The rotor blades are deafening as our chopper swoops down onto a rocky outcrop beside the Mokihinui River.
This remote backwater on New Zealand’s South Island is a difficult two-day trek from civilisation and infested with blood-thirsty sandflies.
Cut off from communication with the outside world, even the most optimistic travel agent would call it a tough sell.
Yet this beautiful spot strikes a chord with fishermen hoping to catch one of the largest and most difficult species to hook – brown trout. Secretive and suspicious, salmo trutta has a reputation as a crafty and difficult fish.
Brown trout are widespread around the globe, but thanks to copious rainfall on this northern area of the island, the cool, unpolluted waters help make the region supremely special for anglers.
Spectacular: The cool, unpolluted waters of New Zealand’s South Island make the region a supremely special place for anglers to hook brown trout
Landing a 10 lb trout is almost an everyday occurrence for guests at Owen River Lodge – one of the world’s most famous fishing resorts.
On the edge of Kahurangi National Park, the intimate property is a four-hour drive from Christchurch International Airport. Every wall is plastered with photos of happy anglers holding a prize catch. The record is 14.5 lb (a 2 lb tiddler is a good weight in most British rivers).
Set up 20 years ago by fly fishing legend Felix Borenstein, it’s just been taken over by U.S.-based Eleven Experience.
Jeremy checks into Owen River Lodge, ‘one of the world’s most famous fishing resorts’
Owen River Lodge was set up 20 years ago by fly fishing legend Felix Borenstein
My fellow guests are seasoned fishermen and women who have crossed continents in pursuit of big fish. But can the lodge’s expert guides ensure a beginner like me can also land a whopper?
As the chopper disappears down the gorge, the call of paradise shelducks and the grey gerygone warbler are all that disturb the peace. Before we unpack our fishing kit, health and safety requires guide Chris Williams to show me the workings of a satellite phone – a sobering reminder of our remote location.
I don’t know a clinch knot from a triple surgeon, so while Chris saves time by tying my line and wet fly – designed to sink to the riverbed where the trout feed – he also explains the intricacies of sight fishing.
Owen River Lodge is located on the edge of Kahurangi National Park, a four-hour drive from Christchurch International Airport
Rather than casting from the bank, I will wade along the river itself, stalking the fish his trained eye spots upstream.
‘You can actually see the fish you want to hook as you creep up behind them,’ says Chris. ‘The skill is casting just in front, tempting the fish to take your fly. They’re wily – sometimes one chance is all you get.’
Brown trout are prolific in New Zealand, but are not a native species. They were introduced 150 years ago from Tasmania, having originated from tributaries of the River Thames.
Jeremy reveals that brown trout originated from tributaries of the River Thames
In the days before refrigeration, two boxes of fertilised eggs were sent from London on the passenger ship Norfolk, stored in blocks of ice and covered in damp moss.
The water is cold as I clamber over an assault course of slippery rocks, determined not to drop the expensive graphite rod I’m carrying in to the river. I’m wearing cumbersome waders and special boots, as well as copious amounts of insect repellent.
Time and again, a light headwind blows my featherweight fishing line off-target and the canny fish is gone in a flash.
As the day moves on, we see dozens more and, as my casting improves, I start to feel a few nibbles.
Frustrated I still can’t hook a fish, Chris finally spots a trout downwind and only a short cast away.
On the third attempt, a floating wool indicator tied into my line disappears below the surface and I strike.
This is just the beginning of a five-minute duel, as the trout bolts downstream I let line strip off the reel so the trout can swim itself to exhaustion.
It’s vital to keep a bend in the rod and the fishing line taut, but the trout is putting up a great fight. Eventually, I start to reel in as Chris waits beside me with a landing net.
It’s a thrilling moment, especially for a beginner like me.
The 4 lb fish would make a tasty supper, except New Zealand operates a strict ‘catch-and-release’ policy. The rule ensures brown trout aren’t overfished and continue to thrive, so this one will live to fight another day.
