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Fabulous things to do in Nelson city
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
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
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
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
The best fishing day of your life
As an angler, if you’re very lucky, there is one day that outshines all others. One lucky couple had theirs here last week. Wayne and Vicki are from Melbourne and have just completed their fourth stay at Owen River Lodge. They learned to fly fish here on their first visit in October 2012, so you could say they’re… Read more
This is THE season to fly fish New Zealand !
If you’ve ever thought about fly fishing for huge wild brown trout in New Zealand, then this season is the time to come ! Why I hear you say ? Well to cut a long story short, there is a mice and rat plague in the beech forests in some parts of the South Island of New Zealand. These furry little critters are… Read more
One man’s pest is another man’s poundage
Over the past few months, we’ve been waiting to see if the mouse and rat plague predicted by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) will eventuate. I can now state with a reasonable degree of certainty that although it’s taken longer to manifest than originally thought, we are definitely in the midst of a mouse… Read more
Loan fly fishing gear
I think there are several really important things that make up a truly great fishing lodge: the accommodations, the food, the staff, the location, the fishery, the fishing guides and the loan gear. We all know what a hassle it is packing and traveling with fishing gear. So we’ve taken the pain out of staying and fishing with… Read more
Sage releases new rod - Accel
Sage, the leader is fly rod design and manufacture has released a new range of medium-fast action single-hand, switch and two-hand fly rods to the market with the ACCEL series by reinventing proven Generation 5 technology. Adding a graphite hoop core and axial fiber material in the new Generation 5 technology allowed for a lighter,… Read more
Non-resident fishing licence
Fish and Game are the organization delegated by the New Zealand government to manage the freshwater fishery, has introduced a new licence type for non-resident anglers. So, for this upcoming season there are two licences available:· A 24-hour licence at a cost of NZ $25 per angler, per day. There are no limits on the number… Read more
Wi-Fi now available in all guest cottage suites
We’ve had Wi-Fi available in the main lodge building since opening but to be honest, we have struggled to get the signal out to all the guest cottage suites…. I’m pleased to let all our guests know that we have upgraded our Wi-Fi network and, as a consequence, Wi-Fi is now available in all our guest cottage suites. Naturally… Read more
Hosted Trips
Each season sees several groups of hosted traveling anglers stay and fish at Owen River Lodge. This upcoming season is no different with Barry & Cathy Beck and April Vokey hosting groups of anglers during season 2014 2015. April Vokey : Nov 30 > December 7 April hails from British Columbia and is an avid… Read more
TripAdvisor Award
We are honoured to have been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014. This is the 5th year in a row we have been awarded TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence. We would like to thank all of our wonderful guests that have taken the time to write a TripAdvisor review!
Mouse Plague & Huge Trout
Every 5 or 6 years, a mouse plague explodes in the beech forests of New Zealand. These plagues are driven by the simultaneous seeding or flowering of the native New Zealand beech tree. This produces a glut of seeds or nuts that the rats & mice feast on. With rodents producing 10 offspring every 8 weeks, the plagues can eventually… Read more
Perseverance Pays Off
The rivers that surround Owen River Lodge are inhabited by wild brown trout. It’s no coincidence that wild trout live in wild places and it doesn’t matter where you go in this world, if you fly fish for trout the weather can – and quite often does – play a significant role. Indeed, the quality of the wild trout fishery… Read more
May 2 2018
We are planning our 7th trip to ORL! Felix and staff have become dear friends, and we count down to our trip each year! The accommodations are first class, the food top notch,… Read more
Feb 14 2018
My first visit to NZ with my wife to fish and take a break. The rooms are impeccable, the food is 5 star, and the guides are world class. You need to have an open mind about your… Read more
Awards & acknowledgements
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Owen River Lodge NZ: “Fly fishing at its very best”
Ph: +64 3 523 9075 Address: Owen Valley East Road, Murchison, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand
Email: stay@owenriverlodge.co.nz