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New Zealand Luxury Lodge Rotorua fly fishing North Island Rotorua.
Rotorua Trout Fishing North Island New Zealand
Treetops – Trout Mecca
From the surrounding bush comes the tinkling of an unseen stream. Directly ahead is the sound of a cascading waterfall. As you walk across the entry bridge of New Zealand’s newest super lodge, you feel the weight of hidden eyes: from two ponds beneath you, several magnificent trout are watching you arrive.
As the spectacular artisan-carved doors of Treetops Lodge open to receive you, you notice their trout motifs. A scan around the Great Room shows racks of split cane rods and trout memorabilia, and even lightshades and decorative torches with trout designs. From the windows of the dining room and games room, you can see trout flick past in their ponds. You know the fishing here will be very good.
New Zealand boasts some of the best year-round brown and rainbow trout fishing in the world, with lakes and rivers stocked with fish in size and numbers not found anywhere else. Treetops Lodge, 13 kilometres southwest of the city of Rotorua in the spectacular thermal region of New Zealand, is located among some of the best trout fishing waters in New Zealand. In addition to no less than seven trout ponds and streams on the 1,000 hectare Treetops Estate, the resort is within 40 minutes’ drive of some fourteen lakes, and over sixty primary and secondary rivers and streams in the Rotorua region. Eleven of the lakes and most streams are open for either fly or boat fishing year round.
The yields in the area can be superb. Rainbow and brown trout are the only species stocked, and in the absence of competition for food they grow at a rate of 2.5cm per month in their second year. Lake Rotorua is ranked as the best catch per hour lake for rainbow trout in the world, with an average of 2 to 3 trout per hour, an average catch weight of 1.5 to 2 kilograms and a maximum of 4.5 kg. Brown trout in the lake range from 2 kg to 5 kg.
Nearby at the gin-clear, bush lined lakes of Rotoiti, Tarawera and Okataina, trophy size catches of 5kg upwards are a specialty of the fishing season between October and June. Fly fishermen can also catch trophy size fish in stream mouths in designated areas in the winter months of May and June. Fly fishing is at its best from October through June, with a summer peak in December and January.
For anglers wishing to enjoy boat and flying fishing in the Rotorua region, Treetops offers daily guided fishing ventures with experienced, professional guides, at competitive rates. The skilful management of Treetops’ seven private trout streams and ponds means though that you need not venture off the Estate to enjoy a superlative trout fishing adventure. The pristine, spring fed waters of Treetops’ streams provide a high quality environment for trout. The water is clean, clear, cold and highly oxygenated, with lots of terrestrial and invertebrate feed.
For those with a sense of adventure or a desire for the best, Treetops helicopters are at the ready to ferry you directly to back country trout fisherman’s paradise.
In the last several years too, Treetops’ habitat management staff have enhanced the existing trout ponds to create the deeper water, extra shelter, lying areas and larger feed supply that encourage the presence of big trout. And because of the huge stocks of Rainbow and Brown Trout found in lakes and catchments in the region, there’s every chance that the fish you catch will accompany you back to the Lodge – to be freshly smoked or prepared by one of the Lodge’s European chefs as part of a sumptuous dinner.
Rotorua Trout Fishing
New Zealand is one of the world’s premiere trout-fishing locations so it comes as a surprise (even to some New Zealanders) to learn that the trout is an introduced species to this country. New Zealand did have a native freshwater sports fish – the Grayling, regarded as good angling and excellent eating – but it became extinct soon after the introduction of the Brown Trout.
Brown and Rainbow Trout were introduced from Europe and North America respectively in the late 1800s. Having left most of their diseases and all their predators behind them, they have thrived in this country wherever conditions are suitable, while trout hatcheries ensure that even more marginal habitats remain stocked to capacity.
Brown Trout are the major trout of the rivers and streams of this country, while Rainbow Trout predominate all the lakes of the region save Rotorua and Rotoiti, both of which contain mixed populations. The Treetops Estate itself boasts a number of tranquil trout pools and gurgling trout streams. Alternatively our experienced guides can take you further afield, by 4-wheel-drive or helicopter, for one day or for several days, to the lakes or to trout streams set deep in the wilderness that only they know about. See our dedicated trout-fishing brochure for further details.
And if you’ve ever wondered…
Have you ever wondered how a top quality fishing rod is made? Quite probably not, but now that we mention it… Well wonder no more. Rotorua is home to one of the world’s top fishing rod brands, and a visit to their factory can be arranged to see how a modern fishing rod is made, assembled and tested.
Rotorua Fly Fishing the New Zealand Way
In the Nineteenth Century settlers from Britain brought a tradition of fly-fishing with them to New Zealand. However, they soon ran into problems. In the ‘home country’, fly fishing was the pursuit of the wealthy, a fact reflected in the complexity of the flies which required not only a master craftsman to make them, but also the resources of the British Empire to furnish the raw materials.
In egalitarian New Zealand, fly-fishing was open to anyone, but neither the expertise nor the materials to make the flies were readily available while the cost of British-made flies was prohibitive. The result was the development of a home-grown tradition of making uniquely New Zealand flies; a tradition that has continued to the present day.
New Zealand Saltwater Fishing Bay of Plenty
Big game fishing got off to a rather slow start in New Zealand. Indeed, it was not until the American writer Zane Grey visited the country in the early 1920s, then wrote a best-selling book about his exploits – Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado, New Zealand, published in 1926 – that the sport as we know it today really got started.
Most big game fishing occurs of the eastern coast of the North Island, from Hawke Bay north-wards to the Bay of Islands. The Bay of Plenty is in the centre of this zone.
During the late summer pelagic fish such as swordfish, blue, black and striped marlin, can be caught.
The Bay of Plenty is considered to be the yellowfin tuna capital of the world while if you fancy fishing for shark, Hawke Bay is where these fish, especially the mako shark, are most common.
While you are welcome to catch your fish for eating or mounting, New Zealand also encourages an active “tag and release” programme, and many anglers prefer this form of the sport today.
Away from the game-fishing season there is still no shortage of fish to be had.
Around White Island the fisherman will encounter terakihi, ling, huge bass, hapuka and feisty kingfish – a great challenge for the angler.
Further inshore, you will catch not only terakihi and kingfish but also snapper, kahawai, gurnard and john dory.
Whatever the time of year, and whatever your salt-water fishing preference, our fishing guides will be able to arrange boat charter and equipment to meet your needs.
Please Call or E-Mail Us so that we may put together
a package that suits your needs!
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