Fly Fishing - South Island New Zealand - Youtube

Back Country Fly Fishing - Fiordland - Te Anau

Join Chris Reygaert and his brother Nick Reygaert from @ginclearmedia on an awesome fly fishing adventure in the deep south of New Zealand.

The Pure Fly NZ crew love rainbow trout, everything about these fish is perfect for fly fishers. They thrive in cool, clear water making them perfect targets for sight fishing. New Zealand is famous for growing large, wild rainbows. The really amazing thing about NZ rainbows is that the largest fish in a system will often push right up into the tiny headwaters. The upper reaches of these systems are often the most stable habitat because they are less inclined to flood and rarely colour up. - The result is incredible sight fishing to huge wild rainbows in small water – every fly fishers dream.

This was episode 7 of an 8 part series. Check out some of the other great episodes superbly filmed by the Guru himself Nick Reygaert @ginclearmedia

If your looking for a fishing guide to show you around get in touch. We are always keen to show you around our fly fishing playground.

Flytackle NZ hits Fiordland

Andrew Burden @FlytackleNZ and his mate Cheese were in the South Island and heading down south to Te Anau, Fiordland. It was great to catch up have a fly fish and share some yarns. AB shared his thoughts - check it out below

Friday the 6th of November 2020

The last couple of days have seen Swiss Cheese and I head across from Glenorchy into Te Anau to catch up with Nick and Chris Reygaert to explore the beautiful waters of Fiordland.

It's early Friday morning and I am sitting on the edge of the bed at Chris Reygaert's superbly fly fishy house, like my place the dining room table set up for fly tying and there is fly fishing gear all over the place, love it.

My legs are burning, I think begging for a rest but like Nick's motto when guiding, you never give up, keep pushing.

Wednesday as we chugged across to Te Anau in #sagevannz we stopped at several different bridges and lake edges, looking for rings on the lake or feeding fish in the current from the bridge. I didn't fish Wednesday, I had one of those days where the phone didn't want to stop but Cheese had a shot at some stunning Browns on a cracking stretch of water but they just wouldn't play ball rejecting everything before going deep and even more non compliant.

Wednesday evening as we arrived into town, Chris and Nick had just arrived home from a day on the water and we had a beer and devised a plan, I was short of flies so over a few beers and Indian Takeaways I tied up a few and we shot the breeze till it was time to shut it down and get some sleep for the day ahead.

Thursday morning, Nick arrived and we set off, I went with Nick and Cheese with Chris into what for me was what you think of when you think South Island fishing, long open runs before beautiful pools, big landscape and big fish.

The water was high and heavy but I had prepared last night adding a bit of weight to the fly box and it paid off resulting in some stunning fish for the day.

My favourite fish of the day was a fat rainbow Nick landed, not because of the fish but how it came to net, Nick rolled out the dry and dropper and she rose to the dry slowly, mouth open she took the dry a quarter of the way in before deciding, nah might not eat that and spitting it out. Nick turned to me, "pass me the nymphing rod" first cast, nymphs are chomped and fish on. Was super to watch.

Cheers lads that was a cracking day.

The flies I tied were size 12 & 14 nymphs, really easy ties using the Semperfli Nymph Dub in Dark Brown, Grey and Black. Check it out here and add it to your tying kit, so easy and fast to nut out a lot of flies.

https://flytacklenz.com/.../products/semperfli-nymph-dub

The fly was: Black Bead, Rabbit Tail cut from a Zonker, Semperfli Nymph Dub Body, Small Copper Wire for Rib and a CDC collar in Natural Colour,

This accounted for my Browns and Rainbows on the day.

Right, we are Lumsden bound.

Andrew

Mid Season Report - January/February

It’s been a busy season, not only with clients but with Unprecedented weather conditions during the early days of February. So severe that the South of New Zealand was placed in a State of Emergency. The state of emergency for Southland, including Fiordland, has ended and will be replaced by a Transition Notice. It’s now 2 weeks after the unprecedented event and the realization of the extent of the event is astonishing. Clean up crews are still working hard to help those severely effected. Milford Road is still closed and not likely to open for sometime to come. So, I here you asking - How has the fishing been and how is the fishing now?

January produced some great weather and it looked like we were heading into the usual weather patterns for that time of the year. NW winds, sunny days and clear rivers. This was a relief after the unusually wet start to the season which you can read all about in my previous Blog Post - October Report. It’s like hitting a reset button for a guide as you know the river/s have most likely changed, you have to once again revisit locations to work out how affected they are and where the fish have moved to. December and January revealed little change in where fish were, however their feeding pattern and feeding behavior was a little different to what we would normally experience at that time of the year. You can read about my thoughts on fly choice @ Manic Tackle Project Blog Post - Friday Fly Day - Fiordland Favourites. The lead up to the premier part of the season had a lot of promise with the onset of a predicted Mouse Year. As soon as we were able to get around a bit it was notable that fish had certainly packed on more weight than usual and it was fairly widespread. It was great to see, myself and my clients certainly produced some awesome fish during the January period.

February - Unprecedented Weather

It was not what we were expecting to say the least at this time of the year. An unprecedented weather pattern developed in the Tasman Sea and surged upon the W/SW coast of New Zealand 2-3-4th Feb. Red flag flood warnings popping up on the river level monitoring systems within 24hrs. Over a 100mm + of rain falling within that period in the headwaters and below. Some recordings in the far west of Fiordland received over 200mm of rain in 48hrs. The aftermath of this event was amazing. I was lucky enough not to have too many bookings so spent my days driving around in amazement at the height of the river levels. As the news filtered in over the coming days and a State of Emergency was declared, it was devastating to see the extent of the damage. My hat really goes off to all the emergency respondents during this time of chaos and of course to my fellow Fly Fishing Guides whom had to deal with unprecedented adverse conditions. I encourage everyone to donate where possible or lend a hand in the recovery where possible.

Once again I’ve been out there roving around after these events checking out the conditions. It’s been incredible how long it’s taken for things to settle and it’s not made it easy. The rivers have been ripped to shreds, totally changing the natural course of the riverbeds and the surrounds. Debris and eroded river banks are still cautionary, slips are still occurring in headwaters. Don’t be surprised to drive over a major river and see it coloured up then clear within half a day. The dangers are still out there so be aware and be on alert. I’ve re framed from crossing rivers with clients due to the instability. It is looking more settled as I speak however be aware of extended forecasts and unexpected headwater rains. We have a great resource here in Southland NZ - Environment Data Online Portal . I encourage you to use this daily or even twice daily for the meantime. Great resource for river levels and rainfall.

Having said all that. How’s the fishing? The three or four major systems that feed my region Fiordland and outer regions in Southland have been affected immensely. The fish have been pushed to the extreme to find a place to hold and so once again the rivers are fishing largely different to what they did in January. I’ve personally never know rivers to take so long to get back to there normal flows. Even at relatively normal flows as per Env Data (as mentioned above) they are/were still coloured making for tuff sight fishing conditions. The typical dry fly fishing we normally experience in Feb is almost none existent. Add to that the pressure from anglers of all likes limited to only a few stretches of water and you can imagine the Chaos. Finally we are seeing some mild weather conditions in the forecast and as things settle the fishing is more than likely to come on strong. I’ve had some great success lately with clients and hoping that continues. Thanks to all my mates for keeping in touch, all the guides working together in challenging conditions and looking forward to our fisheries bouncing back. Looking forward to it. All the best out there.

October Report & November Review

I’m sure you’ve been keeping up with my instagram and facebook posts thru October and November, I am however overdue on a report so here goes.

October started on a good note, the weather was fine for most part and the winds were relatively mild. Temps were good and it was only the southerly winds that really made a difference to air temps. The southerlies however usually produce nice sunny blue sky days over the Fiordland region especially in the Te Anau basin. These are the days to be cherished, as an experienced angler in the region knows significant change in the weather patterns is eminent so making the most of it is a must. As a fishing guide it gives you time to scout about and find out whats changed since the closure of the last season. Although rainfall is relatively low during winter (which may shock you as a stat) when it does rain it can be very heavy. This can significantly change the characteristics of the river bed especially on those freestone larger rivers that feed off the higher mountain ranges. If the rain is heavy enough sometimes it can be devastating to a river system (more so the steeper smaller back country systems we have) totally wiping out the trouts ability to hold and therefore pushing all the fish out. Hence the reason to get out there early and check out whats been happening.

This is also a great time to check out some of the tributaries. As fish have moved into these areas to spawn they will hold for a while and slowly drop back as the season progresses. What do I mean by dropping back?? you ask… If you haven’t seen it yet it is quiet amazing and can happen quiet quickly especially on river systems that hold a lot of fish. Usually unexpected by the angler you will notice fish dropping down stream and as they pass you they then turn to move upstream slowly then turning once again to flow downstream. This can been seen by the angler as a spooked fish but is not always the case and they can still be intercepted not knowing your there..

Apart from that I’ve been unfortunate with the weather when clients have booked and we’ve really had to grind it out. Timing was not our friend. We came close but no cigar.

Couple days before my clients arrived before the storm rolled in.. Thumper..

The dreaded no fish day look with clients. We came close but no cigar. Great day out in tough conditions and they were most gracious in defeat. Thanks Mick & Honey..

As we creep into November the weather hasn’t given up and it’s been relentless with consistent rainfalls exceeding 50mm in the headwaters which has kept everything topped up to the max. It’s been a real pick and chose scenario. If you’ve had the privilege of time on your side or the opportunity to head east then those recluse little hidden gems seem to be fishing well. The endless map of artistry for a professional fishing guide.

Here’s some pics of what is on offer so far if your in the right place at the right time..

Opening Day New Zealand - Fiordland Fishing Guide - Review

As a fishing guide and fly fishing addict the opening of the fishing season here in New Zealand doesn’t seem to come quick enough. As photos filter in thru facebook and instagram from our friends ‘Across the Ditch’ in Ozzie land the anticipation is palpable.. There season opens earlier than ours by a month. You can only watch and pound the like button in support of your fellow minded foe knowing it’s not long till your time comes.

Due to the amazing access we now have to weather forecasting sites on the internet most Kiwi anglers will be planning there attack a week out from opening. Weather forecasts are never a guarantee but in this day and age you get a fair idea of what your in for. It’s almost uncanny but for some reason more than likely the first spring changes seem to appear majestically on or about the same time as opening day. We normally experience this change down in the far south with wind changes moving more to West/South West with cold southerly blows. This usually means that the lows will be trying to push up contesting the high troughs that are slowly trying to prove there dominance. Undoubtedly this change periodically brings fluctuating spring rains and a mix of high and low temperatures.

So I here you ask!! How’s it been. How’s the early season fishing?

Good. We seem to have escaped any major frontal systems for now. It’s been more cold than wet, the forecast looks good for the short term as well. I had a nice opening day spent in the sun chasing rainbows and picked a nice brown up today.

Only selected waters are open at the moment. Please read the Fish & Game rules and regulations for all the up to date info.

Even though it can be hit and miss each season the opportunities are always there. Best thing is there’s no one around and the trout are happy and ready to eat.

If your looking for a NZ South Island fly fishing guide I have plenty of spaces to fill up so keep in touch..

Regards

Chris Reygaert

Owner/Operator
FiordlandFishingGuide.co.nz
NZPFGA Accredited

P: +64 22 453 6854

e: cjreygaert@iinet.net.au

Spring Winners

The Manic Tackle crew recently featured my thoughts on the up and coming season 2019 -2020 as a Friday Fly Day post. Check out my recommendations as per below.

Chris Reygaert AKA Fiordland Fishing Guide is chomping at the bit for the new season and has been kind enough to gives us a bit of insight into which flies from the Manic Fly Collection he'll be throwing at fish come October 1st..

More than likely October and November will see significant spring rainfall events. This will top the rivers up after a relatively mild winter and flows will be strong and swift. The Ugly Mother Tiger designed by Simon Chu comes packed with two tungsten beads for some serious depth finding and a great fly to trail a smaller nymph behind. The slim profile aids in sinking this little beasty fast and on the way down or on the swing the cdc gives it that lively attractive movement which trout are always on the look out for. The two tone ribbed body is great in a buggy subtle colour.

An Ole classic and a fly that sometimes gets over looked. A great all round nymph pattern and like a prince it's sharply dressed providing great definition with it's buggy profile. Rainbows absolutely love these things and it's a trusty nymph fished blind thru faster deeper runs as the trailing fly on a double set up. In the larger sizes 12 and 10's it's proven to be very effective on waters that hold the larger of the mayfly family the Colobriscus.

As I type I can here the rain tapping on the roof and the prediction is for a fair ole dump, just what’s needed to get the bait moving down in the lower reaches of the larger rivers and estuary's. If you’re lucky to find fish smashing into bait the skeletal smelt is a go to pattern to match the hatch as they say. Slim, slightly flashy and sparse so it sinks just enough to get noticed. Don't be afraid to fish this inert can be deadly.

Another older style fly that kicks about in the odd fly box. I love this fly early season especially on those fish that have parked up in those backwaters that have filled up with early season high river flows. Is it a minnow? is it a damsel? is it a large nymph? who knows. A very versatile fly that can be fished many different ways on both rivers and lakes.

Just on the off chance that you score one of those perfect warm spring blue sky days, the birds are chirping, the winds light and the rivers are clear. These are the conditions early season that your more than likely to see a small hatch coming off. If it's happening then I can't think of a better pattern to have in varying sizes than the Parachute Adams. Fish will be looking to feed and having received very little angling pressure over winter they won't be shy in gobbling these little morsels down. Great fly to hang a nymph off as well, the small white post is a great indicator. The bonus - if the fish doesn't eat you dry then you'll more than likely have him fooled on the dropper. The Ole Double Whammy.

Your local Manic Fly Dealer - Seal The Deal

'The Unofficial Start to the season for some' Whitebait Feeding Trout Southland New Zealand

It’s the start of the whitebait season here in Southland New Zealand. Almost as religious as the opening of the Game Bird Season the Whitebaiting community will be geared up and ready to intercept their chosen quarry as they move into the river systems to spawn. As the small fish move into the estuary systems it’s not only the Whitebaiters that these tiny creatures have to be aware of, this mass movement of bait is a big meal ticket for trout. For the avid fly fisher this presents an opportunity to follow and target their feeding behavior. This is a very specific, highly visual type of fly fishing and a must for anyone that hasn’t experienced it yet. Leave your usual nymph and dry’s at home, this requires a box full of protein fueled imitations that ‘match the hatch’ of these slender morsels.

Flies

Matauka Ghosts - Skeletal Smelt - Fresh Candy are all great patterns

@manictackleproject.com

@manictackleproject.com

@manictackleproject.com

Technique

I think technique and understanding fish movements is more of a factor than what you tie on the end of your tippet to improving your success rate. General knowledge of a chosen destination is key to finding when/where the best place and times will be. This is a fast paced environment so your ability to present a fly is also a benefit, attention to accuracy and quick delivery thru excellent line management is the golden nugget for cheesy instagram boasting potential.

This is winter fishing at it’s best the Unofficial Start to the season for me. Check out the vid below for some Pre Frothing action and let me know if your interested in this unique style of fishing.

email: cjreygaert@iinet.net.au

Mob: +64 22453 6854

2019-2020 Licence Information Non-Resident Anglers

If you’re a visitor from overseas, you must buy a Non-Resident Licence (NRL).

"Non-resident" means a person who, on October 1, is NOT ordinarily a resident in New Zealand.  A Resident is someone who is a New Zealand citizen, or :

• holds a residence class, student, or work visa, and

• has lived in New Zealand for at least six of the 12 months immediately prior to their licence purchase, and

• has New Zealand as their primary place of established residence.

A Non-Resident Licence (NRL) entitles the holder to fish for sports fish in all Fish & Game regions, excluding the Taupo Fishing District managed by the Department of Conservation. It includes a levy used to contribute to fisheries management and habitat protection.

The 2019-2020 NRL Whole Season Licence for adults costs $180, NRLs for juniors (12-17) and children (under 12) cost $34.

If you’re a visitor just planning a short fishing trip anywhere from a few hours to a full day, you can buy a One Day Non-Resident Licence for $34 (Adult), or $20 for a junior or child.

This One Day NRL does not allow you to fish designated backcountry licenced waters.

But after a Whole Season NRL has been purchased, the holder can apply for a Back Country Licence and Controlled Fishery Licence at no additional cost (except for the upper Rangitikei back country fishery which costs a mandatory $25 for all anglers).

Non-Resident Licences can be purchased online or in person (if you are in New Zealand) at a hunting or fishing store that sells licences – agents with online purchasing facilities are able to issue NRLs.

Alternatively, overseas visitors can apply for, and have their licence mailed to them at an international address in advance of their trip to New Zealand. They should allow at least 15 working days before their departure for it to reach them in time. Otherwise a New Zealand postal address can be provided so the licence is ready for collection on arrival.

Non-resident anglers are not eligible for other whole season or part-season licence categories.

Kris & Lauralee Fly Fishing NZ Adventure

Was everything and more than we could have expected.  Sunny day, great waters, fun conversation, a friendly and very helpful and instructional day, and we enjoyed getting to know you and experiencing fly fishing on a river for the first time.  Was great to receive so many good tips and for your encouragement, support and motivation
I will always treasure your tips regarding casting, fly placement and presentation, and how to cover the water effectively.  Was a real treat to make that first cast so close in the fast water, instead of bombing the fly across the water, and that nice fish taking the blow fly right in front of me!  You are a special friend now and we will always treasure our day on the water with you!

Fish to the net. A nice Wild Rainbow

Chris taking the special time to help Lauralee make better casts.  Thank you!

Wild Rainbow Trout for Kris

Thank you Kris & Lauralee for your review.

Another great day fly fishing in New Zealand.

Riley's Adventure

A recent review - This is 10 year old Rileys write up.

Fly Fishing

New Zealand South Island Te Anau Rivers 17 - 19th January 2019

Me and my Dad flew into New Zealand hired a car and drove into Te Anau where we had hired a house with my granddad, grand uncle and Dads sister. we met our guide the next day, Chris.

We drove to our first destination were we did a very hard river crossing, the rocks were unbelievably Slippery and the current would have swooped me off my feet but Dad and Chris helped me across I got very wet because it was very deep. Once we got out of the strong river we started walking to the steam. Once we got to the steam we stoped and had a fish we didn’t catch anything but dad an I were both able to hook a fish but each of them got away because we didn’t let the reel spool. So we stoped and had sandwiches for lunch. We started heading back to the car so we could drive to a different river but we had to cross the river again and when we did we had a fish Chris said there would be a big fish in the water and he was right! But we weren’t able to catch it so began walking back to the car, once we reached the car we got in and zipped to a different river were we had a fish and then we went home. We were all tired so we went to sleep very quick

On our second day Chris picked us up and started driving to a different place, where we tried willow grubbing, it was willow grubbing because the grubs would fall off the willow trees and lived on the river bank, the trout were very fussy and would not eat the grub, it was very technical casting, you had to present it well or else the fish would not go for it but we kept on trying until they stoped feeding and the fish went away so we went to a different steam and me and my Dad had a fish while Chris went back to the car to grab lunch. When he came back we sat down and eat our lunch. Then we went to a different river were I landed my first fish! A 4 pound rainbow! It was very exciting and the fish tried to bury us under a fallen tree but we were able to stop him and eventually the fish gave up and Chris scooped up the fish with his net we took some photos and then we released the fish we went back to the car and drove home I was in a very good mood.

On our third and final day Chris picked us up again and drove to a very beautiful place trees towered over us which gave the car good shade you could see mountains all around us and at one point it got really cloudy and you could only see the mountain tops. We hopped down to river were there were a lot of fish but sadly they were very fussy after fishing there for a while Chris spotted a giant trout who wouldn’t go for the bait so we went and crossed a river and started walking through some scrub. We were walking until Chris spotted a fish, Dad tried to have a go but when he hopped down the fish swam right up close, Dad stayed really still because Chris said it was because the fish thought Dad was a tree! Dad stayed really still but he moved his right foot and the fish ran away. After walking though some more scrub Chris spotted another fish which Dad had a go at and caught! The trout had been sitting behind a white rock waiting for the grubs to float down and put up a good fight, even made some jumps but Dad was able to pull it in and Chris scooped it up with his net. It was a 3 pound brown Dads first fly fishing fish! After having lunch we made our way to a steam we had a fish but did not catch anything so we headed back though the scrub and crossed a river because Chris had spotted another fish which I landed! It was a good fish as well 4 pound brown second fish I’ve ever landed! After we took some photos we started heading back to the car. Each time we got back to the car Chris would have an ice water ready for us which was great and the best bit was being able to take off my water boots and give my wrinkly feet a rest. It was a very good fly fishing experience.

Very proud of you Riley. Thank you so much for your awesome review. You were so patient, understanding and polite. It was Epic ‘Young Fella’..

Thank you to the Carney Family for a great 3 days.

See you soon hopefully.

Regards

Chris Reygaert

October Report 2018-2019

The start of the season is well under way here in New Zealand. The 1st of October sets the scene for the season ahead. If you weren’t out fly fishing the Winter season you’ll most likely be gathering your gear and making sure your licensed for the 2018-19 season.

Talking about gear for the new season - Here’s a link to my thoughts @ManicTackleProject //www.manictackleproject.com/techy-thursday-top-five-opening-tips-from-five-top-guys/

The start of the season is always depicted by weather and this seasons start was no exception, dominated by sub polar cold fronts. We experienced snow to ground level across the lower South Island of New Zealand early October. This has added to a consistent snowfall through out winter.

This is good news as fish looking to spawn have been provided with consistent water levels. Excessive rainfalls or floods during winter can make a huge difference so it’s good to see consistent levels.
Things have started to settle. High pressure periods have started to show with the usual NW winds showing face. Sunny days have warmed the water and fish are back on the feed.

Working in the local Fishing Outfitting Store @fiordlandfrontiersupplies I picked out the best weather to get out and experience early season at it’s best with my mates…..