Recent Reports

The Season has started off well! October’s low land fishing saw fish in good condition after the winter. Fish numbers are looking good too. High country fishing opened on the first Saturday in November. Windy weather kept some at home, but not for long… who can resist going up country to fish for rainbows and browns who haven’t seen an artificial fly for 6 long months... even if it means fighting a bit of wind. There are still a lot of rivers to check out, but the ones I’ve seen so far have met my expectations, and then some!

Check out some photos below…

BOOKMARK THIS PAGE & CHECK BACK REGULARLY FOR UPDATED CLIENT PHOTOS, FISHING REPORTS, ETC.

We’ve heard rumours that customs agents will “treat” all used fishing gear that is absorbent, i.e. felt soled boots, neoprene fishing nets, neoprene waders, etc. EVEN if they appear to be “dry”. Biosecurity & MAF/Customs believe that they may still be damp way inside & are following the over-cautious approach. The safest bet is to bring rubber soled boots—as felt soled boots are one of the main items they are restricting. Simms, LLBean, Patagonia and Orvis all make them. Make sure any other fishing gear you bring is clean & completely dry. You may be asked when they were last used and if it hasn’t been “some time” (i.e. long enough for them to consider them dry) they will be treated. It has been recommended that you not use gear you are bringing to NZ for at least a month before you travel. Clean it well and then let it dry.

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Sorry we haven’t gotten this page updated until now. Kevin has been guiding almost non-stop through November and December. Had some great days and fairly settled weather overall. And some awesome fishing!!!Check out some of the November & December pics below….

(and if you are a client, please email me some & we’ll get them uploaded. Also, if you are planning a fishing trip to NZ, have a look below the photos for updated information about bringing your fishing gear into the country.

Cheers for now, Kevin and Jodi

(thanks to Rod Lester, Dick Riordan, Ron Hufft, Pat Ruane and some big browns & rainbows for some excellent modeling!)

Hi! Well, Kevin is still out on the river. He’s had a very busy season so you get another report from me. We had a very dry early summer & the rivers were starting to get a bit low and warm. Still fishing well, but Kevin was a bit concerned on how the rivers might be affected if the drought continued. True to NZ style, the rains came, the rivers rose, the fish cooled off & it all looks great for the rest of the season.

Check out these three April beauties!!!

Gregory Hare

Mr. Williams

Graham Cole

Geoff Cole

Tom Leinbach

John Fitzgerald

Howell Milray

Julie Emond

Jane Clark

Susan Bailey

Quenton Ratliff

Bob Pensec

Important information about bringing fishing gear into New Zealand

To slow the spread of the invasive alga didymo and other aquatic pests in New Zealand waterways, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand requires all used freshwater fishing equipment brought into New Zealand to be clean and dry.

From mid-October 2007 MAFBNZ’s Import Health Standard for Equipment associated with Animals or Water will be updated. MAFBNZ border staff will now treat all used freshwater fishing equipment they determine or suspect is NOT COMPLETELY DRY (inside and out), regardless of whether it has been cleaned before coming to New Zealand.

Felt-soled waders and boots are of particular concern. Recent research has revealed these items pose a particularly high risk of spreading didymo as they are likely to come into direct physical contact with didymo cells (e.g., stepping on or brushing against algal mats). The thick, absorbent and slow-drying nature of the material also encourages cell survival, increasing the risk of didymo spread between waterways.

Depending on the item, there are a number of treatments available, including cleaning/soaking in a solution of detergent and water, soaking in hot water, or freezing until completely solid. MAFBNZ staff will determine the most appropriate treatment for the item.

Treatment for absorbent items such as felt-soled footwear takes time and will most likely take place outside of the airport. If it is not feasible for the owner to wait for treatment to be completed, they will have to make their own arrangements to collect the item or have it shipped to their New Zealand, or home, address.

To avoid this inconvenience, anglers coming to New Zealand should consider bringing rubber-soled footwear. We recommend the following wading boots: -Simms L2 Aqua Stealth Wading Boot (both with and without studs) , -Patagonia Riverwalker Sticky (non-felt soles), -Orvis Abyss Wading Shoe.

New Zealand has some of the most pristine rivers and lakes in the world. To help keep it that way, freshwater users must 'Check, Clean, Dry' aquatic equipment between use in different waterways -regardless of location and perceived didymo risk.

Didymo has only been found in the South Island. To protect the North Island, a controlled area notice requiring cleaning of aquatic equipment when moving from the South Island to the North Island is in force. A good site is http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo and then click on the "Freshwater Fishing in New Zealand, what do you need to know?" picture.