Fishing with my Father

Going fishing is the epitome of father-son activities and I am extremely lucky that my Dad also happens to be my hero and one of my very best mates. He also taught me a lot of what I know about fishing (and now I am teaching him some stuff too!). So it was really awesome that last week he was able to take a day off work and come fishing.

Dad hooked up to a solid fish

I realise that one day Dad won't be around to come fishing with me, so memories and photographs are like gold. I also realise that for whatever reason, many people do not get to spend as much time with their parents as they would like, and fishing is about as quality as time gets for Dad and I. Ever since I was little I remember pestering him to go fishing, which I think he quite enjoyed because Mum would often encourage him to go just to shut me the hell up!

Must have been the superb guiding!

I owe a lot to plenty of people in life but my Dad is right up there. He taught me about patience, respect and how to take pleasure out of the small things in life, all of which are qualities a good fly fisherman needs. Most importantly, he passed on his incredible enthusiasm for fishing and the outdoors in general and I think that this is the greatest gift he has ever given me.

Quality time with one of my best mates

Dad often says that I have now taken him over in things such as casting ability, amount of fish caught and time spent on the water. While this might be true, none of it would have happened without him and it is for this reason that Dad will always be a better fisherman than me. I am constantly learning new things from him, most recently to slow things down a bit when out on the river (I have an awful tendency to charge forward, especially on new water). I look forward to spending many more days on the water with him.

Here is a video that is probably better suited to fathers day, however it ties in with this post and is a truly powerful observation of the father-son relationship. Read the description on the video too, its a beautiful story.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is a funny thing. It has totally different meanings for different people and some will find it at different stages in their life. I was brought up to believe that you work as hard as you can and sacrifice happiness in order to become financially secure, before enjoying life in your retirement years. Recently, upon completing my university degree, I have been doing a lot of thinking as to what to do next. While the short term goal is to go travelling to North America with Josh next year, the idea of a 9 to 5 office job once I get back doesn't really appeal to me.

I am never so certain as to what I want in life as I am when I am on the river.

I am fortunate enough to find myself in a position where I could possibly make a living out of something I truly love to do, fly fishing. While I would certainly not earn anywhere as much as I would becoming a lawyer, the outdoor lifestyle and guaranteed happiness would more than make up for this. We can spend a lot of our time living up to other peoples expectations but at the end of the day the only expectations we should try and meet are our own. Life is far too short to put yourself in a position where you may wake up one day full of regret and as a young person, I feel I owe it to myself to try and make a fist of something that I know many people never got a chance to do when they were younger. It is for these reasons that I have decided to at least attempt to make a career out of fly fishing.

Josh has been taking some amazing photos recently, this one after a a light dusting of snow on the river bank.

Over half of all people are unhappy with their jobs. This is just sometimes a reality of life and that is why it is called a job. However I truly believe that if you are in a position to make a living out of something you love, then you owe it not only to yourself but to all the people who are not totally happy with their work to try and do something about it. For some of these people it is too late to just drop everything and go fishing (or whatever it is they enjoy) as a lifestyle and career choice. Having said this, if I can make peoples lives a bit better by putting up movies of me going fishing, taking people out fishing or even selling people fishing gear, then that small transfer of happiness that occurs is worth more to the world than me earning a high salary.

The classic frozen guide shot. Josh and his Canon 600D at work.

There may indeed come a time where I have to settle down, get that office job and start a family or I may indeed fail to make a reasonable living out of fishing. I just really don't want to be the guy who looks in the mirror in twenty years time and wonder if I have wasted my youth by not being as happy as I can be.

Watch this trailer (and the full film you can find on Vimeo too), as it has some valuable insights as to the dangers of just wandering through life.

A DELIBERATE LIFE: Film Trailer from Rockhouse Motion on Vimeo.

Support the Locals

As most places will probably say, it is best to keep things in the local area. As a fisherman in New Zealand, I believe there is some of the best fly fishing water in the world, and I know I'm not the only one.
New Zealand certainly has a lot to show off and there are a few guys out there who make their living off such an awesome resource. Clear, fresh and full of fish, most rivers around will be worth any time you invest in trying to catch a decent trout, and they are there.

There are plenty of guides in NZ that depend upon keeping nature in this country pristine. This is the pick of our local guides, which also happens to be who our guiding jobs come through... Funny that... It's just one more way to support the locals. http://www.waikatoflyfishers.co.nz/. There is a little spiel on the home page about them but this is pretty much the best guiding you will find for the King Country area in particular. You can also let us know through here if you want to know any more.

There are the local shops too like Fish City, that really rely on the local, loyal customers of the area. It's not a business owned by an offshore money bag who doesn't really know the general populace at a personal level. I'm not saying these people are bad or don't work as hard, but the local guys really take pride in getting to know each customer and tend to fish and hunt the same areas. With this information and close rapport, fishing can become an even better experience for everyone. To visit, go to  http://fishcity.co.nz/

Another local, and one who is making some noise on the International scene is film maker Nick Reygaert. His company Gin-Clear has produced a few really top notch fly fishing films in the past and is the headliner for the upcoming Rise Fly Fishing Festival. Nick is super passionate about his filming and fishing and it really shows through in the work he produces. This little teaser trailer is for the major film of the night and looks awesome really. The camera work, attention to detail and the places it is set are fantastic. Have a quick watch of the trailer and let us know (and Nick too) what you think.


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Backcountry - North Island Official Trailer from Gin Clear Media on Vimeo.

After watching this, you will probably want to come along and check it all out right? Good idea!
You can buy tickets for the event, which is being held all over the show, with dates and venues on this website. http://www.gin-clear.com/filmfest/

The boys up at ManicTackle are also impressed what this guy does and are backing him all the way, being the major sponsors for the whole film festival.

Anyway, all this is just to highlight that the big guns of the world don't run things. Get in and support the locals, the shops that bring all the best stuff in and the guys who grew up fishing the are and are truly passionate about what they do. Don't forget the guys like us and Nick from Gin-Clear, who want to showcase New Zealand as the best fishing destination to the world. Just remember to not give away ALL the best spots...