Welcome to Southland, the essence of fly fishing in New Zealand – contact our Concierge for further details.

Join internationally recognised fly fishing guide and writer, Chris Dore for an experience on some of the world’s finest trout streams, where he will introduce you to the superbly conditioned brown and rainbow trout which abound in Southland’s unparalleled waters.

The rivers you have dreamt about are Chris’s home waters, and his much sought after local knowledge and many years of exploration will ensure that your visit is a memorable one.

As an FFF Certified Casting Instructor and member of the New Zealand Professional Fishing Guides Association, Chris is the obvious choice for an unforgettable foray into the worlds premier fly fishing destination.

Southland is home to more rivers and streams than any other province in New Zealand. Blessed with an abundance of productive spring creeks, freestone rivers, rain fed streams and lakes of many sizes, the Southland angler never has to travel far to experience a diverse range of waters, and these are the basis for some of the worlds finest trout fishing.

It is the trout these waters hold, both rainbow, and predominantly brown, which gives the Southland region its reputation as New Zealand’s premier fly-fishing destination. The skilful sight fishing and ‘match the hatch’ techniques required to catch these fish draw much international interest , and many anglers visit in search of the ultimate fly-fishing experience. While many of our rivers do not support the sheer numbers of fish found in many American waters, the opportunity to spot and stalk individual trout more than compensates for quantity. This is akin to hunting; we stalk, locate and cast to trout in their natural environment, where stealth and presentation mean everything.

Many of these fish are large – a 6-pound (circa 24-inch) trout will fail to raise the eyebrows of an initiated local – although many would put the average size of the trout that we encounter at around 3 pound (18inches). With the wide variety of waters available throughout the wider Queenstown area, both backcountry and local there are more than enough angler days to fish each day of the season without covering the same productive beat twice!