Ah, mate – let me tell you about the magic of Hawkes Bay trout fishing over a cuppa.

 You’re in for a proper treat here, and I’m not just saying that because I’ve spent more time knee-deep in these rivers than in my own living room. Tony Hildesheim’s the name, and if there’s one thing I know better than my wife’s birthday (sorry, love), it’s where those wily browns and rainbows hide.

Now, picture this: you’re standing in one of our crystal-clear tributaries, the morning mist just lifting off the water like steam from a fresh pie at the Black Barn stalls – which, by the way, you absolutely must hit after a day’s fishing. Their steak and cheese? Good as gold. But I’m getting ahead of myself...

These rivers? They’re like old friends to me. Every bend and ripple tells a story. Remember last spring when I spotted this absolute monster of a rainbow sipping mayflies near the willow on the Tukituki? Took me three tries to land him with my trusty three-fly rig – two nymphs underneath and a stimulator dry fly bobbing up top like a little orange life raft. Call me biased, but that setup’s saved more fishless days than I can count.

Here’s the beauty of it – whether you’re some hotshot international angler or a local giving it a nudge for the first time, we’ve got water to suit. Fancy a gentle day trip? The Ngaruroro’s got these lovely pools where the fish practically queue up. Feeling adventurous? The Ruakituri’s where we go proper backcountry – tramping boots, camping gear, the whole shebang. Funny story about that river actually... last summer a cheeky kea stole my sandwich right out of the pack while I was releasing a trout. Cheeky buggers!
Oh! And don’t even get me started on saltwater fly fishing. There’s nothing like watching a kingfish smash your fly in the shallows near Cape Kidnappers – though mind the nor’easters if you’re boat fishing, they’ll have your line in knots faster than you can say "snapper on!"

Now that I think about it, that’s the real magic of this place – variety. One day you’re sight-fishing gin-clear spring creeks, next you’re hiking into remote valleys where the trout haven’t seen a fly since... well, probably since my last trip. Personally, I swear by the overnight lodge trips – nothing beats swapping fish tales over a whisky as the cicadas sing.
Look, I could rabbit on all day (ask my regulars – they reckon I talk more than a tui in mating season), but here’s the guts of it: if you want proper Kiwi trout fishing with someone who knows every rock and ripple between Napier and the ranges, give us a hoy. Single day, multi-day, salt or fresh – we’ll sort you out. Just maybe pack an extra sandwich for the keas, eh?