Recent news & Articles

Preparing for your trip to New Zealand

For some a fly fishing trip to the South Island of New Zealand is a once in a lifetime event; for many of our guests it’s an annual pilgrimage. In either case there are two things you can do to maximise your fishing success and hopefully also your enjoyment. Practice your casting If there was one thing I would recommend… Read more

What is New Zealand style fly fishing?

New Zealand is blessed with clear rivers and large resident trout. This unique set of circumstances means the angler needs to adapt their fishing style to suit the environment and quarry. Owen River Lodge is located near Murchison at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, this region receives a huge amount of rainfall (around… Read more

Early season fishing sees fantastic results !

If the first 3 weeks of the season are anything to go by; then season 2016 / 17 may go down as one of the very best yet. The wild browns caught have mostly been in very good condition, having lived through a reasonably benign winter. Melbournian Jason stayed at the lodge and fished with us for his second time in mid October.… Read more

10 best fly-fishing lodges in the world

Gear Patrol is an award-winning digital, social and print publication that reaches nearly two million readers per month have rated Owen River Lodge as one of the10 best fly-fishing lodges in the whole world ! We are the only New Zealand based fly fishing lodge in their list of the top 10. Read… Read more

Implementation of Back Country Fisheries

Fish & Game, the organisation tasked with managing the New Zealand freshwater fishery, have designated some of the rivers we fish with a back county fishery designation. Namely the Goulter, Travers, Karamea & Mokihinui river systems. In order to fish these rivers, anglers will need a back country endorsement. Anglers… Read more

Sensational new fly rod from Sage

Sage has released a new fly rod called the X, and those that have been lucky enough to cast it have raved about it. Owen River Lodge is one of only two fishing lodges in the world that is a fully authorised Sage dealer. We have the complete line up of Sage rods for our guests to use and will be updating our inventory… Read more

So you want to be a fly fishing guide ?

Owen River Lodge is one of New Zealand’s premier fishing lodges. We are seeking to take on 2 interns, so they may learn from the very best guides in the business and hopefully become full time members of our guiding team. Owen River Lodge will help perfect your fly fishing techniques. Being a good fly fisher and the… Read more

How to become a better fly fisher and caster...

We would all like to be better casters – right ? As part of planning and preparing for your fishing trip to New Zealand, please don’t forget to do your casting practice! Many a fly fisher knows the importance of practicing casting techniques, however in the busyness of planning and preparing for a trip, it is often… Read more

When to fly fish in New Zealand?

The question I get asked more than any other is “What is the best time of the year to fly fish New Zealand?” It’s a tough question to answer, as there are so many variables. Probably the easiest way to answer this perennially asked question is to take you on a guided tour through the fishing season. October and… Read more

Highlights of season 2015/ 16

May 31, 2016

Running a fishing lodge can be a complex thing. There are so many variables to take into account, without doubt, the weather has a significant impact on the trout fishery and therefore the fishing. In our early season the weather cooperated brilliantly. November & December saw clear rivers, sunny days and little wind. The… Read more

Casting for Recovery 2016

April 26, 2016

26 April 2016 This is not your typical fly fishing blog, but please do read on…..I want to tell you a little story, it’s a real life story I moved to New Zealand 13 years ago and luckily chose the wonderful Owen Valley to establish my wee fishing lodge. I was lucky principally because of the sensational people who… Read more

Fabulous things to do in Nelson city

November 18, 2015

Nelson is a delightful city of 50, 000 people, which makes it an ideal size to explore on foot or by bike if you’re feeling active. With around 2,500 hours of sunshine each year, Nelson regularly tops the “sunniest city in New Zealand” lists. It has a mild, Mediterranean-type climate, with coastal breezes tempering the… Read more

Sage introduces two new rod models to its lineup

June 19, 2015

Renowned fly fishing manufacturer Sage introduces two new model ranges to its lineup. First up is the MOD, which is designed and handcrafted on Bainbridge Island, USA with Sage’s Konnetic Technology®. Thoughtfully crafted with contemporary line designs and angling styles in mind, the MOD is a modern interpretation… Read more

Many mice make massive browns

May 19, 2015

In my November 2014 blog post, I discussed the mouse plague that this region was likely to experience over the season. Well, it happened! It wasn’t the massive mice and rat plague we’ve seen in previous seasons (1999/2000, for example) but on certain rivers in the Nelson/Marlborough region there were mice simply… Read more

Casting for Recovery

May 03, 2015

The last weekend in April saw Owen River Lodge open its doors for the annual Casting For Recovery South Island retreat. It’s the third time we’ve hosted this very special event. Casting For Recovery offers retreats free of charge to people who have, or have had, breast cancer. Participants get to take some time out, be pampered,… Read more