Fly Fishing Queenstown and the surrounding areas has been great over the last 10 days or so. Finally we have seen some more stable weather around with highs producing some blue bird days. Even some have been without wind!
Fly Fishing Queenstown usually means you have a bit of a drive to get to the best fishing spot on any given day as the nearest rivers are often the ones which receive a bit more attention from anglers however last week I woke up to a guiding day that with the sort of weather forecast it seemed prudent to have a relaxing start and the hit one of the more local streams. It proved to be a great idea as we had very good fishing from 9 – thru to 11 and then things went quiet as the weather swung from the NW to the SW with a big temperature drop of about 10deg C. All of a sudden as the river started to rise and discolour slightly the fishing was on and it was hot. Well actually it was raining its arse off and was bloody cold ( I was very glad to be in the waders …. unusually for me). The bigger fish came out to play and were happy to feed and chomped on anything big and heavy we thru at them. The day ended with 10 to the net and 3 lost, one fish went 7lbs and most of the rest 5+. This proved to be one of the better days I have encountered on this stream in quite a few years especially as the fish size was right up there.
Rainy cold day and fly fishing Queenstown comes alive!
You can probably tell it was wet!
Over the last 10 days fly fishing Queenstown and the area for me in the low country has been all about getting down and deep. Nothing for us has really been interested in looking at the surface but as we have been getting these nice warm days and quite a few in a row this will start to change! Bring on the terrestrial dry fly!
Blue bird days!
I have been reminded a few times recently that fly fishing down south can be tough especially with the wind we deal with on on regular occasions. What I think is a gentle breeze blowing down the valley is often a gale for many anglers new to fishing this part of New Zealand. My top tip no matter where you are from or how good you are is get some practice in before you come! Get out to the local park or any area you can practice casting and get some into the the wind work done ….. it will pay off when you get out here for your fly fishing Queenstown expedition and will hold you in good stead wherever you go. Yep there are some things you can do to make it a bit easier, shorten the leader, shorten the back stroke (keep the line going high behind you (…. up up an away like superman, not down and in), use leaders that can turn over easily and don’t be shy with getting that line on the water.
Nice fresh rainbow
See some great Fly Fishing Queenstown vids here
I managed to get out for a days fishing with a good buddy and excellent angler last week on a mint day but more to come on that in a future post. Watch this space!
Space for the fly fishing Queenstown summer season is filling so make sure you get in and book now to avoid disappointment.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated everything you did to make my fishing trip unforgettable. That trophy brown was totally unbelievable! Frankly, I’m surprised we were able to land him. That was one of the longest fights I’ve ever had with a fish. Fighting that trout and the river current was a whole new experience for me. Your advice and help were invaluable. I will definitely call you the next time I get to New Zealand. And I really enjoyed your website article and photo. Thanks again for putting me in position to catch the fish of a lifetime. And it was almost a few fish of a lifetime. All in all…brilliant!!!
