WEST

Interview by Nick Reygaert

Directed & Produced by Dave Greig

Photographs by Dave Greig

Location: West Coast, New Zealand

Species: Brown Trout

Gin-Clear Media: ‘West’ is your first film in the RISE Tour, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up on the West Coast and have enjoyed the outdoors since I was a little kid. I only really spin fished as a little fella which I now know is a bit of a swear word amongst fly fishermen. It wasn’t until my mid 20’s I picked up a fly rod. I thought I better give it a crack after walking up some stunning river valleys while hunting and seeing some nice fish in awesome looking water.

There was nobody in my circle of friends who fly fished, so I did everything the hard way. I went through a heap of gear and had my fair share of tantrums on the riverbanks, until I slowly started to get the basics down. It wasn’t until a few years ago, I started fishing with my neighbour Rich, who’s the other guy in the film. Rich is a keen fly fisherman and has been at it for some time. It was at this point I started to hone the finer skills and understand the game a bit better. I have always enjoyed carrying a camera round on hunting trips so that part naturally carried over into fishing.

Gin-Clear Media: There are some very large brown trout in the film, did you know there were big fish where you were going or was it good luck?

I had a bit of a hunch as I have grown up fishing the rivers. The areas pretty well known for the fishing.

Gin-Clear Media: It seemed like most of the trout caught in the film, ate dry flies. Why are such big fish eating off the top?

I’m no expert here, but we were in the middle of the summer spell and there were a lot of hatches going on, mainly cicadas. The fish looked to make the most of the high value meal and got a little reckless with there feeding behaviour, which made for some exciting fishing. A little less fishing pressure also helped.

Gin-Clear Media: What was your favourite part of this trip?

I’m a big fan of the backcountry trips. Its what sucked me into fishing in the first place. We were lucky to have some great fishing on the trip but it wouldn’t be anything without the scenery. I appreciate backcountry fishing all over the country but I have a little bit of bias toward the coast as its where I’m from. one life so much water now you can explore it all

Gin-Clear Media: What kind of camera set up are you using?

It’s a pretty “run and gun” setup with a Sony A7 IV and a swag of different lenses. I’m pretty keen to invest in a bit more kit to lift the quality of the films, although I generally try to dodge the camera shop as it always hurts the pocket! Its not a cheap hobby.

Gin-Clear Media: Any other projects in the pipeline for you?

I am looking to make another fly-fishing film next season so I’m just kicking round a few options trying to figure out what one will make for a good story.

Gin-Clear Media: What do you hope audiences take away from this film?

Not a lot to be honest! It’s a light-hearted story with no real message or narrative. Just a couple of mates going for a fish. If anything, id hope it reaffirms how massively privileged we are in this country with our outdoor opportunities. We have access to some of the most stunning there is, with some amazing fisheries - In my opinion. It’s definitely not lost on me.