39 Fishing a fine line

BARRY BECK

Fishing a fine line

The season of trout is upon us. For those puzzled by the quiet mysteries of fly fishing, we aim to solve at least some of them. Tracy Neal reports.

It happens each October. Usually it rains, muddying rivers and the hopes of hundreds who have been waiting months to cast a line. The official opening of the seven-month trout fishing season is the time for eager anglers to haul on bib pants and waders and spend weekends stalking their favourite rivers. It’s often a solitary time for partners whose preference is not to spend hours on a riverbank, swatting sandflies and drinking coffee from a thermos.

But as the old saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, then join ‘em. As it turns out, the Nelson region hosts some of the world’s best waterways for catching trout. It’s one reason Felix Borenstein moved here from Australia to set up what has become a five-star luxury fishing lodge. “After fishing around a lot of New Zealand, it became obvious to me that the Murchison/Nelson Lakes region of the South Island has the best sighted brown trout river fishery in the world.” The Owen River Lodge near Murchison had, until early last year, focused largely on the international visitor market. Historically, 96 per cent of guests annually were from the US, Australia and the UK, with “four or five” bookings from New Zealanders.

That all changed suddenly when the borders closed due to Covid. The overseas anglers were gone. “We tried to pivot as a country luxury lodge which by and large was a failure – so we stuck with what we do best.” Luckily, Kiwis were suddenly keen to go fishing. Felix says 65 bookings from New Zealanders halted the downward revenue spiral, assisted by lowered rates to suit the Kiwi market. “It blew me away. I was incredibly grateful, and still am, for the number of Kiwis who decided to come here and stay at the lodge.” Felix says it also helped to keep his staff employed, to whom he felt obliged. “They offered to take a pay cut, but I said ‘no’. My head chef has been with me 10 years and I’ve made good money in that time, so it wasn’t fair to have them take a hit because of what

OWEN RIVER LODGE

Kylie Sargeant with a wild brown trout on the Owen River.

was going on beyond their control. Fewer people had a positive spin-off on the river. “Our guides saw far less anglers on the river, making the fish a little easier to catch.”

Helping to run the business is Felix’s partner Kylie Sargeant. The avid fly fisher is certified by the International Federation of Fly Fishers, making her New Zealand’s only female certified fly-casting instructor. She says fly fishing is most certainly something more women should be encouraged to do. “It’s an incredibly restorative practise – I’m not sure men like to share that too much; the secrets of how restorative fly fishing can be. It takes you to some divine places and it provides an opportunity to just be still. “As women we’re usually pretty awful at that, but to take time out, to be in solitude somewhere stunningly beautiful, be still and present in the moment, is what fly fishing is all about.” The former special needs teacher became hooked on fly fishing after a camping holiday with her children in her native Australia. “It became something to do on school holidays. It began with me dropping a handline over a footbridge at the beach. Then we started going to some really nice quiet places and fishing became a side activity to keep the kids entertained.” Kylie says on one trip they were camped beside a fly fisherman. “This gentleman got the kids really excited about insects, and how to tie (fishing) flies on his camp table, and he showed them how to cast.”

Kylie learned then that casting was just as much an art form as an outdoor activity. “It’s what led me to study to become a casting instructor.”

Kylie says the advantage New Zealand has over other top fishing destinations is that it’s safe. “There are no snakes, there are no bears – the bush is quite benign in terms of things that can kill you…well, yes, the sandflies can drive you crazy, but they won’t kill you.” Fish & Game New Zealand manages, maintains and enhances sports fish and game birds, and their habitats. It is funded through the sale of fishing and hunting licences, which are required by anyone wanting to go fresh-water fishing or game bird hunting. Last season, Kiwis stuck at home by Covid prompted a nine per cent increase in domestic licence sales - the highest in 20 years. Fish & Game spokesperson Richard Cosgrove says the Nelson Marlborough region has some acclaimed trout fisheries. It hosts four designated backcountry fisheries (the Travers, Goulter, Upper Wairau and Upper Matakitaki) but has loads of places close to Nelson and Blenheim for anglers of all skill levels to go and catch a fish for the plate. “There's a saying in Fish & Game that every bridge you cross is a fishing opportunity, and the fisheries close to Nelson certainly fit that category.”

To take time out, to be in solitude somewhere stunningly beautiful, be still and present in the moment, is what fly fishing is all about.

Kylie Sargeant

OWEN RIVER LODGE

Fly fishing on the Wairau River.

Fishers either catch and release their trout or save their prize for eating, but catch limits do apply. Richard says trout are highly regarded as a delicacy. Fish & Game has partnered with celebrity chef Angello Georgalli (host of the television show The Game Chef and author of associated cookbooks) to create the Fish & Game Cookbook, set to go on sale next April. It will feature all the species that Fish & Game manage, including brown and rainbow trout. Felix says they have planned for the coming season with a focus once more on Kiwis.

“I have cancelled every single booking I had from overseas for all of January 2022 and moved them to January 2023. Everyone’s been supportive and understands.” He says some Kiwis who stayed at the lodge last year had booked to return this season.

“There is certainly a market there from New Zealanders who want to spoil themselves.” The New Zealand Fish & Game Council says: • Last season saw a nine per cent increase in domestic licence sales.

• Non-resident (overseas) anglers normally make up 10 to 15 per cent of licence sales. • The Nelson region is an international trout fishing destination because of its large number of acclaimed wilderness rivers. It also has an array of top-rated lowland rivers offering many public access points. • The Motueka, Wairau and Pelorus rivers are close to residential areas and support high numbers of trout. • Learn to be an angler at a “stepping-stone fishery” such as an enclosed waterway like Lake Argyle – a small hydro lake in Marlborough. They are easy to access and are regularly stocked with rainbow trout. The resident angler base has grown in recent years because of these fisheries.