Pure Fly NZ Series 4

In this season 4 premiere episode of Pure Fly New Zealand, series regulars Anto Hall and Charles Smith head to remote Mackenzie country in pursuit of some of the biggest Rainbow Trout on the planet! Last year, freezing snowstorms ruined Charles and Anto’s chances for a big bow, so they’re more determined than ever. It’s the first day of an unusually early fishing season on the south islands Ohau River and the Trout are finishing their spawning, so the boys try fishing with egg imitations. The drone spots a massive pod of fish in very shallow water, but an incoming snowstorm threatens to ruin the trip once again. Eventually the weather clears, and our hosts get ready for the session of a lifetime, with multiple fish approaching the mythical 30 pounds mark!

In this instalment of Pure Fly New Zealand, Andrew Harding and Kyle Adams embark on a Town vs. Country Rainbow Trout showdown in the Hawkes Bay Region. The weather’s hot and sunny on the north Island, which makes things difficult. The boys begin in town, but the still and shallow water has the trout wary. As they move upriver, Andrew spots a deeper, more oxygenated pool where the fish are feeding confidently and switch to the nymphs. Up in the backcountry, the scenery may be stunning, but the banks are overgrown and getting a fish out from the snags can be a nightmare. Nevertheless, the fish slowly get bigger, and Kyle finishes the session with a perfect jack Rainbow.

Pure Fly New Zealand’s back in beautiful Mackenzie country, where Pure Fly regulars Jeff Forsee and Ronan Creane are fishing the South Island for pristine Brown and Rainbow Trout. Despite picture perfect scenery and aqua blue waters, Lake Pukaki isn’t famous for its fishing, and largely goes unexplored. An unusually dry winter has brought the lake down to its shallows and Jeff and Ronan have been tipped off to some big pods of Trout sitting close to shore. They arrive to find several specimens cruising the shallows, but they’re reluctant to bite. After much frustration, the crew hypothesis that the high winds have pushed all the small bait fish into the boulders of the bottom corner. With a quick change of locations and tactics, Jeff and Ronan enjoy some of the best lake fishing of their lives.

The Pure Fly New Zealand crew try to make history in this episode, as they head for the remote Chatham Islands in search of new fly fishing sport. This small, storm battered piece of land off the coast of Northern New Zealand has never been fished with a fly rod, so avid saltwater fluff chucker Jeff Forsee and producer Nick Reygaert are casting into the unknown. The tiny 600-man population has created a pristine marine environment, filled with fish species seldom caught with a fly rod. Jeff begins catching some small Wrasse and Kahawai from amongst the surf, but the bigger species elude him for the next few days. On the last session, he and Nick spot their dream species sitting beneath one of the docks; the illusive Blue Moki. After Nick gets snapped off by a monster, both men finally land their biggest, and perhaps the first ever fly caught Moki’s!

Neighbours Jeff Forsee and Jake Berry fulfil their angling dreams in this episode of Pure Fly New Zealand, as they head out in search of massive South Island Brown Trout. The gin clear river systems of the scenic west coast region are considered the greatest Trout fishery on the planet, and for good reason. These waters run cold and blue, and while the fish are few and far between, they grow well into double figures. After one fish escapes Jeff’s dry fly, the pair have trouble. Only the best, most delicate fly anglers stand a chance of stalking these smart fish, but after a cicada hatch kicks in towards the end of the session, the big boys gradually come on the feed.

Pure Fly New Zealand heads into the rolling hills of the South Island in pursuit of big, wild Brown Trout in this episode. The remote country and meandering rivers in the mountainous regions in the east make up some of the most fertile land in the world, dominated by big, intelligent Fish. Mike Kirkpatrick and Jake Berry know this area better than anyone, but the conditions aren’t ideal. In the clear water, the fish are easily spooked, and both men have trouble on their first day. The small natural patterns are being shut down, so the boys change locations and tactics. An aggressive trophy browny finally attacks Mike’s streamer pattern, which unlocks the code for a legendary session of the finest mountain fishing in the world.

In this episode of Pure Fly New Zealand, Producer Nick Reygaert and his brother Chris push deep into the mountain headwaters looking for trophy Rainbow Trout. Local anglers know that the largest specimens tend to push hard into the smaller streams of the upper river reaches, where the ecosystem favours good spawning. The result is incredible sight fishing in inches of water, every fly anglers dream! This kind of angling requires hours of trekking to find the magic pools where the fish are holding, but it pays off. What Nick and Chris find is amongst the most fertile and untouched water on the planet.

In this Pure Fly New Zealand season finale, three of the country’s best big fish anglers hike into the wilds of the south island looking for some of the worlds biggest Brown Trout. These rive systems are one of the only places where Trout regularly push double figures, but catching them is no picnic. It’s early season, which means rain, snow and perilous conditions, but our hosts know that higher water can bring the real monsters out of their hiding places. Tom Hodge, Mike Kirkpatrick and Hannah Clement are big fish connoisseurs with a lifetime of experience on these waters, but it takes real cunning before the fish start coming to the bank. After days of frustration, it’s Hannah that steals the day, with a colossal wild brownie of over 13 pounds! What a way to wrap up season 4!