10 December 2025

Robert made these notes as a reminder of what he has learned over the last two trips of fishing the North and South Islands. Some of his observations will be basic to those who fly fish serving as reminders of what they practice already. For Robert, it records his learning experience. He is often reminded of the same things during these trips. He is still learning.

Big fish. It is not often in California that Robert hooks a trout over 1.5 pounds. Smaller trout do not have the weight, savvy, and muscle that Robert is experiencing in New Zealand. The guides lead you to trout of 1.5 to 3.5 pounds and hope for a five pounder or more. We ran into some fishermen who helicoptered into remote areas and caught trout in the 7 to 8 pound range, on average! Beware of guides who expect that you only want to land larger fish. Less available and obviously harder to hook. Make sure they know your goals.

Speaking of big fish, when you fish an indicator and dropper in deep/dark water you might hook on a large brown trout. However, unlike rainbows, these brownies will feel like you are snagged a rock. Set the hook firmly anyway. It could be a brown trout that will start to move. Otherwise, as Robert experienced several times, you will lose the fish.

Fishing guides typically pick you up at 8:00 am, sometimes 7:00, and then drive a minimum of thirty minutes and sometimes an hour or more to the river of choice. They (or the lodge you are staying in) provide lunch. Using waders is up to you depending on the weather. During the summer months, wet wading is more prevalent. You break around 1:00 pm for lunch and then fish until about 3:00 pm, usually returning at 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Some guides will keep you fishing later having you return to your hotel at 6 pm.

Guide character and demeanors vary widely and wildly. Make your goals clear. Let them know if you going after trophy trout (6+ pounds) or if you prefer to catch more fish in the 1.5-3 pounds range. Robert began each session with I am here to have a fun day. Not looking for trophy trout. If we happen to come across one, great. I am not experienced at fishing large fish and fishing with several weighted nymphs. If you see me doing something wrong, let me know. Instruction is welcome. Also, I’m 75 years old. Not that great on slippery rocks that require better balance.

The best guides seem to have grown into the sport having been raised on a farm. They either learned from their fathers and uncles and a few are self taught. If they grew up on a farm, they are respectful and know how to work around livestock when you are fishing. They may work or have worked in multiple jobs other than fishing. Age does not seem to make a difference. Robert has had guides aged from 25 to 70.

Some guides are patient. Some can be bipolar, admonishing you about what you did and then seconds later complementing you on your casts. All guides are usually instructive although the delivery of some can get in the way. Remember that each guide’s experience, style, and instruction is based on their personality and the place they are fishing. Fishing techniques on the South Island and North Island are different. It’s up to you to figure out why they tell you to do some technique one way compared to another. Ask questions to understand.

Wet wading. Robert quizzed several guides on wet wading when the summer months get too hot to wear waders. Some recommend neoprene pants with board shorts. The majority said to wear long underwear under quick drying fishing pants. The long underwear serves as a barrier to sand flies that are abundant in the summer months. In both cases, wear your wading boots or lightweight boots with neoprene socks.

When using dry flies, you need to land the dry fly almost on top of the fish’s nose without having them spooked by the fly line. That is why the guides on the South Island use 10-14 feet of leader and extended tippet—3 to 5 wt. strengths. You need to be that close to the fish to avoid a bad drift (dragging) of the fly plus you do not want to give the fish much time to discern that the bug is artificial.

When fishing with nymphs, you want to cast the flies about two to five feet from the fish to allow the nymph to sink to a proper depth. You wait a few seconds to allow the fly to sink, then make several large “popping” mends. As the indicator approaches you, say about five feet from you, do a roll cast and immediately pick it up with one false cast before you cast it to the desired location. (Some guides do not like you to roll cast; for them it’s an issue of tangling the leader-tippet; others are fine with it.) Sometimes you do not even need the false cast. This will prevent the nymphs from gliding to you and hooking on your waders. In all cases, take your time and deliberately prepare to cast. Do not try to immediately cast a long line because this is hard to manage with an indicator and two weighted nymphs. It’s all about line management.

In all cases, keep your rod low and parallel to the water, constantly stripping the line in to avoid any slack that will prevent you from setting the hook in a timely action. When you set the hook, do it firmly and deliberately, but not with a lot of force. As one South Island guide said, You are not hooking a tarpon. Robert lost a few fish this way. He also lost more than a few fish in the North Island by overcorrecting and setting the hook too slowly and not firmly—a soft set.

When you are fortunate to have properly hooked a fish, start stripping in the line that is not on the reel. If the fish wants to run, let it by letting out the slack. Above all, do not stop the line from coming off the reel when the fish makes a run. It will break the leader/tippet. Keep your fingers or gloves away from the reel. An unwanted snag on the glove or a finger in the way might block the line and you will lose the fish. And don’t let the trout immediately see you or your guide with the net. The fish will freak out, make a run, and might break the line. It is freaked out enough already, fighting the tension on the line. The extra time can be useful to tire the fish a bit before they see you. If you are in a narrow slot of water, try keep the trout upstream so that you are not fighting the trout and the current. If there is a bend in the line and it is underwater, shift the rod position to move the bend out of the water. The extra pressure on the leader is not wanted.

Finally, if the trout is likely headed downstream to take advantage of the added drag from the current, try to dissuade it by manipulating your rod position. They will hopefully freak out more and move upstream. Play the trout toward shallow water away from vegetation or trees and toward the bank or shallow water to allow the guide to net it. Play the fish with the rod parallel to the ground/water and go high when most of your line is on the reel. Switching the rod position will keep the fish wary about where to go and will help tire it out. Bring the fish head raised towards the net. If all goes well, the guide will net the fish and you will have a photo for you to show off to your friends. Early on, one guide told Robert not to be afraid of playing large fish, saying Your instincts will kick in. They did.

Use a strip of panty hose on your hand. Gives you a firm grip on the fish’s tail. When releasing the fish, moving the fish forward and backward in the stream flow is NOT good. Rather, face it upstream with its gills submerged. This will supply oxygen to the fish.

Although we have been told to bring only 6 wt. rods, we also brought a 5 wt. Several guides suggested that we use the 5 wts as they make a more delicate presentation. Turns out that Robert’s 6 wt. is much faster and lighter than his old 5 wt. and is perhaps more useful. Time for new 5 wt? No as the rod performed well. Several guides rigged up both rods to be ready for different situations—indicator and nymph and a dry dropper. One guide had Robert use a 7 wt. for the heavier nymph setups. We also learned that most guides or your lodge can supply all the equipment: rods, waders, boots, etc. Although Robert will continue to bring his own, he might not bring everything for Bonnie next time (except for rods, reels, and wet wading boots). Also, the guides prefer fly lines that are not light and bright. Some of the Rio lines have a duller leading section on their fly lines. For example, the Rio Perception Elite’s leading color is brighter than their Gold Elite. One guide switched an older line on Robert’s 5 wt. to a line he preferred that was deep olive green. Worked well in the water they were fishing.

Also, it is rare to see a New Zealand guide put on a flashy fly like the ones we often use in the US. They prefer natural looking flies, tied sparsely. The also use larger flies than we do in the USA, preferring sizes 10-14. No need to bring your own flies. The guides buy or tie their own for their locales. We saw one guide clipping off excess material to make the fly even sparser. Do bring an empty fly case for the flies you will acquire at the numerous fly shops you encounter.

Above all, the guides want you to catch fish, the larger the better. Trust where they take you and the instructions they give you. If at times, you sense a wee bit of disappointment in not living up to their instructions, don’t take it too personally.

You need three days with a guide. Four in some cases. The first day is for the guide to understand your abilities: what you do right; what you do wrong, and how to correct it. Gives the guide time to give you some instruction, which they are happy to do. It also allowed Robert to better understand the terrain and the guide’s character to see if there was a match for Bonnie to fish on day two. Three days allows the guide and client to understand each other’s style of casting, which varies guide-to-guide. As an example, one guide had Robert turn his bent rod to horizontal to play a fish to shore. When Robert did this with another guide, the guide asked why Robert was not playing the fish with the rod vertical. Styles differ.

Bring replacement gear. During the 2023 trip, Robert broke the tip on the 6wt. No spare to be had. In 2025, Robert brought an extra tip for both the 5 and 6 wts. Good thing, as the tip on the 6wt broke when fishing around Hamner Springs. He also brought a spare reel and spool and fishing line just in case. Also, some of these rock based rivers will loosen your wading boots metal studs. Bring extra with you along with a screw driver.

Practice, Practice, Practice. Robert had a hard time in 2025 casting the 5wt with a 14 ft leader plus tippet. Just couldn’t get the hang of it much to the frustration of his guide. The rod manufacturer suggest a heavier 6wt line and/or a shorter weighted forward sectional. Time to get some instruction from the folks at GGACC.

End of Fishing Notes to Self