Drift/Float fishing Wanaka
Alpine Fishing Guides are one of the few companies in New Zealand to offer drift or float fishing trips and have all the legal requirements to do so.
We drift around 10miles or 16km per day , fishing as we drift as well as stopping frequently and wading if desired.
Our rafts are able to take either one or two clients and a guide and are fitted with rowing frames and comfortable seats. The aluminium rowing frames make the rafts very maneuverable , stable and safe which in turn makes them an excellent platform to cast from.
Our trips usually start at around 8.30am after a quick safety briefing and a full day will see you fish though to around 5pm approx but this can be modified to suit the client or conditions. Some of the more distant rivers will require an earlier start.
Drift fishing is a great way to get a long true, natural drift of your fly and to access areas that would be impossible on foot and of course you can fish both sides of the river with ease! A lot easier than bush bashing or boulder hopping your way up a river!
Depending on time of year or time of day or even different sections of the same river on the same day, we could fish various styles.
Nymphs and indicators is a popular way if the fish are deep , dries and droppers , even stripping a streamers like a large woolly bugger can be very effective or our summer favourite which is to drift large terrestrials such as cicadas or blowfly type patterns .
This is an awesome way to fish. Long drag free drifts , watching your fly gently bounce along in the current and waiting for that large snout to appear!
A lot of the fish are pre spotted or the client guided in the right direction to cast . As we have fished and guided on these rivers for years we have intimate knowledge on where the fish are likely to be and what they will most probably be feeding on.
It is a great experience for the expert and novice alike.
We have all the gear you might require and provide delicious, fresh, shore made lunches and also drinks and snacks.
Come drift a magnificent New Zealand river with us, sit back and enjoy the ride and don’t forget to take a look around from time to time at New Zealand’s magnificent scenery.
You won’t be disappointed.
If you have any questions or inquiries please feel free to contact us . We will be sure to give you a prompt reply.