New Zealand is 2013/2014
Sofishticated Accomodation�
Extra�ordinary Adventures �
Troutstanding Fly Fishing �
Luxury Fishing � PROUDLY PARTNERING WITH:
Kia Ora, We have specialized in travel to just New Zealand for over twenty years and believe we know it better than anyone. Each year everyone on “The Best” of New Zealand team visits New Zealand and stays in the accommodations, participates in the local activities, and samples the local cuisine. We personally check out your travel options before recommending them to you. We have worked hard to earn our reputation as “The Best” go-to agency for New Zealand. Our expertise is organizing a specific itinerary designed for you to experience a diverse range of activities and explore the grandeur of one of the most majestic island nations in the Pacific. We can provide a variety of optional exciting activities and sightseeing to allow you the freedom to be as adventuresome as you wish. Our wealth of local knowledge, attention to detail, and personalized service assure you a genuine New Zealand fishing experience adapted to fit your budgetary requirements. We can help you plan your entire New Zealand trip. If you are looking for an unforgettable New Zealand experience email me or my awarding winning staff
mike@bestofnz.net and enjoy the benefits of our unmatched New Zealand expertise and service.
Sincerely,
Michael D. McClelland, Owner The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing
Andrea Dorr, Post Falls Idaho
Lynn Meyer, Roanoke Virginia
Mark Garonzik, New York NY
Debra O’Donahue, Mill Valley California
Andy Trabucco, Santa Barbara California
Barrie Hesp, Noank Connecticut
Robert Slezak, Gaylord Michigan
Keri Modder, Los Angeles California
Ruth Green, Santa Barbara California
Mike Fraser, Pampa Texas
Carol Kaszubski, Benton Kentucky
Nancy Weeks, Jackson Wyoming
Contents
Fast facts New Zealand.................................................... � The thrill of fly fishing for large trout......................... �� Stalking and spotting trout in New Zealand.............. �� Fishing and a Kiwi connection in Shangri-La............ �� New Zealand – The Angler’s El Dorado......................��
this document is interactive, so wherever you see this symbol click for more info
Troutstanding
New Zealand Fly Fishing Calendar ����.....................�� Doug Monnig - A New Zealand Veteran.....................�� Top �� New Zealand Food & Wine Experiences....... �� Stunning Locations – Thrilling Adventures...............�� Let’s plan your New Zealand adventure.....................��
Fast facts
New Zealand Status New Zealand is an independent state, a member of the Commonwealth, governed by a democratically elected parliament.
Geographic Location New Zealand is �,��� miles in length, ���,��� square miles in two main islands ‒ the North and South Islands, a little larger than Britain, slightly smaller than Italy and about two thirds the size of California.
Language & Currency English is the official language of New Zealand although Maori is also recognized as an official language. The local currency is NZ dollars and cents and the exchange rates vary according to international monetary conditions. Credit cards are accepted just about everywhere.
The People & Culture New Zealand has a population of �.� million, mostly of British decent. The indigenous people, the Maori, comprise of about ��% of the population. A rich blend of Maori custom and tradition exist today and can be viewed and experienced throughout the country. New Zealander’s proudly call themselves “Kiwis,” a term that bonds the multicultural society that is emerging today.
Getting There Air New Zealand offers daily flights both non-stop and direct, stopping in Hawaii, Tahiti, Cook Islands and Fiji. Many anglers stop for several days rest upon return.
Getting Around New Zealand Air New Zealand offers daily flights throughout the country. Rental cars are readily available from most major international companies. Rail and ferry services are also available.
The North Island The subtropical marine resort of the Bay of Islands is an area rich in history and offers an international reputation as a Big Game fishing Mecca. Touring the countryside, you will find parks and scenic reserves, many focusing on the geothermal activity located in the center of the Island. World class resorts at Rotorua and Taupo offer golf, tennis, sailing and swimming. Cosmopolitan cities, small quaint towns, rolling green pastures and virgin native forests all combine to provide an island that’s dramatic scenery is a constant reminder of its volcanic past. New Zealand is a land of contrasts, alpine mountain ranges, lush rainforests, pristine beaches, majestic fiords and volcanic peaks all paint a picture of dramatic beauty. However, her most remarkable resource is her people -- open-hearted, warm and friendly and resourceful. We guarantee you a true New Zealand experience.
The South Island Besides fishing, sightseeing is the most popular activity. New Zealand has many beautiful National Parks and Forests. Probably best known in the South Island is breathtaking Fiordland, sporting rainforests, boat tours and hiking. Mount Cook and Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers offer excellent backpacking, day hiking and photography. Queenstown, a small attractive resort town to the south, offers picturesque scenery, shopping par excellence, and every outdoor pursuit imaginable and then some! Follow the fashionable wine trails of Marlborough in the North of the Island or simply enjoy the countryside, visiting the small towns where time seems to stand still. See the crafts, antiques, local fairs all of which make up the charm of rural New Zealand.
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AUCKLAND
North Island Rotorua Gisborne
New Plymouth
Nelson
WELLINGTON
Christchurch
South Island Dunedin Invercargill
Extra�o
ordinary
www.newzealand.com
The Thrill of Fly Fishing for Large Trout
The Dry Fly � The Ultimate Thrill Every fisherman has a dream and many dry fly fishing dreams are fulfilled in New Zealand waters. If you want to accept a challenge and put some real excitement back into your life, then travel down to the South Pacific equipped to present the lure “par excellence” -- the dry fly -- to a large, selectively feeding brown trout in crystal clear water. When your guide finds this fish for you, the scene will be set for the ultimate angling thrill and challenge. Your skill against the trout’s natural caution, the classic one-on-one situation. For it is not really the fly, but the angler who succeeds. A keen eyed guide will certainly give you an edge, but when the cast is made it will be up to you. It is the angler who must control emotions, remain calm and present the dry fly accurately and delicately. The trout will not care who you are or where you come from; reputation means nothing to it, only the way you present your fly! ��
Stalking and Spotting Trout in New Zealand
Fishing for New Zealand’s trout often requires skills and techniques unfamiliar to most visitors. It is Sight Fishing at its best, even more so than on the bonefish flats of Florida, Belize or Christmas Island. It requires adaptation: changing your clothes and altering your line color; pacing like a heron along the river’s edge visually searching water as clear as crystal for tell-tale hints of a trout’s presence; sneaking and sometimes bellying up behind fish to gain the best position for a cast; changing flies in a quick rotation that would do justice to any spring creek ‘Match the Hatcher.’ All just to hook the fish! Yes, fishing for trout in New Zealand takes some adjusting.
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New Zealand never looked so good!
Because we are AVIS New Zealand’s largest USA account we have the lowest rates available. This relationship also helps our clients resolve problems that can arise when driving a rental car in a foreign country. Call (800) 528-6129 or email info@BestofNZ.net for a quote!
CEDAR LODGE ALL INCLUSIVE HELICOPTER FLY FISHING With more than 30 years of heli-fishing experience exclusively in the South Island region, the awardwinning Cedar Lodge is considered the South Island’s premier fly fishing lodge. Our guided fishing packages are tailored to make you feel at home on the South Island while putting you in front of wild trout on New Zealand’s most picturesque waters. Four night three day fishing packages start at $3200. Visit our website at www.cedarlodge.net
A Luxury award-winning boutique-style lodge, Pen-y-bryn Lodge offers unrivaled visitor accommodation, fine dining and hospitality, thus earning Pen-y-bryn its growing international reputation. As a luxury honeymoon destination, relaxing retreat, romantic getaway,
wedding location or for no occasion at all, Pen-y-bryn Lodge provides guests the unparalleled service and comfort of famed South Island hospitality.
Guests come from far and wide to experience this historic estate and take in the sights and experiences of North Otago, one of New Zealand’s most
historic and scenic “undiscovered gems”. Many of our guests had never heard of Oamaru before they arrived, but leave wishing they could stay longer. The charm and beauty of Oamaru of course play a big role in this, but perhaps
it has to do also with the gourmet delights on offer both at Pen-y-bryn and
around town. At Pen-y-bryn, guests gather in the evenings, warmed by blazing log fires to savour first-class table d’hôte cuisine. Attention to detail in the use of the freshest local organic produce teamed with New Zealand wines from a
connoisseur wine cellar create an exceptional Nokomai Station is also the home of Nokomai Valley Accommodation, setdining up toexperience. enable visitors to stay and enjoy the property.
Fishing and a Kiwi connection in Shangri-La
The ancient Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the earth’s most extraordinary places. It is one of the smallest countries on earth and as close to a real-life Shangri-La as exists. Bhutan, with its serene Buddhist culture and its ruggedly beautiful landscape, is truly a living heritage. Bhutan remained unknown and isolated from much of the world for hundreds of years. With a premium placed on ‘gross national happiness’ and a new Constitution, Bhutan has now begun to modernize with great care by improving roads and adding direct lights from Bangkok, while protecting its pristine environment and the unique culture of its peoples. We offer individual trips to this ‘Land of the Peaceful Dragon’ to fish for Brown Trout while experiencing the magic of this unique destination.
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New Zealand � The Angler’s El Dorado
Since the dawn of time, the seas surrounding New Zealand have sported a bounty of marlin, swordfish, tuna and a variety of other species. The inland lakes and streams, however, remained relatively unpopulated. Following the introduction of trout into New Zealand at the latter part of the last century, and the recognition of this country as a world class fishery in the early part of this century, anglers from all over the world have looked to New Zealand as the Mecca of Angling-the world’s best wild trout fishery.
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New Zealand Fly Fishing Calendar ���� January The main New Zealand summer holidays and so the country is relatively crowded. This is a good month for a float trip before rivers reach their lowest levels and a time to try and fish more remote waters - best month for helicopter fly-outs using big dries for both browns and rainbows. Start of the blue water game fishing season for marlin.
February The most popular month for North American fly fishermen to visit New Zealand. Generally the weather is hot and settled. Streams are at their lowest, wading is easy and the trout most visible. However these conditions demand careful stalking and a delicate presentation with small nymphs and dries. Some fish are becoming selective. A good month for camping out or that overnight helicopter trip. Good evening hatch. Start of the salmon runs in the south island.
March Weather still warm and settled in the north island but becoming cooler in the south. Mountain streams still fishing well for browns with dries. Trout are in peak condition and so a good month for trophies. Best month for salmon fishing.
April The start of Autumn and the last month of fishing in most districts. Some frosts. Usually the driest month of the year and so river levels very low. Excellent dry fly fishing for browns on many streams with big attractor patterns during the middle of the day.
May This is the time for catching a trophy rainbow either in the Rotorua Lakes or the tributary streams of Lake Taupo. The last month to catch a marlin. The opening of the Game Bird season and best month for duck hunting.
June The real start of winter with snow in all inland areas. Some lakes and their tributaries remain open in both the north and south island. Fishing is with very heavy nymph rigs or sinking lines with egg and streamer patterns.
July All the ski fields are open. For the hardy angler the Tongariro River offers some of the best fly fishing of the year for spawning rainbows.
August Mid-winter with most days cold but clear. The quietest time of the year for fishing although the Tongariro is generally producing results. The start of some good light tackle salt water fishing. A good time to be planning your New Zealand fly fishing trip of a lifetime!
September First signs of spring with New Zealand at its greenest. Weather still cold in inland areas, particularly in the mountains. Lakes Rotorua and Taupo open for fishing as are their major tributaries. Often good streamer and nymph fishing for late spawning rainbows. Opening of fishing season in South Westland and Fiordland for sea-run trout.
October Spring weather throughout New Zealand, but still cool. Opening of fishing season for streams and rivers in most districts. The last runs of spawning rainbows in tributaries. Streams with resident browns becoming very active. Excellent fly fishing with weighted nymphs in most mountain streams.
November The start of summer weather, with very long days but often a little windy. Very good dry fly hatches, particularly in the evening on both the North and South islands. The trout are generally very aggressive to artificials and many guides believe this is the best fishing month of the year for browns.
December One of the least crowded months to fish New Zealand waters up until Christmas Day. Great weather and excellent fishing in all lakes, streams and river with streamers, nymphs and dries. The trout in all streams are active throughout the day and at this time the browns seem least wary.
Late season fishing is as good as they say
Late season fishing in New Zealand, after most of the tourists have departed, can be better than in the peak months of January and February, according to both fishing guides and lodge owners. I recently decided to find out for myself and make a one-week late season fishing trip in mid-April, just before most of the streams and rivers closed for the season at the end of April. I again had the pleasure of flying non-stop from Los Angeles in the new Premier Business Class sleeper seats on Air New Zealand. After dinner, I stretched out on the horizontal “bed” and the twelve-hour overnight flight passed quickly. I awoke, had breakfast, and landed at Auckland at 7:30am local time. The time change in the peak of the season is only 3 hours, resulting in a much easier “body clock” adjustment than most other international destinations.
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NEW ZEALAND’S ALLURE LIES IN IT’S CONTRADICTIONS
Rolling green hills dissolve into rugged coastlines.
Located at the tip of the North Island overlooking
Craggy mountain peaks plunge into pristine lakes.
Matauri Bay, the 6,000-acre Kauri Cliffs is a wonderland
Golfing from an ancient glacier is as accessible as playing
with three private beaches, a David Harman-designed
18 holes on a championship course, while a peaceful
golf course, and a spa tucked within the on-property
morning interrupted only by the swish of the fly fishing
Totara forest where each treatment room opens onto a
line can easily become an afternoon whip around a
private patio with forest views. A typical day might begin
dry river bed by ATV. Little wonder that the legendary
with a signature, cloud-like Fluffy Egg White omelet on the
‘land of the long white cloud’ is a dream destination for
terrace of the main lodge, followed by a tour of the working
travelers who have never been, but especially for those
sheep and cattle farm on horseback. Guests may chose to
who have.
play 18 holes on the par-72 course (currently ranked 74
The contradictions end at The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri Lodge. Each of the Relais & Chateaux lodges strike the perfect balance of indulgence, adventure and pampering against the backdrop of New Zealand’s epic natural beauty.
in the world by Golf Magazine) accompanied by resident course goat, Tiger, followed by a massage to the soundtrack of the native birds that populate the surrounding forest. An evening barbeque at the lodge’s own Pink Beach is a favorite way to close out the day.
A world renown Trophy Brown Trout destination strategically located in the centre of the South Island. Hanmer Springs, New Zealand
• Professional and knowledgeable guides with passion and years of experience. • Private access by 4 x 4 to remote wilderness fishing rivers. • Helicopter fly-outs also available. • Fully trained chef – local cuisine and wine. • True Kiwi service and hospitality - relaxing, comfortable & private. • Many activities for the non fishing person in local Hanmer Springs Alpine Spa Resort. — Come join us!
Doug Monnig A New Zealand Veteran
Mike, Just wanted to send you some photos from my January NZ trip. Despite twisting my left knee and aggravating an old injury at the end of a very nice first day at “Poronui Ranch”, and some less than favorable weather conditions, it turns out I was still able to fish 3 out of 5 days the North Island and 8 out of 9 days at “River Haven Lodge” on the South Island. I was limping pretty badly, and I was forced to fish some pretty flat, easy beats, but I still got in some good fly fishing, both on dries and nymphs. In fact, I had one of my best big fish days ever on the South Island, and I finally landed that double digit NZ trout from a stream (a 10.25 lb. South Island brown, photo attached) that has eluded me until this trip.
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Nokomai Valley Lodge LOCATION: • High country area near Queenstown in the southern lakes region of New Zealand. • Close by to Milford and Doubtful Sounds with many beautiful tourist sights and attractions.
ACCOMMODATION: • Cottage style accommodation units set up for the outdoor enthusiast. • Comfortable spacious one or two bedroom units. • Self cater or meals by arrangement.
• Part of a large sheep and cattle property, Nokomai Station.
• Helpful friendly staff. Highly recommended country style cuisine.
• Central to all the southern rivers.
• Wifi available. GENERAL INFORMATION:
FISHING: • The main river, the Mataura, flows for 20kms through the property.
• Non fishing attractions include, walking trails, bird watching, farm tours, horseriding, mountain bikes & helitouring.
• Clear water, easy bank access, great guides, make for great sport as you pit yourself against the Mataura “browns “ especially in a mayfly hatch.
• New this year-
• Other excellent rivers include, Nevis, Oreti, Waikaia, Aparima and the Waimea. • Guides affiliated to the NZ Guides Assn , experienced with local rivers, popular with our guests, attending to all the details making a day’s fishing, one to remember.
• Around the Mountains Cycle Trail. • District tour including, farm viewing and local places of interest.
A TRUE NEW ZEALAND HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE
Unique fly fishing with spectacular scenery on the beautiful West Coast of New Zealand
Kawhaka Lodge
WESTLAND NEW ZEALAND
Our experienced guides will take you to stunning locations to sight fish for wily brown trout and fighting rainbow trout. Our luxury trout fishing lodge is in the heart of the South Island’s West Coast a unique part of New Zealand. We can also tailor make unique trout fishing safaris around the South Island. Visit our spectacular trout fishing region and take home the angling experience of a lifetime. Kawhaka Lodge offers a very personalised service, with just two suites opening off onto a spacious veranda with nature at the door step.
Special fly fishing for brown trout which the West Coast is famous for with many trophy size fish available for the discerning angler.
Top �� New Zealand Food & Wine Experiences
For the quintessential wine experience, hire a car and follow the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail through three wine regions, and leave plenty of time to stop, savour and appreciate.
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No New Zealand fine dining experience would be truly complete without a glass or two of award-winning pinot noir – take your pick from Central Otago, in the south, or Martinborough, in the north – and the perfect match for succulent New Zealand lamb.
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If you want an authentic New Zealand wine experience, the vineyards of Gisborne on the North Island’s sun-drenched east coast produce an especially fine chardonnay to toast your holiday dreams.
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At the top of the South Island, Marlborough is not only New Zealand’s biggest wine growing region it’s also the ‘green–lipped mussel capital of the world’ – for a match made in heaven try mussels and Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
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Get up early one weekend morning and mingle with the locals at a farmers market where you can buy fresh local fruit and veg, and take home treats like jam, honey, pickles and handmade bread.
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You won’t have to go to the bottom of New Zealand to sample a true blue Blvuff oyster but if you want the freshest and juiciest just landed from the southern ocean, Southland is the place to be.
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Work your way up to a thirst as you cycle your way through the vineyards in Hawke’s Bay or tackle a beer cycling tour around Nelson where you’ll have plenty of chances to sample the local vintage or brew.
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The South Island’s West Coast cooks up one of New Zealand’s most celebrated culinary delicacies the whitebait pattie – fished up from the river, tossed in egg and served with a local Monteith’s beer.
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Treat yourself to sensual taste sensations sampling fine chocolates with weird but wonderful fillings, or a super decadent hot chocolate, at a boutique chocolaterie in Greytown or Wellington.
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Join a cooking class and learn to cook like a master chef in one of the many cooking schools around the country. You’ll also get to meet some of New Zealand’s top foodies.
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“It’s not how many fish you catch, it’s where the fly�fishing takes you in life” Michael L. Yelton
Stunning Locations � Thrilling Adventures
New Zealand is jam-packed with things to do. The hardest part of planning your adventure will be deciding which to do first! Exploring New Zealand’s magnificent landscape and coastline tops the list for many. If adventure is your game, there’s a long list of thrilling activities to get your blood racing. Or if it’s a relaxing holiday you’re after, hot pools, vineyards and cultural attractions will keep you entertained. That’s just a few of the things to do in New Zealand. Better start making that list.
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DD & Bick Cardwell Atlanta, Georgia
We’ll start you The rest is
ur adventure. up to you.
Let’s Plan Your New Zealand Adventure Fill out the form below so we can help tailor your experience Click here for online version
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