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FISHING ADVENTURES

NZ features in the top 10 locations for freshwater fishing in the world. Most of the New Zealand rivers are open October 1st until April 30th. Others are open all year.  Some of our rivers have fish counts in the hundreds per kilometre and we can take you there. 

We can offer fly fishing, spinning or soft baiting for Rainbow trout, Brown trout and Salmon.

Our fishing trips are designed for small groups who wish to access a specific species or an area that does not get the pressure of many of NZ’s road ends, or walking tracks, with options of overnight trips or multi-day adventures.  

We can design an overnight or multi-day trip that will put you right amongst the action and put you in the epicentre of trout habitats.

We have a range of rivers to choose from that allow both hunting and fishing opportunities. The rivers listed below are not the only rivers we have to offer.

HURUNUI RIVER

The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand. Covering a distance of 145km from its origins high in the Canterbury high country.
Flowing out of lake Sumner through an isolated subalpine valley, the Hurunui river provides the perfect habitat for Trout and Salmon with many fish reaching double digits.
The Hurunui river is around a 1.5 hour drive north of Christchurch en route to Hanmer Springs.
The upper section of the Hurunui river from Lake Sumner to Maori Gulley is one of the most productive reaches of trout fishing water in New Zealand.
Maori Gully owes its name to the people who once used the area as a route to the West Coast pounamu (greenstone) fields.
From Kaiapoi they would travel through the Lake Sumner area, across the main divide and down the Taramakau River to the Arahura river and on to the west coast. Travellers built flax and wood ladders to get into the side gullies entering the Hurunui gorge.
The Lake Sumner road was built in the 1800’s and gave access to up to 800 people per month heading for the west coast.
The name Maori Gully was given to one of the bigger side gullies, but has since become the name for the whole gorge which is used frequently by rafters and kayakers due to a fun section of rapids.
Check out our Maori Gulley day trip if you are after a bit of excitement and some fun white water
Suitable for ages 11 years and up
HURUNUI RIVER DAY TRIP

JOLLIEBROOK TO SEAWARD STREAM

The Hurunui river has consistently been classified as one the best trout habitats in the country with high numbers of good quality fish.  Flowing out of Lake Sumner the Hurunui is the perfect habitat for trout with fast flowing water, deep pools and long calm stretches that are not easy to access, giving these fish a great habitat. We like to make an early start for this trip but will customise to suit you and your schedule. 

This trip starts with a bit of fish spotting on the way upriver followed by raft fishing our way 8kms downstream.

Fishing from a raft gives you a lot more scope on the river, allowing you to fish from both sides and giving you access to some of the hard to reach places.

$369 per person

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HURUNUI RIVER OVERNIGHT

FULL CATERING

The Hurunui river is accessible in the upper reaches but there is a stretch of river from below Maori Gulley that is harder to get to. That is no problem for us as our rafts allow us access to over 16kms of river that sees very few fishermen and woman. We like to make an early start for this trip but will customise to suit you and your schedule. 

Day 1 is spent fishing our way down to our private camp where your guides will help set up your hammocks and crack on with dinner. You will also have the chance for an evening fish.

Day 2 starts with breakfast and an early fish if you choose followed by packing up and heading downstream, fishing along the way.

We are normally back in Christchurch around 4.30pm

From $499 per person

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WAIMAKARIRI RIVER

The Waimakariri River is a larger snow feed river originating in the Mountains near Arthur’s Pass in the Southern Alps and flows out of the hills across the plains into the sea just north of Christchurch.
In Māori, Waimakariri has several meanings, one of which is “river of cold rushing water”.
The Waimakariri Gorge is a spectacular section for fishing that offers top class salmon and trout fishing. The best months being from late February to late April.
The Waimakariri gorge is not that easy to access unless you have a jet-boat or a raft.  This gorge is a very scenic and unique stretch of river.
You will see towering cliffs and amazing rock formations and you may even recognise some of the landscape from certain Hollywood blockbusters.
The river is classed grade 1-2 on the international river grading system which translates to a nice gentle relaxing trip down the river.
The Waimakariri is a family friendly river so if you have some young adventurers in your family bring them along they will love you for it.
Suitable for ages 5 years and over
WAIMAKARIRI RIVER DAY TRIP

FISH THE GORGE

Our Waimakariri day trip is full of action starting with a fist pumping jet-boat ride up stream to our chosen location. Once we have unloaded our gear and set up the raft we drift back down stream for the next 5-6 hours stopping at various spots to fish along the way. This trip is ideal for the novice to the expert fisher utilising various methods to entice the fish.

All fishing gear lunch, tea and  coffee can be supplied. 

Located just 40 minutes west of Christchurch is the start of our journey this is a must do Canterbury experience

 From $389 per person
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WAIMAKARIRI RIVER MULTI DAY

1-2 NIGHTS

This trip starts out much like the day trip, only we have a lot more time to fish and explore.

Camping out in the Waimakariri gorge is a must do, should you want a bit more time to fish and catch the evening and morning rise when the fish are at their most active.

Day 1 : Departing Christchurch at 8am to be boarding the jet-boat around 9am. 11am raft fishing our way downstream until we reach camp where your guide will help you to settle in for the night with some amazing back country culinary delights.

You will have the chance to swim – fish or just relax riverside with a book and glass of wine.

Day 2 will start with our classic Southern White Water breakfast known as “the heart attack” before we break camp and board the raft for another day of fishing as we drift back to civilisation.

With a range of accommodation options from huts to hammocks we will design a trip that suits you and your group.

Transport and full catering included

 From $595 per person

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WAIAU RIVER

Located 2 hours north of Christchurch near the popular town of Hanmer Springs is the famous Waiau river.
The Waiau River rises in the Spenser Mountains and flows eastward to the Pacific Ocean. 
The headwaters of the Waiau river offers excellent trout fishing in a very unique alpine location in North Canterbury. It is home to a large population of Brown trout. 
Access to the Waiau can be somewhat challenging requiring a good 4wd or our favourite, the helicopter.
The Waiau is a grade 3-4 river with some challenging rapids but has plenty or relaxing stretches and great fishing spots. It is best fished over a few days as you will gain access to some seldom fished locations on the river 
 There is a Maori legend associated with this river and the Clarence. According to the story the Waiau-uha (Waiau) and the Waiau-toa (Clarence) were respectively male and female spirit lovers living in the Spenser Mountains. For some reason they were transformed into rivers, the sources of which were not far apart. When warm rains melted the snows and caused floods, it was said that the parted lovers were lamenting and that the rivers were swollen with their tears.
Suitable for ages 13 years and over
WAIAU RIVER MULTI DAY

3 DAYS

The trip begins with either a 4WD drive, Mountain bike or walk in from Lake Tennyson over Mailing Pass or through the Magdalen valley. The walk from lake Tennyson is along a rough 4WD track and takes three to four hours depending on your level of fitness. The Mountain bike will take around 1.5 – 2 hours again depending on your level of fitness.

The area offers great fishing opportunities, with trophy brown trout often reaching double digits.

The trip starts with around 14km of small grade 1-2 rapids until you reach the Henry river confluence, where things get a bit more exciting  with fun grade 3 boulder gardens and “The Narrows”. The lower part of the river eases and is a bit more relaxing and a great stretch of river to fish. 

This trip can be customised to suit your timeframe and budget.

Transport and full catering included

 From $1000 per person

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WAIAU RIVER HELI RAFT

3 DAYS

This trip starts out with a scenic helicopter flight from the resort town of Hanmer Springs into the confluence of the Henry and Waiau rivers. Accessing the river by helicopter is an awesome way to view the Waiau valley and surrounding mountains. It also allows us a lot more time to fish and explore.

Spending a night or 3 in the Waiau valley which is part of the St James cycle trail is a must do, should you want a bit more time to try to bag that trophy Brown Trout and catch the evening and morning rise when the fish are at their most active.

Day 1 : Departing Christchurch at 7 – 8am to be boarding the helicopter at around 11am to head into the river. We  start fishing our way downstream once we have inflated the rafts and loaded our gear. Each day will allow for over 5 hours of fishing should you choose. When we reach camp your guide will help you to settle in for the night with some amazing back country culinary delights and classic kiwi yarns.

You will have the chance to swim – fish or just relax riverside with a book and glass of wine.

Day 2:  The day starts with our classic Southern White Water breakfast known as “The Heart Attack” before we break camp and board the raft for another day of fishing as we head on downstream stopping at all the best fishing spots along the way.

Day 3: Starts with another classic kiwi breakfast before we pack the rafts and get the fishing rods back in the water as we make our way for the take out on the main highway. We have the opportunity to fish the morning and are usually off the river at around 2.30pm unless planned otherwise.

With a range of accommodation options from huts to hammocks we will design a trip that suits you and your group.

Transport and full catering included

 From $1650 per person

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