Sometimes less is more. Such is the case when it comes to fly fishing in New Zealand. There are many that would find it peculiar that we choose to travel to the other side of the earth to catch less fish than we would at home. The truth is there is simply something magical about the quality of the angling experience offered in this small island country south of the equator. New Zealand is famous for its sight fishing for wild trout. The mountainous countryside is littered with one spectacular trout river after another. The crystal clear waters are home to larger than average rainbows and browns. Although trout are not native to the Southern Hemisphere, the rivers of both the North and South island provide perfect habitat for the trout that were introduced in the 1860s.
While there are a handful of nutrient rich spring creeks on both islands, most of the fisheries are mountain freestone streams. Trout are not abundant in these fisheries but what they lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality. There are some really, really large trout found in many of the waters across the country. This is a land where trout are measured in pounds not inches!
Visiting Cedar Lodge and Owen River Lodge on the South Island
On our recent December visit, Ann and I spent our time on the spectacular South Island of New Zealand and travelled to both of our lodge partners in the country: Cedar Lodge and Owen River Lodge. Montana Angler guests Robert and Jeanine Konishi joined us on our second leg of the trip at Owen River Lodge.
Cedar Lodge is in the lake district in the heart of the Southern Alps just two hours north of Queenstown. This area is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in all of New Zealand with towering glacier capped peaks providing a dramatic backdrop. The lodge has a concession permit for fishing in the sublime Mt. Aspiring National Park. At Cedar Lodge, helicopter fly-outs are included in the fishing package and provide for unparalleled access to incredible backcountry rivers that would often take days to access by hiking.
Owen River Lodge is located on the northern end of the South Island about two hours southwest of Nelson. There are over 30 fisheries located within an hour drive of the lodge with many more available if anglers opt for adding on fly out days via helicopter. The fisheries in this region of the country are famous for massive brown trout and it is not uncommon to see multiple fish in the 8-10 lb range while visiting. The walls at the lodge are adorned with photos of guests with 10lb plus trout netted while visiting the lodge.
Fishing Tactics in New Zealand
Since most pools and runs are only home to a small handful of trout, blind casting is rarely employed as a tactic. In order to maximize opportunities on a relatively small number of trout in each fishery the tactic of sight fishing is preferred. Once trout are spotted the angler has the advantage of positioning themselves to make the best possible presentation to the fish. By spotting the trout in advance the guides are able to position anglers in the perfect position to make the best possible cast to the trout. With this advantage over the trout, a stealthy approach is more valued than an expert cast.
Generally dry fly fishing or single nymph fishing is the preferred technique. If the fish were feeding on the surface, often the guides would opt for a single dry fly on the first cast. If fish seemed more focused on nymphing then either a dry dropper rig or single nymph setup was used. When casting a nymph, often no indicator was used if we had a great view of the trout and we opted to watch the fish's behavior and set the hook when we saw it turn to take the fly. If the visibility was more limited the guides would use a tiny tuft of yarn as an indicator.
Our Fishing at Cedar Lodge
We enjoyed four days at Cedar Lodge with three days fishing and an extra day to explore the area with a visit to the quaint town of Wanaka to do some wine tasting, tour the local shops, and see the sights. On our first day we flew to a smaller river in a truly dramatic landscape. We fished in a subalpine valley surrounded by towering mountains in every direction (in effort to avoid bringing attention to specific rivers, in this report I will refrain from using the exact names of the fisheries we visited). Almost immediately we departed the chopper on day 1 we spotted a big rainbow actively finning in the shallows. Ann took the first shot and slowly worked her way into position. After the third cast she placed the fly perfectly and the 22” rainbow made a slow and deliberate rise to the surface to intercept the small attractor dry and the race was on. As the day progressed we enjoyed shot after shot at beautiful ‘bows that ranged from 2-5 lbs. It seemed that every fish we targeted was a really nice trout (generally 18-24”). This smaller fishery was known for relatively high fish counts with a great population of 2-5 lb trout. Our first day was a huge success and we landed around 10 trout when the day wrapped up which is definitely a great day of “catching” by New Zealand standards.
Most of the fisheries in the interior ranges are slightly higher elevation and are dominated by wild rainbow trout, with a few browns on the lower elevation rivers. On the West Coast rivers the fisheries are 100% wild brown trout fisheries. On our next two days of fishing we visited some slightly larger volume fisheries that also had even larger trout. Nearly every fish we cast two was over 20” on these fisheries. The scenery changed and we were in lush forests with beautiful waters that had a hint of green hue. We rarely went more than 30 minutes before spotting another large trout. Each fish was a new adventure with a strategy mapped out on fly selection, approach, etc. Some fish were more active than others and refusals and spooked trout were part of the equation while with other fish a poor cast would be made and the trout would still aggressively slam the fly. The fishing was superb and both Ann and I enjoyed some incredible eats and managed to land a handful of really large trout each day.
Cedar Lodge Accommodations
After a day in the backcountry chasing trout, it is a pleasure to return to the comforts of Cedar Lodge. The lodge manager Scotty and his team are exceptional hosts and greet guests coming back from the chopper flights with refreshments and appetizers. There is a great hot tub on the property which we thoroughly enjoyed. The lodge only houses 8 guests at a time and provides very comfortable rooms with outstanding views of the mountains. The meals and wine were outstanding during the evening meal service. The lodge even has a unique fly fishing golf course where players cast at 9 different “holes.” Complimentary wines and beer are included as well as a self serve cocktail station with spirits.
Our Fishing at Owen River Lodge
One of the differences in the fishing experience between Cedar Lodge and Owen River Lodge is how the fisheries are accessed. Cedar Lodge has a vast amount of backcountry fisheries that are accessed but they are remote and best accessed by helicopter. This is the reason that chopper flights are built into the package when staying at Cedar Lodge. The base rate at Owen River Lodge is a lower cost, although if anglers opt for numerous heli-flights they end up about the same.
Fortunately at Owen River Lodge there are over 30 phenomenal fisheries that can also be accessed by vehicle. The road based fishing is still very high quality. Generally you can drive right to the stream or river without much of a hike. Anglers can also fly into the backcountry waters of both Nelson Lakes National Park or Kahurangi National Park. The fisheries around Owen River Lodge are legendary for their populations of trophy sized brown trout. These 10lb plus specimens are old trout and are no pushovers to fool and even more challenging to land if you are lucky enough to hook one.
On our first day we visited a smaller fishery filled with big fish. It didn’t take long to spot a big brown of about 6lbs (probably 25” or so) in the first run we approached. The big fish was actively feeding in about 2 feet of water. Our guide Stefano recommended a small CDC emerger pattern. On the first cast the big trout turned and followed the fly downstream for about 6 feet before gently sipping it. It was a truly amazing “eat” and the fight was on. Unfortunately the big fish broke off after 30 seconds when it made a long run for a downed log and I applied some pressure in a last ditch effort to try to stop him. As the morning progressed we had several more hookups on big fish with limited success on landing. Although most of the bigger fish got the better of us on day one we still managed to land a few spectacular browns. Our first day at Owen River Lodge was truly one to remember with high quality chances enjoyed all through the day.
On day two Stefano opted to visit a fishery renowned for huge trout. He mentioned that we would really swing for the fences at this medium sized river, but that it tended to be a “hero or zero” fishery. The river was about an hour drive from the lodge and was inside of Kahurangi National Park. Over the course of the day we had shots at several monster browns. This day was one of the most amazing days of fly fishing that I have had the fortune to enjoy over my angling career. Early in the day I managed to hook and land a nice 2 foot brown. As the day progressed we found a few enormous trout in the 8-10lb range. The first monster refused several patterns. Eventually we settled on a tiny unweighted pheasant tail fished on a long leader without an indicator. Ann and Stefano had a clear view of the fish from a high vantage point but I had to mark where the fish was using some reference rocks since the glare at river level didn’t allow me to locate the big trout once in the water. On one of my casts I knew my fly was beyond the trout and I was just about to begin tightening the line to prep a new cast when Stefano shouted that the fish had turned and was following it with a downstream approach. I froze my rod just in time to see the monster come into view and then flash his mouth as he ate the nymph. I set the hook and the big fish immediately bolted. We took off running downriver trying to keep up with it and after several runs it seemed like we might just see the fish to the net. Just as my hopes were rising the hook mysteriously popped out of his mouth…AGONY!
An hour after the heartbreak of losing one of the biggest trout I had ever hooked, we found an even larger fish. This dinosaur looked to be 30” or more and over 10lbs. He was surfing in some toilet bowl currents below a small waterfall. We set up on a high rock over the run to bide our time until he cruised into a feeding lane where we felt we might get a decent drag free drift. After about 30 minutes of patiently waiting and attempting a handful of casts when the fish was in the correct position, I dropped a fly back into his lane. Although I couldn’t see the fly, when it was in the area of the fish I saw it rise slightly in the water column and I instinctively gave a slow lift of the rod just in case. The line tightened and the fish was on! This fish was a true specimen and likely the largest brown trout I have ever hooked. After a few slow runs in his home pool he made a slow but deliberate run across the pool before dropping into a tailout. I had to jump across a small run of water onto a huge rock island. The fish then picked up speed and ran into the next pool. I attempted to chase him down but the rock island ended and I was surrounded by deep water. My heart sank as he ran into the backing and without the ability to chase him down river he eventually got enough line that he wrapped around a rock and broke off. As the day was nearing an end, we went to one last hole and found yet another monster. Finally the stars aligned in my favor and we fooled the old trout. Like the other big fish he headed fast downriver. This time I was able to keep up with him by sprinting down the bank and after a great fight Stefano had him in the net. This was one of the 5 biggest browns I had landed in my lifetime and weighed in at 8.5lbs - magnificent!!!
On our final day we opted to fly out to a back country river that was completely inaccessible beyond helicopter access. Stefano was excited about the prospects of some huge trout that the river was known for. Our luck soon ran out and within minutes after we landed on a gravel bar the river began to rise. While we had a bit of rain at the lodge, it wasn’t much and we realized that the headwaters of his fishery must have received much more moisture. Within 30 minutes of arriving the river had risen 2 feet and the prospects looked grim for successful fishing. Fortunately Stefano was able to reach the chopper pilot via a satellite phone and we were able to go to plan B and visit another smaller stream that was in perfect shape. We enjoyed a few hours of world class sight casting on this smaller stream. The highlight of the day was a spectacular 24” brown that Ann landed after a perfect cast as it finned at the head of a small riffle.
Owen River Lodge Accommodations
Owen River Lodge has a maximum guest count of 12 anglers. Rooms are in cabins overlooking the Owen River. The main lodge is very comfortable with a sitting area and bar room, as well a second sitting area connected to a large dining room. Meals are outstanding and anglers can enjoy complimentary wine and beer or some premium spirits at added cost. The grounds are spectacular with lush flowers and gardens in every direction. Guests can also enjoy the hot tub on property after a long day of wading the local rivers.
Getting to the Lodges
For guests visiting Cedar Lodge we recommend flying into Queenstown. Anglers can either choose to rent a car or the lodge can arrange a transfer. Drive time is about 2 hours to the lodge. Queenstown is billed as the adventure capital of the world with white water rafting, bungee jumping, mountain biking, jet boating and more to explore. There are also numerous wineries in the area for those that want to enjoy a wine tasting tour. I highly recommend spending at least a night in Queenstown on the way in to break up the travel and to enjoy this wonderful area.
For guests visiting Owen River Lodge we recommend flying into Nelson which is also just 2 hours from the lodge. Nelson is located on the coast and also provides a nice layover if you want to break up travel. Most guests when travelling to New Zealand visit one lodge or the other but for those looking to extend a visit you can opt to see both lodges during the same trip. One option is to drive back to Queenstown (2 hours) and then fly to Nelson followed by another 2 hour transfer. We opted to rent a car one way in Queenstown and then drop it off in Nelson. The lodges can also arrange a one way overland transfer at added cost. The drive takes about 7 hours and is truly spectacular as you make your way through Mt. Aspiring National Park to the west coast. About half way up the coast you come to some of the glaciers which can be seen from view points. For guests that have an extra day or two these are great stops to stop and hike or enjoy heli-tours. The West Coast is a temperate rain forest with lush valleys similar to the Pacific Northwest. As you leave the coast and head back inland the region closer to Owen River Lodge looks somewhat similar to Montana with beautiful agricultural valleys framed by mountains.
A Return visit in December 2025
Once you get a taste of fishing in New Zealand it certainly becomes addictive. There really is no place on earth that provides the visual trout fishing experience found on a regular basis than in New Zealand. When you combine the intoxicating nature of sight casting with larger than average trout it is easy to see why many fly fishers hold New Zealand in such high regard. For those that want to experience these unique fisheries we will be hosting a return visit in mid December of 2025. December is similar to June in Montana and the rivers tend to be in prime shape with ideal water levels and temperatures. The trout are just hitting their most active levels and the valleys are in full greenery and bloom.
Click Here to Learn More about our December 2025 Hosted Trip to Owen River Lodge.