Getting into Flyfishing

Recently Gavin and I hosted a friends 15 year old fishing mad son and his fishing buddy. They came up on the bus from Wellington during their school holidays carrying all their gear with them. Collecting them at the Waipawa bus stop was such a pleasure - their excitement bubbling over in their nervous teenage ways. As always the weather had been a bit of a worry as we had had quite a bit of rain in the catchment area and the Tukituki in front of us was flowing quite strongly - too strong to wade easily. So Gavin decided to take them out in the 4x4 to a nearby river which is sometimes a better option. It is however a tricky little river to fish because the water is so clear and the fish are super spooky.

The boys had an awesome time losing flys at a rate their parents probably were not prepared for! Gavin searched through his extensive arsenal of flies and parted with his secret stash!

The fishing was tough but still rewarding for two overly eager boys who had less patience - this will be learnt through trial and error.

The sizes of fish were very dissapointing for the boys but at least they were hooking fish and learning more casting techniques. Gavin taught me to flyfish early on in our relationship and I know he is very patient and consistent with his instruction and the boys had a great days fishing.

The following day the Tukituki in front of us was still flowing way to fast and Gavin decided to take the boys out a little further from Riverstones to a stretch of river which always delivers and is beautiful to fish as well. This time Gavin invited a friend to meet up who is a seasoned fisherman with years of experience and all 4 of them enjoyed a great days fishing. The fish were a bit more co-operative and gave the boys a good run before being successfully landed and released. After a good evening meal, Gavin showed them how to tie their own flies and they got to practice on the two vices we have set up.

The following day the boys finally got to fish our stretch of river - Gavin took them down and showed them the best spots and where they would have more success. Gavin unfortunately had to leave them fishing on their own and could only spend an hour with them, but I think they were at that stage very happy to carry on by themselves. They came back at dusk with happy faces, a few stories about how fish got away, got released and how they could manage to fish the next morning before their bus was leaving at 10am!

All in all a fishing trip to remember for two 15-16 year olds - it was so lovely to see youngsters out and about immersing themselves in a sport they love and will be able to continue to do for a lifetime. There was little use of phones and the use was more to check river flow and weather or show pics.

Getting into flyfishing is a wonderful way to spend time in nature visiting the most beautiful spots in the world. I know Gavin and I have fished in some incredibly breathtaking and remote places and I am super grateful to him for teaching me how to fish. Here in New Zealand we are very lucky that most of our rivers are pretty pristine and are set in some awesome spots. So next time your teenagers are looking for something to do, maybe introduce them to a sport which they will be able to do for the rest of their lives as well as relax and destress from their day to day life.

Our Flyfishing packages are affordable and we are more than happy to tailor something for you - we even have some gear you can use.