Oh New Zealand… where do I start?
It’s been a week or so since flying back from New Zealand, where my wife and I spent two weeks camping around the South Island as a belated honeymoon trip. It’s safe to say I struggled to settle back into my life here in Montana. Driving on the wrong side of the road, turning my windshield wipers on instead of my blinker, not falling to sleep until midnight, and resisting the monotony of a work schedule. Maybe this is normal for a two-week trip to the other side of the earth, or maybe I just wish I were still in New Zealand.
As you can imagine, it was an incredible trip. The views, culture, food, fishing, and everything in between were so special. It is way too much to cover in a blog recap, and I will withhold a lot of information to protect the country and to let you experience it for yourself if you ever make a trip to the land of the long white cloud.
The Travel
If you have ever made the trip to New Zealand, you know the travel is no cake walk. It took four flights to get down there from Bozeman, the longest being the Los Angeles to Auckland flight (about 12 hours). We estimated it would take about 35 hours of travel, including all flights and time spent waiting in airports to get to the South Island. Add in the 20-hour time difference between Montana and New Zealand, and the travel is not for the faint of heart!
The travel hit me hard on the way back, and I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. We left Auckland at 3pm on Sunday, flew for twelve hours, and arrived in LA at 10am on Sunday. Yes, you read that right.
Not A Fishing Trip
While I will primarily talk about the fishing in this blog post, this was not a fishing trip. It was a honeymoon where we did a lot of sightseeing and tours to learn about New Zealand and experience its stunning landscapes.
What blew my mind about New Zealand was the diversity in terrain. We saw green, rolling hills full of sheep. Rugged mountains with deep glacier valleys. A temperate rainforest on a fjord. And a beautiful beach covered with sea lions. It was unbelievable. I was in awe for two weeks as we witnessed some of the most beautiful and humbling landscapes I have ever seen.
We covered 2400 km (about 1500 miles) on the South Island, visiting 4 of New Zealand’s 13 national parks. It’s truly an incredible country, above and beyond the fishing.
Fishing In New Zealand
In the fourteen days we spent traveling the South Island, we fished for about three and a half days.
The fishing in New Zealand was everything you see and read about: crystal clear waters, sight fishing, big brown trout, cicadas, tough conditions, backcountry rivers, low trout per mile, and technical fishing.
The fishing license was easy to obtain, fishing access was straightforward and well managed, and we didn’t see many other anglers during our few days of fishing. It depended on the river, but we averaged about five decent opportunities at happy fish each day. If we hadn’t spooked the fish while getting into position, we’d be lucky to have three casts before putting off the fish.
All the fishing we did in New Zealand was DIY. I did not hire a guide, nor did I fish any of the spots that friends who had been to New Zealand recommended. I spent an immeasurable amount of time looking at Google Maps, reading books, and researching fishing accesses. Last summer, I primarily sight-fished to hone my skills for this trip. This included casting 15+ foot leaders, sneaking into position on feeding fish, and fighting large fish on light tippets. I also tied all my own flies, filling three boxes full of patterns.
As you know, a lot goes into a successful day of fishing, and I did everything in my power to set us up for success. I have a hard time being proud of myself, but as I reflect on the fishing I did in New Zealand, I am so proud. I feel like years of working on my skills and knowledge in trout fishing prepared me for New Zealand, and I was able to take advantage of the opportunities given. I don’t want this to come off as egotistical, as I always try to write this blog with a humble lens, but this trip meant a lot to me. And I am learning to give myself more credit, and I want you to know that you can do it too. I am no one special.
Though I did everything I could to prepare for the trip, the factors out of our control made it even harder than I anticipated. The raging downstream wind was no joke, making it impossible to fish upstream and sight fish. We also dealt with partly cloudy skies, which cast a glare across the surface of many pools. On top of wind and glare, we had rainstorms, low water, blown-out rivers, and fish that had seen many flies throughout the summer.
Despite so much working against us, we found success with persistence and patience. While I missed my fair share of opportunities (spooking fish, missing the hookset, or losing the fish at the net), I was able to put it all together and meet a few of the stunning fish New Zealand is known for. The style of fishing in New Zealand really resonates with me and how I enjoy fishing. After seeing New Zealand first-hand, I really think New Zealand is as good as it gets when it comes to trout fishing.
My Setup
Rod: Orvis Helios 3F 9-foot 5-weight
Reel: Orvis Hydros
Leader: 12-foot 3x tapered leader to a tippet ring. Three to eight feet of 4x or 5x tippet off the tippet ring. I averaged about a 16-foot leader.
The long leader was necessary when fishing for the big, spooky brown trout in crystal clear rivers. It is often the biggest mistake anglers from the States make when going to New Zealand, so I highly recommend you practice casting long leaders before your trip. NZ anglers are not exaggerating when they say they use leaders pushing 20 feet long.
As for flies go, all the fish I caught were on dry flies. There were still plenty of cicadas hanging around, so fishing cicada and beetle patterns was effective when we found happy fish. Here are the four flies I caught fish on.
What I Learned
I learned so much when fishing in New Zealand. The list goes on and on. The first thing I plan to take with me from New Zealand is to place greater importance on each fish I target. With so few opportunities in a given day, I found myself giving each fish greater priority. Checking my knots, adding the proper tippet length and size, choosing the right fly, and taking the time to get into the proper position. While it didn’t always work out in my favor, I believe it made a difference in my success. I think this patience and intention would serve me well when fishing the rivers of the Yellowstone Region.
What Left Me Curious
Everything in New Zealand left me curious. This was my first real international trip, and my first time fishing in another country. As you can imagine, my mind was blown, and I was filled with more questions than answers. I still know nothing about fishing in New Zealand. I have so many rivers on my list, accesses to check out, and flies to try on New Zealand’s large trout. I guess I will just have to go back and scratch those itches…
Plan The Trip
As I reflect on the trip and finish this blog post, I want to encourage you to plan your dream trip. Whether it be New Zealand or somewhere else in the world, stop making excuses and take the trip.
Kameron and I are nothing special. We are in our mid-20s and come from normal families. We are early in our careers and low on the ladder at our workplaces. We make normal incomes in an expensive city. Both of us had limited time off at work, and it turned out to be a very inopportune time for our employers to let us take two weeks off. Our travel experience was average, and we had little help with trip planning from family and friends. We planned this trip for almost 2 years, figured it out as we went, and simply had the courage to take it.
I say this to inspire you to do the same. You don’t have to live this insane life to travel to your dream destination. Just start saving, start planning, and have the courage to make that trip of a lifetime happen. There truly is no better time than now, and no one else is going to live your life for you. It’s in your hands. Your 70-year-old self will thank you. Just plan the trip.
Thanks so much for following The Curious Angler. While I will miss New Zealand, I am just as excited to get back to Montana and fish the Yellowstone Region. Spring fishing is here. Let’s get after it.
Thanks,
Nick
4 thoughts on “Fishing New Zealand 2026”
Great article and be proud, that’s a huge accomplishment. Congrats on the wedding!
Thanks Ryan! It was an awesome trip. 🙂
Did New Zealand change your wife’s mind on fly fishing, Nick? Will she be spending weekends in the back of your truck in Yellowstone country?
Great right up and sharing your journey with us!
Thanks Dan! I replied to your email with Kameron’s thoughts on NZ fishing. Thank you for reading the blog post and following along. It means a lot!
Comments are closed.