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Fly Fishing in New Zealand in November

Hi. My husband and I will be traveling to New Zealand November 12. We will be there for over two weeks. He is a passionate fly fisherman but has never fished NZ. I am there only for the beauty. Other than our flights, we have scheduled nothing else and are looking for any suggestions regarding fly fishing, fly fishing guides, places to stay including at fly fishing lodges. I'm not that keen on the lodges, by the way. . . generally they are very expensive. Any recommendations that include great fishing and beautiful scenery? We'll be renting a car. North Island vs South Island? Home Away/VRBO vs hotels? Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Posted by
91 posts

I am not a fly fisherman but have known a few who have fished in the North Island.

If you are travelling to the South Island you are spoilt for choice. Some locations are remote and the accommodation is likely to be rustic and spartan. Wanaka is one town I would recommend and has the bonus of being located close to some great wineries in the Central Otago region. Queenstown is another place which would offer things for you to do if you are not accompanying your husband on his fishing excursions. It has great cafes, restaurants and high-end craft shops catering to tourists and the wealthy locals. And you can take a trip on a really old steamship on Lake Wakatipu. It is an expensive destination but has a range of accommodation including apartments and good hotels.

Rotorua and Taupo would be my choices in the North Island. Both are tourist towns and offer a wide range of accommodation. Rotorua has perhaps a wider range of things for tourists to do once again if your husband goes out fishing on his own. It has a number of nice lakes unlike Taupo where there is only one, albeit the largest lake in NZ.

BTW you will only have the opportunity to eat trout in NZ if you catch it yourself as there are no commercial trout farms supplying restaurants. And your husband will need a fishing licence.

Posted by
870 posts

Thank you, istvandesiderata. I will look into your suggestions and have forwarded your response to my husband.

Posted by
355 posts

Hi Lindy:

Not sure where your husband has fished here in the states, but suggest he book a guide for successful fly fishing in NZ. My husband has fished on both islands, with the bulk of it around Central Otago (with a winemaker/fly fishing fanatic friend). I think arranging a guide in Wanaka, or out of Queenstown would also give you a lovely day while he is off fishing.

Here's a link for the professional fly fishing guides: fly fishing in New Zealand which should have a wealth of information, and hopefully, will be helpful in selecting where he wants to fish, and with whom.

You'll have a great time - it's a wonderful country and we can't wait for our next trip back!

Posted by
870 posts

Thank you, Mother Duck. Your link is very interesting and has provided great information.