The Weekly Five - 24
Is too much fishing even possible?
Welcome to The Weekly Five, Episode 24.
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, our little destination fly fishing e-zine, published from Wānaka, New Zealand.Your editor has been out on the South Island rivers for much of our spectacular kiwi summer – fishing with some fine folk from Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, USA (California, Texas, Colorado, Alaska, Georgia and Washington State), South Africa and New Zealand. What a blast it has been to share these very special South Island backcountry fisheries with you all. Six helicopter transfers, eleven jetboat runs, a bunch of nights in backcountry huts, hundreds of kilometres hiked (our American visitors walk in miles so they travelled even further). A test of whether too much fly fishing is possible (it’s not).
Now the autumn rain has arrived, we’re back in the office, wrapping up a few gear reviews and New Zealand angling articles, with a glance forward to saltwater and tropical island angling ahead.
Here’s our ‘five’ for this week:
Californian anglers might be shocked to hear that Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Store is closing down this week (end of day March 22nd), joining a lengthening list of shuttered angling shops. Should we blame the declining fish population or consumers embracing buying online direct from brand manufacturers and their distributors?
Taylor Fly Fishing has joined many US rod manufacturers in releasing a mid-priced series for the coming season. Perhaps aptly named Destiny (available in 4-6wt for US$450), whether this lower priced offering hurts sales of their premium ‘Truth’ range is yet to be proven.
Patagonia’s favourite river, the Rio Grande, is opening up all new water west of the Chilean border for sea-run aficionados – with the local estancia offering access exclusively through Isolation Outfitters. Bookings will open shortly for the 2025-2026 season.
Epic Fly Fish in New Zealand has launched an entirely new range of fast graphite fly rods designed for saltwater action. Rods in their Ti series “blend aerospace-grade titanium with high-modulus carbon fiber, creating a fishing tool that is lightweight, incredibly strong, and highly responsive”. The comprehensive Ti range comprises 9’ rods in weights from 7-10.
Avid
subscriber and our man in South Africa, Rob headed out with last month in search of NZ’s South Island big browns and we weren’t disappointed. Tales of Zambia’s Tigerfish and Mozambique’s incredible Bonefish whet the appetite for planning a return African fishing safari (hmmm, name your ‘Big Five’?).
Incidentally, South Africa holds two bonefish world records (19lb bonefish caught in 1962 and a 17lb bonefish in 1976). Who knew that?
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The Rio Grande section available from November 2025 will be the entire estancia comprising the Chile portion of the RG (⅔ of the total RG river system), plus the clear river tributaries emptying the three 'lagos', numerous spring creeks and beaver ponds. More water than one could fish in a lifetime. All virgin water.