Te Anau Heli Trip

THE FISHING

If you could only use one word to describe the Te Anau trout fishery, it would have to be “variety”. With the town of Te Anau being strategically located at the base of the Fiordland National Park, the number of rivers, streams and creeks that anglers can fish during the course of a week is substantial. From small intimate streams to larger back country rivers, the Fiordland region is an absolute paradise for trout anglers looking to site cast to their trout. Fiordland probably offers the most beautiful backdrop and scenery found with the country of New Zealand, with towering mountains and crystal-clear lakes dominating one of the most pristine and spectacular mountain wildernesses we’ve ever seen. Everywhere you look it’s a postcard!

Unlike the Northern half of the South Island, where Brown Trout are the principal target, the Fiordland Watershed has a nice mix of both Rainbow and Brown Trout. Some of the rivers are exclusively Rainbow Trout or Brown Trout, while other rivers have a mix of both, meaning that species that you’ll be targeting each day will be dictated by which river your guide has selected to fish. The average sized trout in this part of New Zealand is between three and five pounds, with larger fish seen, cast to and landed, during a normal fishing week. The prime time for dry fly fishing in the Fiordland area is late December through February and in most cases during this time frame, you will be using dries when casting to fish. If the fish is deep, not looking up or has refused a dry, then anglers can expect to go to a nymph with an indicator and your guide will make recommendations on how to fish the fish, based on the its movements and body language.   

Weather in this part of the South Island plays a huge role in where you will be fishing each day and we’ve designed this trip to be both flexible and as strategic as is possible. With three days of guided heli fly outs and three days of driving to rivers with your guide, the Te Anau Heli Week gives guests the ability to take advantage of good weather windows for their fly outs, while driving to rivers when conditions are less than optimal for flying.    

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

This part of New Zealand is strictly a walk and wade fishing environment. SUV’s will take anglers to the river or stream the guide has selected to fish that day. We use the services of local “chopper” companies around Te Anau.  The helicopter you’ll fly in will vary, based on the number of anglers/guide and the river location the guide chooses that day.

Hughes/MacDonald Douglas 500 – up to 4 passengers (including guide) + pilot

Eurocopter EC130/Squirrel – up to 6 passengers (including guide) + pilot

GETTING THERE

Te Anau is located near the bottom of the South Island, roughly a 2.5-hour drive southwest of Queenstown. The majority of flights coming in to New Zealand from the US and Canada arrive in Auckland, which is located on the north island. There are numerous daily direct flights to Queenstown from Auckland (a 2-hour flight), as well as from Christchurch (a 1-hour flight) which is located on the South Island. Once you arrive at the airport in Queenstown, we will have a comfortable air-conditioned shuttle waiting to drive you down to Te Anau. Much of the drive down to Te Anau is spectacular, with the first hour of the drive hugging Lake Wakatipu. The scenery is absolutely stunning.

Slipstream is a full-service travel company that can handle a variety of services relating to your trip. For assistance, please contact us directly at 1 866 644-7703.

RATES FOR 2025

Double occupancy in the room and shared guide

$7,950 USD 7 nights with 6 days of guided fishing

Includes 3 helicopter fly outs

Single occupancy in the room and shared guide

$8,900 USD 7 nights with 6 days of guided fishing

Includes 3 helicopter fly outs