FISHING FOR TROUT IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has to be the ultimate destination for hunting wild trout. The region I have fallen for, is Malbrough, the wine growing region in the North of the south island.

With 1000 miles of trout fishing within an hour and a half of the house, gives us unlimited walking and fishing.

I have rented two houses over the last few years and aim to rent the same house this year. The house situated on a ridge, has views of the Blenheim vine yards, with the mountains and Ocean behind. The house is airy, modern, comfortable and stands on its own, silence only ever broken by the occasional little tractor working between the row of vines.

HELI FISHING

Some of my best sight fishing is in the back country and can often take half a day to reach. Alternatively they can accessed by helicopter in minutes.

The helicopter is a MD500 E and can take four of us and the pilot. It fly’s from the garden and the pilot Ben is an angler too, so is his Dad, both can double up as guides. Blenheim has always been his home and as you can imagine he knows all the fishing place and where to put down.

RAFT AND KAYAK FISHING

With the use of rafts and kayaks the river totally opens up to us, giving us the opportunity to fish places often not possible by foot. it’s a magical experience being in a raft on the river and exciting when you reach a pool and hunt trout.

HORSE TREKKING

This seems ever popular with everyone I have taken. Ridding horses up in to the mountains, sometimes along the same rivers I fish. Trekking to mountain huts is an adventure, as is bare back ridding a swimming horse!

We have some great contacts and some of their back country stories on their return match many of my experiences of catching trout from ice green pools.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA

Swimming with dolphins, whale watching, wine tasting, tramping, cycling /mountain biking, river swimming, visit Wellington, white water rafting and simply enjoying the sunshine (22-28 degrees average)