Back in New Zealand
Greetings and salutations to all our friends!
Thanks to a wretched Covid imposed hiatus of 2 + years, I am finally back in my beloved New Zealand. After a 14-hour flight from Vancouver, arriving in Auckland was one of the great joys I’ve experienced in a long time. I have missed New Zealand terribly and as I lined up for flat white at the Airstream trailer in the domestic airport, waiting to fly south to Taupo, it dawned on me just how important this country has become to me. I used to think that I came to New Zealand for the trout and at one point I probably did. These days, however, the trout are well down on my NZ priority list, ranking somewhere below the stunning natural scenery and perhaps on par with the great wines that the country produces. For me, it is the people here and their remarkable generosity of spirit that make me feel so at home and I can’t think of another country that so consistently offers the warmth and kindness that the Kiwi’s do. I am instantly at home in New Zealand and I will be forever grateful to the people of New Zealand for making this so. And the trout fishing isn’t half bad either!
I’m going to be spending the next few weeks traveling around the country visiting with friends and reconnecting with our lodges, on both the north and south islands. I’ll be fishing as much as possible and will be posting twice weekly updates on my travel blog, starting tomorrow.
If you have any questions about fishing New Zealand in 2024 or are looking for some trip ideas that are a little closer to home, please send me an email and I will be happy to help.
NEW ZEALAND HELI TRIP
January 14-21, 2024 4 slots available
$7,650 USD DBL
I will be back in New Zealand in mid January of 2024 and will once again be hosting a week down on the South Island, out of Reefton. I really like this time frame and location because it coincides with the prime Cicada Hatch in early to mid January and I can only offer this trip when I am on site because of the logistical complexities associated with the trip. The week takes place in the northern part of the south-island, right in the heart of the best Brown Trout fishery I know of. The trip dates have been selected to maximize dry fly opportunities for sight fishing to big Brown Trout.
During the week, guests will do three guided helicopter fly ins to some of the most remote river systems on the South-Island and the other three days of guided fishing will be walk and wade. This is a dedicated Brown Trout trip and is ideal for anglers looking to site cast to their fish, while targeting that special, once in a lifetime fish. The guiding on this trip is at a very high level and my guides have been doing this week with me for a decade now.
If guests are interested in extending their trip, we can add on a few days fishing for Rainbow Trout on New Zealand’s North Island, which will help give anglers an excellent overview of New Zealand and some of its incredible trout fishing opportunities.
CUBA - CAYO ROMANO/CRUZ
May 20-27, 2023
2 slots available DBL
$5,990 USD DBL
This trip has been full for the past 2 months but we’ve just had a couple drop out due to an impending hip surgery at the beginning of May. If you love fly fishing the salt and have still not booked a trip for this spring, do yourself a favour and come to fish Cayo Romano with us. The species diversity is as good as anywhere I know of in the Caribbean, particularly since the explosion of the snook population at Romano over the past few years. The quality of the bonefishing is excellent and it’s a nice mix of tailing fish, cruisers, singles, doubles and larger schools.
The permit fishing is superb, with a good variety of angling situations to fish them. Guests will find permit on the backs of rays in 3-5 feet of water (Punta del Este) as well as finding tailing fish in 1-3 feet of crystal-clear water. The tarpon fishing can be hit or miss at Romano and you just never know. That said, I selected this beautiful new moon phase week towards the end of May specifically to maximize our guests angling opportunities to encounter migratory tarpon. I’m on site for the week hosting the trip. Another strength of this fishery is that it’s a nice mix of wading and fishing from the boat.
A single room supplement is only $350 USD per person for a private room for week.
NORTHERN LIGHTS LODGE, BC, CANADA
Summer Season $4,250 USD DBL
Fall Season $4,750 USD DBL
If anyone is interested in a summer or fall 2023 trout trip, I have a wonderful little jewel of a lodge in Northern British Columbia, that I cannot recommend highly enough. Northern Lights Lodge is a really good operation that hits the mark on just about every level. The Rainbow trout fishing is excellent and during the summer months the focus is firmly on dry fly fishing. Guests will fish from drift boats and jet boats during the week, with The Horsefly and Mitchell Rivers, being the two principal rivers that guests will spend time on. Both rivers are gorgeous and offer incredible views and fat, willing Rainbows. In the fall, the focus will shift to targeting big Rainbows and Bull Trout that come in from the lakes to feed on the spawning salmon eggs.
The lodge is very comfortable and has a timeless old school feel to it that is hard not to enjoy. Each angler gets their own room, while sharing a bathroom with another angler in an adjoining room. The rooms are wrapped around the main lodge and each has an outside sitting area that offers a lovely view of Lake Quesnel.
At less than half the price of many of our Alaska operations, Northern Light Lodge is easy to get to and represents an excellent value. A big thumbs up for this lodge.
CLIENT TRIP PIC OF THE MONTH
Sean Trueland with a nice GT, landed at
Alphonse Seychelles, last week
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