"Fishing New Zealand’s South Island with Bill
Rodgers 2005:
I was on a month’s holiday travelling New
Zealand in November-December ’05, planning to do some fly fishing
along the way. Before starting my trip I searched the internet to
find some local help with the fishing, as I was only into fly
fishing for about a year then. That’s how I got to meet Bill
Rodgers. He was just the man for the job; A very experienced fly
fisherman with excellent knowledge of the local rivers and streams
and of the fly patterns to be used. He is also very patient (had to
be with me!) and has a superb sense of humour. From the first moment
I felt as if I’d known him all my life! Bill made sure that within
hours I got totally addicted to spotting and sight-casting to the
easily spooked New Zealand brown trout. This way of fishing (depends
a lot on the river) means there is a lot of walking involved and not
that many casts per hour, but the reward when a fish takes your dry
fly or nymph is definitely worth it!! Bill made sure that I got the
most out of my New Zealand fishing as was possible at the time."
Bert Berger, Belgium
"Fishing New Zealand’s
South Island with Bill Rodgers 2007:
Sure enough I went back
to New Zealand in March 2007 for more fly fishing. I had stayed in
contact with Bill ever since we first met in 2005 in Timaru,
Canterbury. In the mean time Bill and his family had moved back to
Gore in Southland, located on the banks of the Mataura river. Gore
is also called “The World Capital of Brown Trout Fishing”, for the
Mataura is said to hold more trout per mile than any other New
Zealand river. I had fished the Mataura before in 2005 with the help
of another guide and with good results. But Bill has grown up in
Gore and knows the Mataura river like his own backyard. This was
soon going to make all the difference! We met at Bill’s place on a
cold and rainy Sunday morning for coffee and checked the internet
for water levels and weather predictions. The outside temperature of
only 5°C, hard rain and strong winds kept other people off the water
so we had the whole river to ourselves. First Bill drove around a
little to check the river out and soon saw some rocks sticking out
from the water which (according to him) meant good news; he knew
just the spot to try! It took only 3-4 casts in the pouring rain
until I hooked a first fish which leapt out of the water and got
away. But within about 1.5hrs I hooked and landed 6 very good fish,
2 of them a good 20 inches, one “sea-runner” and all in superb
condition! Full credit to Bill for that result!! Without his
knowledge and especially his optimism I would have been lost,
probably wouldn’t even have tried to fish at all that day.
During
the end of the next week Bill and I set out again to different spots
on the Mataura river in much better weather. I caught good numbers
of decent size fish every time we went out, most in the 1-3Lbs range
and again a fish of over 20 inches. I mainly used nymphs, but on the
last day suddenly we saw heads out of the water and quickly switched
to dry flies (Bill’s home-made CDC emerger pattern). I hooked
several and landed 4 fish in the 2-3 Lbs region on a dry fly. What a
perfect way to end my New Zealand ’07 flyfishing!!
I can
only recommend anyone going to fish the Canterbury or Southland area
to hire Bill as their guide. He will make sure you get the most out
of your fishing trip, even in difficult conditions; And above all
that his “Kiwi humour” and optimism make him an excellent companion
on the water!!"
Bert Berger, Belgium
“Bill took me on my
first attempt at fly fishing which consisted
of two days in two different rivers in
beautiful Southland, New Zealand. He was
able to teach me the difficult art of
casting both with nymphs and dry flies. Not
only was he a great teacher but he was a
very pleasant chap to spend two days with.
He was extremely patient with all my failed
attempts and took the time to make sure that
the criticism was constructive and useful.
To top it all off with his guidance I was
able to catch three beautiful brown trout!
There is no doubt in my mind that if I had
not had Bill’s expertise on tap that I would
not have caught one fish.”
Warm regards, Robert
“Bill took us to a
picturesque little Southland stream with
shallow runs and modest pools. The browns
were in peak condition taking willow grubs
on the surface. I took 4 rising fish seeing
all the action dead in front of me. Weighing
between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 lbs they leapt and
ran like only a Southland brown can. Thanks
again Bill and thanks to your mother-in-law
for her great sandwiches”
Tim Goodman
Hi Bill – it was a
highlight of my trip. To land 8 fish in such
a famous river is something I’ll never
forget or how much I enjoyed the day on the
Mataura.
Good luck. Jason
"Bill Rodgers guided me for two days in December 2002. I was on a tight schedule, and had only a few days to fish at the end of a business trip to New Zealand. Before I arrived, it rained for several days, and the river I came to fish was high and dirty. The river stayed high, so Bill and I spent our time sight fishing to large brown trout in small, clear tributary streams. The country was beautiful,
and the fishing was spectacular.
Bill's knowledge of where to go in less than ideal conditions saved the trip for me. Instead of two days of flailing muddy water, I had one of the greatest fly fishing experiences of my life fishing on the South Island.
Bill has all the qualities of a great guide:
encyclopaedic knowledge of the local waters and hatches, enthusiasm, great stream craft, and superb fishing skills. Best of all, he is a great companion on the water. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent fishing with Bill, and look forward to getting back to New Zealand and fishing with him again. "
Ed Kempema,
Wyoming, USA
