Pro Angler - Fishing Tackle Direct

The best value kiwi guided quality-fishing trips available. Expect to learn, expect to fish differently, expect to see fish that will make you tremble, expect scenery that will blow you away…expect to be home a day and start planning your next trip!

That once in a lifetime trip, will become the annual trip, guaranteed!

We use New Zealand guides on these trips. We feel nothing beats local knowledge. Its one thing to have been there before and fished, its another thing to know what suits the conditions at the time, and on the day, particularly if the conditions are against you.

For a fly fishing holiday to remember and more information please contact our Melbourne store. 

The Journey.

Colin giggled as he told the story at my expense about my claim of spotting a couple of trout on the Mataura River. It was the last morning of our trip to the Southland of New Zealand. We had been treated to a wonderful learning experience and for me to have spotted those fish was an achievement. It was early morning with low light, one was a mere shadow passing under the water and the other was when I was thigh deep in water and all I saw was the tail slightly moving as the fish kept station.

Colin had been my companion and host on another day when we walked the banks spotting monster fish that we could not reach. Colin should have giggled at my ineptitude at having struck too soon when, filled with excitement I had landed a dry fly in a quiet backwater from a high bank.. A large trout by anyone’s standard turned and had the fly in its mouth. I should have waited until the fish turned down but instead reacted and pulled the fly from the fishes mouth. Instead of giggling, Colin commiserated.

As Colin drove the car taking us on the 2 ½ hour trip back to Dunedin airport on that last day, I couldn’t resist saying to Colin that it’s about the journey of learning and enjoying it, not the destination. I shouldn’t criticize Colin because he had been the life of the party taking the “Mickey” out of all of us and he had been an excellent cook. The meals he prepared for the nine of us would have made his cooking tutors proud at the quality and quantity of our evening meals. Taking the “Mickey” out of us was an important part of sharing the day’s experiences that consolidated the fellowship that developed between us and learning from each other. We all were on a journey of developing our skills and being tolerant of our different personalities. Nicknames developed like “Tangles” for obvious reasons and “Marmalade” for less obvious. A sharp stick beside the bed proved to be an effective means to stop snoring.

We had been affectionately called the geriatric group. We were all in our 60’s and 70’s and of different experience standards. Each day we had a guide either Len or Nigel or a host, Gavin, Alex or Colin for a pair of us. The guides took us to locations where, allowing for the weather conditions, we could fish. One day was blue sky and sunshine, the others were overcast, windy and showers of rain. In spite of the weather, our guides and hosts were able to spot fish that to us looked like rocks or a smudge of sand on the river bottom. Thanks to their skill we all caught plenty of fish and with the photographs, brought back happy memories. Our guides were considerate of our ages and abilities and our success was their success and we rejoiced together. I had considered that the trip was one I needed to do before I became too old to enjoy or became a danger to myself.  However, the oldest in our group was 77 years and although he gave the fish plenty of opportunities to escape, he still landed enough to be satisfied. His performance gave me hope of more years to come.

This made me think that New Zealand was not just a wonderful destination to fish, it was also a journey in life’s experience that hopefully one that will continue until the final destination is reached.

John Randles.

Trip to Athol on 6 March 2008.