This year Sport Fly Fishing New Zealand decided to use what is always the best attended competition of the year to mark the handover from the 2023-24 season to the new one, with the annual dinner and prizegiving for that year combined with the first competition of 2024-25.
This meant that the November rain and strong wind of the last two years were replaced with frosty, sunny mornings, light winds and occasional flat calm conditions which made the fishing much more challenging. Even some of New Zealand’s best anglers suffered blank or single fish sessions putting the results in doubt right to the finish, and rewarding those who were able to adapt and catch consistently in the varying conditions.

 

Twenty eight anglers participated this year, with half a dozen regulars also on their way to the Masters World Championships in the Czech Republic – we wish them well !

 

In the end, New Zealand’s star of last year’s World Championships, Hugo Pearce, put together three very consistent sessions to take the individual trophy and the Pairs with his new partner, Phil Connor, recently selected for this year’s Silver Flies Development Squad. He was followed by the irrepressible Ollie Bassett, who had a very slow start followed by two terrific performances, pushing Sam Bourne into third.

 

Special mention should also be made of recent arrival from the USA, Noah Shapiro, who won two sessions but did not quite make the podium.

Top female was Louise Stuart in a very creditable 6 th place and biggest fish was a superbly conditioned 60 cms rainbow caught by Charlie Abrahams.

Hugo said “It was a good, hard comp with the cold and constantly changing conditions being a challenge and reducing the returns. I think varying the retrieves and depths was important to find hungry fish, so I stripped on lines from Di3 to Di6, varying speed and hang but I only used the same three flies throughout the competition, a booby on the top dropper and olive and black woolly buggers below it.

 

I would like to thank Manic Tackle Project for sponsoring the event and Damon and Billy for organising it, but especially my parents for all the support throughout my development, as well as coming along this weekend.”

Organisers Damon Taylor and Billy Thrupp said “it’s great to see such a strong turnout for this marquee event and the Annual Dinner was an opportunity to recognise all the winners of last season. The weather put on an amazing show and the conditions made for a close and challenging event.