ABOUT ME
I love to fish. In fact I live to fish...it's all I want to do! I first picked up a fishing rod when I was 6 years old and then my grandad and I taught ourselves to cast a fly rod a few years later. Since then I have never wanted to anything else.
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My happy space is anywhere off the grid with a rod in my hand and that’s where I spend most of my time. I am based in New Zealand as a guide and fish all over the North and South Islands. I have spent years getting lost in the backcountry chasing the huge trout that live there and more recently have put a heap of time over the last few years exploring our saltwater flats fisheries for Yellow Tail Kingfish.
For me, this is the next level in NZ fly fishing and is a virtually untapped world class fishery just waiting to discovered. I am doing more overseas trips each year and expanding my knowledge and experience on new locations and species all the time.
My love of fishing, the places it takes and the people you meet is what I thrive on. So much water to fish, fish to catch and not enough time to do it all....but I'll sure as hell try and do as much as I can while I'm here.
I am based in Taupo, which is right in the middle of the North Island. It couldn’t be more central and it offers endless options for places to fish. Everything from a day trip on the famous Tongariro River to overnight missions far out in the backcountry are easily done from here, as are saltwater missions if you want to take it to the next level!
If you are coming to New Zealand and want to get amongst it, then get in touch and let's go fishing!
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KINGFISH
New Zealand's Saltwater Fishery
Picture this….
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You are slowly wading through thigh deep water, scanning the sandy flats all around you for any sign of movement. Then you spot a large black shape heading in your direction that has to be a stingray….your heart skips a beat and your grip on the cork tightens.
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Picking up the pace, you move to get within casting range. As you get closer, you see the unmistakable flash of yellow and green off to the side of the ray – this one has fish with it! You make you cast and it’s good. The popper hits the water and you start stripping it back towards you.
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Before it gets more than a few feet, a bow wave appears and you see two…..no…. three kingfish shoulder barging each other trying to get to your fly first.
Strip, strip…..pop, pop and then BAM, the water explodes, the line goes tight and fish on!
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This is the saltwater flats experience that is New Zealand’s new world class fishery. Sight fishing to yellowtail kingfish with a fly rod is just about as crazy as it gets! This fishing is physically challenging, technically demanding and will redefine the way you think about fly fishing and what it can be.
Trust me, it will change you!
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Kingfish are undoubtably the most ferocious predator of our shallow water, inshore fisheries and are a formidable adversary for anyone with a fly rod. Make no mistake, they don't come easy and you have to put in the time for them but once you have witnessed one of these fish smashing your fly 20ft from your rod tip, you will understand the addiction!
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I fish for Kingfish across the North Island from December to May with exclusive trip options to the top of the South Island available on request. Get in touch now for more information and to book your trip for 2019.
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See the photography page for more images of shallow water "Hoodlums"..
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FISH WITH ME
Any time I go to another country to fish, then I make sure that I hire a guide.
When you are visiting somewhere on vacation, you have limited time and opportunities to spend on the water. Anyone that fishes will know that a huge amount of time is spent on looking for rivers and lakes and then working out how to find and eventually catch the fish that live there!
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Local knowledge is the key to finding and catching fish. From knowing where to go and how to get there, to understanding how to approach the water, what technique to use and how to bring it all together to give you the best chance at hooking and landing that fish of a lifetime.
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New Zealand is known throughout the world as THE place to go to test your skills as a fly angler. The fish here grow BIG and they get that way by being smart. In addition to that, the rivers and lakes are gin clear and so it makes for a challenging experience all round. You don’t get many second chances here and so stacking the odds in your favour is very important.
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When you hire me as a guide, you are getting knowledge of the surrounding areas, techniques that you need to catch fish, gear that is up to the task and experience that has been built up over thousands of days on the water.
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The majority of people that come to NZ to fish head straight down to the South Island to chase the big brown trout that live there.
As a result, the north island gets rather overlooked. I see that as a good thing as it means less people on the rivers and less pressure on the fish.
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There is a good mix of brown and rainbow trout up here which keeps things interesting. One minute you are fishing to decent rainbow sitting on the inside of a fast run and in the tail of the next pool, you are trying to ambush a big brownie cruising around on his beat. The following day you could find yourself on the coast wading the flats for Yellow Tail Kingfish.
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Trips can be tailored to suit your angling ability and preferred overall experience. From the novice angler looking to fish a local river and improve their skills and techniques, to the seasoned fisherman wanting the ultimate backcountry experience or looking to hunt Kingfish on the flats, I can put together something that you won’t forget.
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I have more than 25 years of experience of fly fishing, in several different countries to draw from and am all about the experience as a whole rather than just catching a fish.
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Things to consider for saltwater trips: Occasionally, the weather may prevent us from being able to fish the flats. In this case, I suggest that instead of writing off the day, we go chase some trout instead.
If planning to fish for trout, you will need to purchase an NZ fishing license, which you can easily do here..
New Zealand Fish and Game Licence
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Or if you are just wanting to fish within the Taupo region, you can get your licence here..
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For all trips, gear hire is available for $30 per person per day if needed.
Trips can be arranged within the North and the South Island depending on the time of year and availability.
Details on request.
Cancellation Policy
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• A NON REFUNDABLE deposit of 50% is required on booking and the remainder payable BEFORE the first day of your trip.
• If cancellation is within 30 days prior to your trip date, a further 25% will be charged unless a replacement can be found.
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