Fly-Fishing in New Zealand – What you NEED to know

Fly-Fishing in New Zealand – What you NEED to know by Derek Grzelewski

New Zealand has a reputation for having the best fly-fishing for trout in the world – but also some of the hardest and most challenging. 

As a professional fly-fishing guide, Derek Grzelewski shares his expert knowledge and decades of experience learnt from some of New Zealand’s best anglers and guides. All the essential skills to improve your fly-fishing ability, including:

• Selecting the right equipment.
• Styles of fly-fishing and the nature of trout.
• Basic, advanced and expert casting techniques.
• Learning to see trout.
• Riverside entomology and what fly to use.
• Where to fish and when.
• Streamcraft and much more.

Fly-Fishing in New Zealand – Chapters include:

1. The essence of fly fishing.
2. Equipment. 
3. Basic casting. 
4. Styles of fly-fishing.
5. The fishing step-by-step.
6. The nature of trout.
7. How to fish.
8. Trout foods and how we imitate them. 
9. Streamcraft.
10. Advanced casting. 
11. What a drag!
12. Getting spayed. 
13. Catch & release vs catch and keep. 
14. Stillwater.
15. Expert presentations. 
16. When to go.
17. Where to go.
18. Beyond trout

This step-by-step guide will cover everything you need to know to become an expert in the art of fly fishing!

Derek Grzelewski is a regular contributor to high-end magazines, including New Zealand Geographic, Australian Geographic, Smithsonian, Flylife and Fly Fisherman.

Other excellent books by Derek Grzelewski include The Trout Diaries, The Trout Bohemia, and The Trout Dreams.

A professional fly-fishing guide and internationally qualified casting instructor. He divides his time between New Zealand and Colorado.

Published in 2020 by David Bateman Ltd. ISBN 978-1-98-853825-9

DerekGrezelewski.com

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Review

This is an excellent book to get you started in fly fishing. It will also be of benefit to the more advanced and experienced fly angler. Visitors to New Zealand, in particular, will find the content very useful as they travel through the country.

It includes the basics from rods and reels, flies, and so on, to casting, as well as tips on fishing the different types of trout waters encountered here. There are many good photographs that will get you fired up to head out and have a go.

Derek has obviously picked up heaps of great tips and trout fishing advice from Kiwi anglers and trout fishing guides. With a copy of Derek Grzelewski’s Fly-Fishing in New Zealand – What you NEED to Know, along with John Kent and Patti Magnano Madsen’s two guide books: New Zealand: South Island Trout Fishing Guide and North Island Trout Fishing Guide, which Derek recommends, and I’ll second that advice, you will be all set for a fabulous New Zealand trout fishing adventure. Highly recommended. Allan Burgess.