Fly Fish Fiordland
Why Serious Anglers Come Here
If you could design the perfect fly fishing destination from scratch, you would end up somewhere that looks a lot like Fiordland. Cold, glacier-fed rivers running gin-clear through untouched native bush. Wild brown and rainbow trout proliferate these emerald green waters.
This is not a manufactured experience. There are no stocked ponds and no guarantees. But for anglers who want to test themselves on the real thing, Fiordland is one of a small number of places in the world that consistently delivers.
The Fishing
Fiordland and Southland offer some of the most diverse fly fishing in the Southern Hemisphere. Within a short drive of Te Anau you have access to:
The Mataura River — one of New Zealand's most storied trout fisheries, famed for its prolific mayfly hatches and healthy population of brown trout. Matching the hatch on the Mataura during a "mad rise" is one of fly fishing's great experiences.
Fiordland backcountry streams — small, clear-water tributaries draining into Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. Wild, remote, and holding some of the largest brown trout in the region. Sight fishing at its most demanding — and its most rewarding.
The Waiau River — draining the Fiordland lakes, this freestone river holds both browns and rainbows in numbers, and is accessible for anglers who prefer a more open wading experience.
Remote heli-access rivers — for those wanting to go further, helicopter access opens up river systems that see almost no fishing pressure. These are fish that have never been spooked by an angler. They eat flies.