Accommodation Hatch Calendar
What Bill's clients are saying;
"Bill took me on my first attempt at fly fishing which consisted of two days
in two different rivers in beautiful Southland New Zealand. He was able to
teach me the difficult art of casting both with nymphs and dry flys. Not
only was he a great teacher but he was a very pleasant chap to spend two
days with. He was extremely patient with all my failed attempts and took the
time to make sure that the criticism was constructive and useful. To top it
all off with his guidance I was able to catch three beautiful brown trout!
There is no doubt in my mind that if I had not had Bill's expertise on tap
that I would not have caught one fish."
Warm regards
Robert Glover
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Hi Bill - its was a highlight of my trip. To land 8 fish in such a famous river is something I'll never forget......
Jason
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"Bill took us to a picturesque little Southland stream with shallow runs and
modest pools. The browns were in peak condition taking willow grubs on the surface. I took 4 rising fish seeing all the action dead in front of me.
Weighing between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 lbs they leapt and ran like only a
Southland brown can. Thanks again Bill and thanks to your mother-in-law for
her great sandwiches"
Tim Goodman
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Fishing New Zealand’s South Island with Bill Rodgers 2007:
Sure enough I went back to New Zealand in March 2007 for more flyfishing. I had stayed in contact with Bill ever since we first met in 2005 in Timaru, Canterbury. In the mean time Bill and his family had moved back to Gore in the Southland, located on the banks of the Mataura river. Gore is also called “The World Capital of Brown Trout Fishing”, for the Mataura is said to hold more trout per mile than any other New Zealand river. I had fished the Mataura before in 2005 with the help of another guide and with good results. But Bill has grown up in Gore and knows the Mataura river like his own backyard. This was soon going to make all the difference! We met at Bill’s place on a cold and rainy Sunday morning for coffee and checked the internet for water levels and weather predictions. The outside temperature of only 5°C, hard rain and strong winds kept other people off the water so we had the whole river to ourselves. First Bill drove around a little to check the river out and soon saw some rocks sticking out from the water which (according to him) meant good news; he knew just the spot to try! It took only 3-4 casts in the pouring rain until I hooked a first fish which leapt out of the water and got away. But within about 1.5hrs I hooked and landed 6 very good fish, 2 of them a good 20 inches, one “sea-runner” and all in superb condition! Full credit to Bill for that result!! Without his knowledge and especially his optimism I would have been lost, probably wouldn’t even have tried to fish at all that day.
During the end of the next week Bill and I set out again to different spots on the Mataura river in much better weather. I caught good numbers of decent size fish every time we went out, most in the 1-3Lbs range and again a fish of over 20 inches. I mainly used nymphs, but on the last day suddenly we saw heads out of the water and quickly swithced to dry flies (Bill’s home-made CDC emerger pattern). I hooked several and landed 4 fish in the 2-3 Lbs region on a dry fly. What a perfect way to end my New Zealand ’07 flyfishing!!
Fishing New Zealand’s South Island with Bill Rodgers 2005:
I was on a month’s holiday travelling New Zealand in November-December ’05, planning to do some flyfishing along the way. Before starting my trip I searched the internet to find some local help with the fishing, as I was only into flyfishing for about a year then. That’s how I got to meet Bill Rodgers. He was just the man for the job; A very experienced flyfisherman with excellent knowledge of the local rivers and streams and of the fly patterns to be used. He is also very patient (had to be with me!) and has a superb sense of humour. From the first moment I felt as if I’d known him all my life! Bill made sure that within hours I got totally addicted to spotting and sight-casting to the easily spooked New Zealand brown trout. This way of fishing (depends a lot on the river) means there is a lot of walking involved and not that many casts per hour, but the reward when a fish takes your dry fly or nymph is definitely worth it!! Bill made sure that I got the most out of my New Zealand fishing as was possible at the time.
I can only recommend anyone going to fish the Canterbury or Southland area to hire Bill as their guide. He will make sure you get the most out of your fishing trip, even in difficult conditions; And above all that his “Kiwi humour” and optimism make him an excellent companion on the water!!
Bert Berger
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"Bill Rodgers guided me for two days in December 2002. I was on a tight schedule, and had only a few days to fish at the end of a business trip to New Zealand. Before I arrived, it rained for several days, and the river I came to fish was high and dirty. The river stayed high, so Bill and I spent our time sight fishing to large brown trout in small, clear tributary streams. The country was beautiful, and the fishing was spectacular.
Bill's knowledge of where to go in less than ideal conditions saved the trip for me. Instead of two days of flailing muddy water, I had one of the greatest fly fishing experiences of my life fishing on the South Island.
Bill has all the qualities of a great guide: encyclopaedic knowledge of the local waters and hatches, enthusiasm, great stream craft, and superb fishing skills. Best of all, he is a great companion on the water. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent fishing with Bill, and look forward to getting back to New Zealand and fishing with him again. "
Ed Kempema
Wyoming, USA