Pure Fly NZ

To open Series 4 of Pure Fly NZ, we are traveling to McKenzie Country in the heart of the South Island, New Zealand on a quest for some giant rainbow trout. Wild weather, crystal clear river, massive rainbow trout and plenty of laughs; this is the perfect episode to open Series 4.

For this Town versus Country challenge we are travelling to the Hawkes Bay in the North Island. The first day is spent on a freestone river that flows right through a town. The second day we visit the headwaters of other river that requires a great amount of travel and time to access. The same two anglers, Andrew Harding and Kyle Adams spend a day on each river and compare the results.

In this episode we hit a huge glacial lake in the MacKenzie High Country following a rumour that in August big rainbow trout gather at the river mouths to start their spawning migration. The fishing is tough at the start but the boys stumble on a rocky bank that is loaded with brown trout and an insane session follows.

Chatham Island lays 650kms off the coast of NZ and stands in the teeth of the roaring forties. It has never been explored by saltwater fly fishers, we set out to change that. High on the list of target species are the stunning blue moki. There is only one snag they have rarely been caught on fly. Can the lads catch any of the weird and wonderful fish that swim around this rugged island?

Jeff Forsee and Jake Berry are New Zealand fly fishing guides and fathers. While they spend plenty of time on the rivers working, their busy family lives mean they rarely get to fish together. With a nice weather window approaching they take a trip to the South Island's West Coast to hopefully squeeze in the last of the cicada season and the sensational dry fly fishing that accompanies it.

In the Eastern part of the South Island there are massive areas of undulating high country containing numerous rivers and streams. This hill country is often protected from large rainfall events by the Southern Alps which block the cold fronts that approach from the West. A stable flow regime combined with mellow gradients and fertile bedrock make these rivers prime habitat for brown trout.

The Pure Fly NZ crew love rainbow trout, everything about these fish is perfect for fly fishers. They thrive in cool, clear water making them perfect targets for sight fishing. New Zealand is famous for growing large, wild rainbows. For this episode of Pure Fly NZ we are joining brothers Nick and Chris Reygaert for a mission deep into the mountains in a quest for some chunky rainbows.

We've saved the best for last, in this episode we are hunting trophy trout on a big river in Canterbury. As is typical for early season, the weather has been atrocious with multiple days of heavy rain and high winds. This is not picture-post card angling, you will get cold and wet but if you can be in the right place at the right time the fish of your dreams will be there for the taking.