The Waiau River winds its way, wide & powerfully along the edge of the Fiordland National Park, 28 kilometres from the rushing waters from Lake Te Anau to the spectacular Lake Manapouri. This River has something and it's pretty special. It's wide, arrogant and it's got fish; Rainbow & Brown in better than good numbers and in better than good condition. It is virtually inaccessible to fish by foot leaving the fish relatively undisturbed and the opposite of fussy.
Mark Wallace Distinctive Fishing Experience is a different fly fishing experience; moving clients around the river to the many islands, beaches & ripples by boat makes for an easy day on the legs perhaps wedged in between some pretty big days on the world famous Southern rivers. The evening rises and may fly hatches on this river can be impressive to say the least.
Casting from the boat, things happen quickly and there is a lot going on at once. Casting up into ripples and stripping line back quickly making sure the line doesn’t go under the boat, it is challenging. For an accurate cast you really have to work hard at getting it right, balancing, timing etc. It can be a great challenge for fly fisherman who have the skill – sometimes ending in giving chase downstream with a good trout on being referred to as ‘like marlin fishing’. This happened with an American client, Phil and his wife Pat we near perfect fishing afternoon.
Phil flicked his fly up into a nice little ripple tucked in behind a rock. As it drifted through, we saw a dark shape emerge underwater and the fish come to the surface to take the dry fly solidly and perfectly. As his whole head came up out of the water he gave us an immediate look at his size and the pulses started racing, we knew this was a beauty. Phil set the hook and the fun began. The fish slowly but strongly stripped line away making his way out to the current, knowing he was well hooked. Once he got out into the current, he turned downstream and went. After peeling all the floating line off and most of the backing I said to Phil and wife Pat, “Hold on we are going to have to chase him”. Off in the boat we went after him, retrieving line as we went. Once we’d caught up to him, the fish swerved into the calm water for a breather to get ready for his second big run. Line was in and we were getting into a better position to play the fish when away he went again, out in the current and off down the river stripping at will. We chased him down again and this time when he pulled in for a rest he took a lot longer and there was more give working him back to boat. We were getting on top of him and we knew it. He had a couple more short runs in the calm but we could slow him down. We reeled him in and we couldn’t wipe the grin off Phil’s face as he surfaced – a beautiful brown in all his majesty, although slightly puffed. The grip and grin shot was quickly taken and the brown gently given back to the river for next season. Flicking his tail at us, off he went for a good rest.
Extraordinary fishing and some special memories on the upper Waiau River await your arrival, just 2 hours drive from Queenstown.
