Owen River Lodge – South Island

THE FISHING

Over the years, New Zealand has developed a reputation for having the best sighted river fishing for trout in the world. And this is precisely why we get on the plane and travel such great distances. The fishing! Beautifully situated in the midst of the north end of the south island, Owen River Lodge offers an enormous variety of fishing environment, most of which are no more than an hour drive from the lodge. From small, intimate rivers like the Owen River, to iconic freestone rivers such as the Wairau, the lodge offers easy access to the Nelson, Marlborough, North Canterbury and West Coast fisheries at the top of the South Island. Staying at the lodge means that you are perfectly positioned in the centre of all the action.

The average sized trout in this part of the south island is 3-6 pounds with opportunities at 10 pounders not uncommon during a week’s stay. One of the extraordinary aspects of this fishery is the clarity of the water. “Gin clear” is the common phrase used to describe Nelson area’s rivers and while it may sound like a cliché, in this case its 100% appropriate. The fishing in this region involves walking and wading up stream and fishing for sighted brown trout. This means that for the majority of the rivers, you must see the fish before the fish sees you.

With so many beautiful rivers and backdrops available to fish, it’s hard to imagine that it can get any better. But it can when you add a day or two of helicopter fishing to your trip. Imagine fishing stretches of water possibly not fished by any other angler this season, where you’ll stalk large, wild brown trout in crystal-clear mountain streams. A helicopter will give you access to countless kilometres of wilderness rivers and streams, completely inaccessible to vehicles and accessed by foot only over great time and difficulty. We highly recommend at least a day of helicopter fishing.

OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER – Early season fishing in New Zealand has some advantages and disadvantages. On the very positive side, the fish haven’t seen an angler for five months and there are few anglers about. Some of the rivers will be running high due to recent rain and this can make a few of the larger river crossings challenging. However, with over 30 + rivers to choose from (within a 90 minute drive), the guides can normally find a wonderful stream to spend the day fooling an early season fish or two!

What’s more, many of the smaller streams are at their very best at this time of year. For some of our regulars, this fishing for two-foot trout in 20-foot wide streams is the highlight of the fishing year.

DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH – This is summer in New Zealand. It’s the busiest time to fly fish here (busy being a very relative term) as its classic New Zealand dry fly fishing at its best. The river levels have dropped and the weather is usually quite warm and more stable. Mid-way through summer, the sound of cicadas fills the air and the brown trout seem to spend a lot more time looking up for a tasty morsel to float by. Typically, 75% of your fish will be caught using a dry (Cicada, Blowfly or Adams patterns work really well).

APRIL – April sees the weather cooling and this in turn sends a message to the browns that it’s time to stack on weight in preparation for their spawning in winter. Mayfly activity increases, so it’s Parachute Adams and small nymph time! The weather is less stable than high summer but the good news is that there are very few anglers on the river and thus any angling pressure is greatly diminished.

BOATS AND EQUIPMENT

This part of New Zealand is strictly a walk and wade fishing environment. Modern SUV’s will take anglers from the lodge to the river or stream the guide has selected to fish that day. The lodge uses the services of local “chopper” companies that specialise in Heli-Fishing. The helicopter you’ll fly in will vary, based on the number of anglers/guide and the location you choose.

Hughes/MacDonald Douglas 500 – up to 4 passengers (including guide) + pilot
Eurocopter EC130/Squirrel – up to 6 passengers (including guide) + pilot

GETTING THERE

The majority of flights coming in to New Zealand from the US and Canada arrive in Auckland, which is located on the north island. The Owen River Lodge is located at the north end of the south island, with the closest airport to the lodge being found in Nelson. Fortunately, there are numerous flights per day to Nelson from Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington. Once you arrive at the airport in Nelson, we can arrange for a shuttle to pick you up drive you the 90 minutes down to the lodge. If you’d prefer to rent a car, you can email us directly for the driving instructions. If you are coming up to the lodge from Christchurch, it’s about a 4 hour drive and again, we can either organize a shuttle for you or, upon request, provide driving instructions to the lodge.

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 2023-2024

Spring : October 1 to December 6, 2023

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $8,290 NZD DBL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $7,035 NZD DBL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $5,785 NZD DBL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $4,535 NZD DBL

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $13,425 NZD SGL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $11,375 NZD SGL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $9.320 NZD SGL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $7,265 NZD SGL

Summer : December 7, 2023 to March 21, 2024

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $10.500 NZD DBL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $8,950 NZD DBL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $7,385 NZD DBL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $5,800 NZD DBL

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $15,425 NZD SGL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $13,375 NZD SGL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $11,050 NZD SGL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $8,665 NZD SGL

Autumn / Fall : March 22 to April 30, 2024

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $8,290 NZD DBL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $7,035 NZD DBL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $5,785 NZD DBL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $4,535 NZD DBL

7 nights / 6 days Guided Fishing Package: $13,425 NZD SGL

6 nights / 5 days Guided Fishing Package: $11,375 NZD SGL

5 nights / 4 days Guided Fishing Package: $9.320 NZD SGL

4 nights / 3 days Guided Fishing Package: $7,265 NZD SGL

All rates at this destination are in New Zealand dollars and guests will be billed in USD at the booking days rate