgettable New Zealand backcountry fly fishing expedition. I enjoy customizing South Island fly fishing trips that match lifelong angling dreams. And I'm happy planning wilderness fishing trips for all budgets. Westland, for example, has relatively affordable heli fishing, when compared to Queenstown and Wanaka, because the hangar is closer to the rivers.
It's important to point out that the wild West Coast is some of the wettest country on Earth and prone to high water events. But the beech forest ecosystems have evolved to recover quickly.
If you're willing to pitch in with camp chores, I can create great value. But I can also arrange bespoke luxury backcountry fly fishing expeditions that include a chef and sherpa and fine dining, matched with excellent local wines, in a stunning setting. Think of it as a pop-up lodge, what Hemingway would call a moveable feast.
My premium product is a 10-day road trip up the remote West Coast that alternates heli fishing the backcountry with easier days fishing lowland spring creeks. But it's the overnight expeditions into South Island's wilderness rivers in Fiordland and Mount Aspiring and Kahurangi National Parks are at the top of many a trout bum's bucket list.
When to come
Although the weather is less dependable then, November and early December offer anglers the best chance at trophy trout and uncrowded conditions. Sometimes in cold wet or windy springs, this means nymph fishing. Take big Nesameletus or Oniscigaster mayfly imitations--as big as 10s and 12s. These bugs inspired the stub-tailed hare and copper. Small black or big green Stenoperla prasina stoneflies also come in handy on steep rivers with large cobble. The latter is my go-to nymph for big backcountry trout holding deep. As with the salmonfly hatch of the American West, our big bugs evolved to use higher torrents of spring as whitenoise cover for their emergence.
Early summer is a magic time in the mountains. There's often a window before Christmas when the high-country rivers clear of snowmelt and drop for the first time. Big Kakahi Queens with their bright yellow wing base spots and the jewel-like green mankuka beetles are on the water. You can almost hear the valleys' metabolism accelerate and hum. The trout look up for the first time in months. So we use five weights and floating lines and often dry flies. "It is for such purposes," Tom McGuane observed, "that we were placed on this careening mudball."
From Christmas 'til early February Kiwis head to the hills for their summer holidays, and this is when back-country rivers experience the most pressure. This is the time to think out of the box and avoid Designated Waters and other famous locations.
Late February and March offer less crowded conditions and more consistent hatches. The rivers are often low and clear, and the warmer weather brings the fish up looking for terrestrials like cicadas, hoppers, blow flies and our bread-and-butter mayfly and caddis hatches. This is an ideal time for sight fishing for large backcountry trout. But don’t expect large numbers of fish; the watersheds can often hold remarkably few, though large, fish. Quiet observation yields greater rewards than rushing upstream and spooking the only couple of fish you'll see for the next kilometer. Wear muted earth tones or camo, eschew white, orange, red or blue. Move upriver not along the bank but in looping U-shapes, where you move away from the river then come back to observe behind a bush. And watch your footfall and rod flash.
Limit false casting to one or two back casts whenever possible. It's imperative that you learn to double haul so your skills meet the challenge.
Prepare
If you want peak performance, practice, practice casting before your outing. Casting ability is the single biggest determinant of a client's success. World-class athletes and jazz musicians don't show up to the Olympics without training--or to Birdland without practicing their tenor sax.
Come prepared to the best of your ability and the Fishing Gods may smile.
Designated Waters require a special separate license
In 2023, Fish and Game New Zealand set aside a few rivers they deemed as pressure sensitive. These fisheries are almost exclusively on the South Island. They're characterized by having smaller numbers of large fish in clear water and offer the supreme experience of sight casting to trophy trout. They comprise less than 2 percent of New Zealand's fishable water, but they're famous for a reason.
For more information on Designated Waters, click here.
Some of these rivers are in remote locations, but others are not. Research established that on many of these rivers, international anglers were displacing locals.
"Unsustainable angling pressure on these fisheries detrimentally affects both the angling experience (sense of wilderness feeling/solitude) and trout behaviour (visibility and catchability)."--New Zealand Fish and Game
Although a few regular visitors here vocally protested the change, it all boils down to quality of experience. If you must fish them, do so lightly, on a weekday not a weekend or holiday.
Research on brown trout behaviour on remote fisheries in Kahurangi National Park established that angling pressure on backcountry browns results in trout hiding for days at a time. This created impetus for one of the first wilderness areas in New Zealand, a practice we'd like to see extended elsewhere, perhaps on a rotational basis from season to season.
Fish and Game's other reasoning is that on some of these fisheries, angler use has gone from a roughly 50/50 resident-to-non-resident split in the early 2000s to an 80/20 usage split favouring non-resident anglers.
To fish these waters, non-resident anglers now need to purchase a full-season license, in addition to a $40 daily license for these specific rivers. Residents have to acquire Designated Waters licenses as well, and their cost is $5 at present.
Because of the pressure these rivers have received in the past, we urge discerning anglers to consider alternatives. Crowding on beech forest rivers of Northern Canterbury like the Hope and the Boyle during mouse years creates angling behaviour I prefer to avoid. On these waters you'll find some of the worst manners in the country, with both visiting and local urban anglers leap frogging you from below, even though you were there first. This is against the grain of Kiwi angling etiquette--and basic common decency. Always treat other anglers the way you'd like to be treated yourself. This is especially important if you run into an angler who has spent days tramping into a remote watershed. If you're using a chopper and you see a tramper on the river, give them at least five kilometers of water or consider another destination. It's always best to talk to other anglers first.
Young adventurous anglers with more time than money will attempt to fish remote waters without a guide. That's all good.
But if you're going into the backcountry, be honest with yourself about your level of preparedness--your fitness, agility, equipment and ability to navigate rough country in dramatically changing conditions. Use the buddy system. Notify someone of your itinerary and take an emergency beacon or InReach.
And if you're caught on the wrong side of a dangerously rising river, it's always better to spend another night or two than try to cross.
Transportation costs, overnight fees are in addition to guiding fees
Helicopter and jet-boats can be used to access remote destinations. Transportation fees, in addition to guide fees, range from about $2K-4.5 K NZD and up. Jetboat transportation to a limited number of options is much cheaper.
Overnight fees for camping in basic huts or mountaineering tents, with all equipment and meals, starts at $350 per person a night ($600 for two).
No angling trip to New Zealand would be complete without spending time on our world-class wilderness rivers. Around 30 percent of New Zealand land is protected in the conservation estate, in national parks and reserves. Some is accessible and parklike. But other parts are as rugged trout country as you'll find in Patagonia, the Rockies, or Alaska. Here on the South Island the fly fishing adventure can match the stunning scenery. And often we use dry flies.
Let me help you plan an unforgettable New Zealand backcountry fly fishing expedition. I enjoy customizing South Island fly fishing trips that match lifelong angling dreams. And I'm happy planning wilderness fishing trips for all budgets. Westland, for example, has relatively affordable heli fishing, when compared to Queenstown and Wanaka, because the hangar is closer to the rivers.
It's important to point out that the wild West Coast is some of the wettest country on Earth and prone to high water events. But the beech forest ecosystems have evolved to recover quickly.
If you're willing to pitch in with camp chores, I can create great value. But I can also arrange bespoke luxury backcountry fly fishing expeditions that include a chef and sherpa and fine dining, matched with excellent local wines, in a stunning setting. Think of it as a pop-up lodge, what Hemingway would call a moveable feast.
My premium product is a 10-day road trip up the remote West Coast that alternates heli fishing the backcountry with easier days fishing lowland spring creeks. But it's the overnight expeditions into South Island's wilderness rivers in Fiordland and Mount Aspiring and Kahurangi National Parks are at the top of many a trout bum's bucket list.
When to come
Although the weather is less dependable then, November and early December offer anglers the best chance at trophy trout and uncrowded conditions. Sometimes in cold wet or windy springs, this means nymph fishing. Take big Nesameletus or Oniscigaster mayfly imitations--as big as 10s and 12s. These bugs inspired the stub-tailed hare and copper. Small black or big green Stenoperla prasina stoneflies also come in handy on steep rivers with large cobble. The latter is my go-to nymph for big backcountry trout holding deep. As with the salmonfly hatch of the American West, our big bugs evolved to use higher torrents of spring as whitenoise cover for their emergence.
Early summer is a magic time in the mountains. There's often a window before Christmas when the high-country rivers clear of snowmelt and drop for the first time. Big Kakahi Queens with their bright yellow wing base spots and the jewel-like green mankuka beetles are on the water. You can almost hear the valleys' metabolism accelerate and hum. The trout look up for the first time in months. So we use five weights and floating lines and often dry flies. "It is for such purposes," Tom McGuane observed, "that we were placed on this careening mudball."
From Christmas 'til early February Kiwis head to the hills for their summer holidays, and this is when back-country rivers experience the most pressure. This is the time to think out of the box and avoid Designated Waters and other famous locations.
Late February and March offer less crowded conditions and more consistent hatches. The rivers are often low and clear, and the warmer weather brings the fish up looking for terrestrials like cicadas, hoppers, blow flies and our bread-and-butter mayfly and caddis hatches. This is an ideal time for sight fishing for large backcountry trout. But don’t expect large numbers of fish; the watersheds can often hold remarkably few, though large, fish. Quiet observation yields greater rewards than rushing upstream and spooking the only couple of fish you'll see for the next kilometer. Wear muted earth tones or camo, eschew white, orange, red or blue. Move upriver not along the bank but in looping U-shapes, where you move away from the river then come back to observe behind a bush. And watch your footfall and rod flash.
Limit false casting to one or two back casts whenever possible. It's imperative that you learn to double haul so your skills meet the challenge.
Prepare
If you want peak performance, practice, practice casting before your outing. Casting ability is the single biggest determinant of a client's success. World-class athletes and jazz musicians don't show up to the Olympics without training--or to Birdland without practicing their tenor sax.
Come prepared to the best of your ability and the Fishing Gods may smile.
Designated Waters require a special separate license
In 2023, Fish and Game New Zealand set aside a few rivers they deemed as pressure sensitive. These fisheries are almost exclusively on the South Island. They're characterized by having smaller numbers of large fish in clear water and offer the supreme experience of sight casting to trophy trout. They comprise less than 2 percent of New Zealand's fishable water, but they're famous for a reason.
For more information on Designated Waters, click here.
Some of these rivers are in remote locations, but others are not. Research established that on many of these rivers, international anglers were displacing locals.
"Unsustainable angling pressure on these fisheries detrimentally affects both the angling experience (sense of wilderness feeling/solitude) and trout behaviour (visibility and catchability)."--New Zealand Fish and Game
Although a few regular visitors here vocally protested the change, it all boils down to quality of experience. If you must fish them, do so lightly, on a weekday not a weekend or holiday.
Research on brown trout behaviour on remote fisheries in Kahurangi National Park established that angling pressure on backcountry browns results in trout hiding for days at a time. This created impetus for one of the first wilderness areas in New Zealand, a practice we'd like to see extended elsewhere, perhaps on a rotational basis from season to season.
Fish and Game's other reasoning is that on some of these fisheries, angler use has gone from a roughly 50/50 resident-to-non-resident split in the early 2000s to an 80/20 usage split favouring non-resident anglers.
To fish these waters, non-resident anglers now need to purchase a full-season license, in addition to a $40 daily license for these specific rivers. Residents have to acquire Designated Waters licenses as well, and their cost is $5 at present.
Because of the pressure these rivers have received in the past, we urge discerning anglers to consider alternatives. Crowding on beech forest rivers of Northern Canterbury like the Hope and the Boyle during mouse years creates angling behaviour I prefer to avoid. On these waters you'll find some of the worst manners in the country, with both visiting and local urban anglers leap frogging you from below, even though you were there first. This is against the grain of Kiwi angling etiquette--and basic common decency. Always treat other anglers the way you'd like to be treated yourself. This is especially important if you run into an angler who has spent days tramping into a remote watershed. If you're using a chopper and you see a tramper on the river, give them at least five kilometers of water or consider another destination. It's always best to talk to other anglers first.
Young adventurous anglers with more time than money will attempt to fish remote waters without a guide. That's all good.
But if you're going into the backcountry, be honest with yourself about your level of preparedness--your fitness, agility, equipment and ability to navigate rough country in dramatically changing conditions. Use the buddy system. Notify someone of your itinerary and take an emergency beacon or InReach.
And if you're caught on the wrong side of a dangerously rising river, it's always better to spend another night or two than try to cross.
Transportation costs, overnight fees are in addition to guiding fees
Helicopter and jet-boats can be used to access remote destinations. Transportation fees, in addition to guide fees, range from about $2K-4.5 K NZD and up. Jetboat transportation to a limited number of options is much cheaper.
Overnight fees for camping in basic huts or mountaineering tents, with all equipment and meals, starts at $350 per person a night ($600 for two).