Two Popular Approaches to Fishing the Tributaries of Lake Wanaka

bullet imagebullet imageRecreational fishing in New Zealand is often more rewarding than just about anywhere else in the world. Although the country is well known for the productive saltwater fishing that occurs around its shores, it is really with freshwater that it stands out the most. Whether fishing for land-locked salmon in some of the country's deepest lakes or pursuing bass nearby, few who come to New Zealand to pursue fish that live in fresh water ever regret it.

That is even more true when it comes to trout. New Zealand is home to a number of trout species and has also staked claims to record catches in a number of related categories. Brown, rainbow, and brook trout can be found all throughout the country in various bodies of flowing water, making it easy for any angler finding themselves in New Zealand to head out for an exciting day of catching them.

For those who devote entire trips to trout fishing in New Zealand, it naturally makes the most sense to focus on the most productive areas of all. As remote and unspoiled a region as can be found anywhere in a country that is known for both, the Lake Wanaka area is undoubtedly one of these.



The Trout and Fly Fishing Wanaka is so famous for centers around a number of important rivers. All of these either feed or flow out of the large lake that gives the area its name, each contributing to one of the world's most vital, large-scale aquatic ecosystems.

Fishing Wanaka most often means strapping on a pair of waders and spending the day navigating the currents by foot. Most experienced anglers are familiar with fishing of this kind, and it proves in the Wanaka area, as elsewhere in the world, to be a comfortable, productive way of fishing and assessing the local conditions.

Another popular option, though, is to take part in guided rafting trips. Anglers who go this route benefit from covering far more territory than those sloshing about by foot ever could, an advantage that really proves its worth on days when the fishing is especially slow. On the other hand, fishing from a drifting raft will often mean only being able to get a few casts in a particular spot, meaning that some potentially productive opportunities might go overlooked.

Either way, though, the fishing that results consistently turns out to be some of the best the world can provide. Even with so much to offer, the Wanaka area also remains a relatively quiet one, meaning that the quality of fishing will remain high for many years to come.