Fishing in New Zealand offers unparalleled beauty

MURCHISON, NEW ZEALAND - "Strike him hard now," Peter Flintoft yelled, as he stood off to my right and higher up on the bank. Line raced from my reel as I lifted my fly rod above my head.

"Follow after him and try to get line back onto the reel, but hurry," Peter pleaded. After a 20-minute battle of give-an- take, I brought a beautiful 10 pound brown trout to Peter's net.

"Good show and very nicely done," he said, while grinning ear-to-ear.

"Here now, give me your camera and let me take a snap of you holding that beauty."

My wife Charlotte and I were into the final days of our two-week adventure in New Zealand.

Mike McClelland runs a company called "The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing". Some of my friends and I used his travel and booking agency to help us find the best fly-fishing and picturesque lodges. Mike's reputation is based on his ability and track record to match his fishing client's needs and put them up in the right kind of lodges and on the rivers and streams that will suit a particular fishing skill.

We flew directly to Aukland from Los Angeles on a Saturday evening. Pretty heady stuff, this cross-Pacific Ocean traveling. After a snack we greeted the sunrise with dark glasses and orange juice. We then flew to Lake Taupo to continue to our first lodge.

Tongariro Lodge is nestled right on the world-famous Tongariro River. It's hailed as the finest rainbow trout stream in the world.

Months prior to this trip, I had worked with Charlotte on the front lawn, helping her learn the basics of fly casting. Because she's a fast-tracker, Charlotte had enough confidence to be able to step into the Tongariro with guide Tim McCarthy, and hook two powerful rainbows. I also hooked two fish, but neither of us were fortunate to bring those fish to the net. Pure power surges, high water and fast current, along with ultralight leaders made for tenuous hookups.

New Zealand's rivers and streams are considered the clearest and cleanest in the world, no doubt.

Anglers new to the country should fish with a guide. The guide stays on the bank, above the angler, and spots feeding rainbow and brown trout. Because of the water clarity, all of the fish are able to see shadows and movement. They seem to know the difference between an approaching angler and a grazing cow.

Guides approach a stream with stealth, just to maintain a low profile. The guide tells the angler where to cast and when to strike. Both angler and guide spend more time stalking fish than actually casting to them.

Our next stop was at Lake Brunner Lodge on the South Island's west coast.

Three days of rain made most of the stream fishing unreachable, so I opted for some spring-creek angling.

Lodge owner Ray Grubb was able to point out a few broad-shouldered brown trout that were more interested in avoiding my offerings. I hooked and released several nice fish in the 3-5 pound range.

When Char and I arrived at our last stop, Lake Rotorora Lodge near Murchison, we sensed we were going to catch some big trout. Guide Pete Flintoft took us to streams that humans rarely see. After my first 10-pound fish, Peter led me to another section of the stream where he pointed to a long, dark shape, suspended in the water.

"There's one over 10 pounds. I bet," he whispered. I made one cast to the upside of the fish and allowed the dry fly to gently slide along the surface near this bruiser. In one quick flash the trout engulfed the fly and took off across the stream. I lifted my rod and set the hook. Line screamed from my reel like a buzz saw. And then I got a case of the stupids. I clamped down on the line with my fingers and before I realized what I had done, the ultrafine leader snapped.

"That was well over 10 definitely," Flintoft mumbled under his breath, "but there'll be others, if we look carefully."

There's not enough space now to talk about the perfect time of the year to be here or the techniques I would use next time I come back. And I will certainly do just that, because I have been exposed to what friend Bernie Scalin said was the best trout fishing in the world, as well as glaciers; rain forests and towering mountains capped with pristine snow.

If you go

Where: New Zealand

When to go: One of the better times is December

Contact: Mike McClelland, The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing, 1-800-528-6129

Airlines: Direct to Aukland on Air New Zealand

Costs: Depends on your tastes and needs.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (live-streamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.