Drift Boat Magic: Why the Clutha River is My Favourite Playground

You know, there’s something special about watching a big brown trout sip a dry fly off the surface at first light. And honestly? The best way to experience that here in the South Island is from the deck of a drift boat. Especially our boat—that American-made Pro-Drift jet-powered beauty. She’s not just a boat; she’s your golden ticket to water most anglers only dream about.

I’ve been guiding these rivers for 15 years now, and I still get goosebumps rowing into certain stretches of the Clutha. There’s this one bend just below the Luggate Bridge where the water slows to a crawl in the mornings, and if you hit it right—when the mayflies are hatching and the light’s just so—it’s pure magic. The trout? They’re stupid fussy, but that’s half the fun.

Why a Drift Boat? (And Why Ours is Different)

Most Kiwi anglers know drift boats, but let me tell ya, not all are created equal. Ours? She’s five metres of pure fishing machine—jet-powered, Maritime NZ-certified, and built to handle the Clutha’s sneaky currents. Traditional rowing’s all backwards (literally), but in a drift boat, you’re facing forward. Gives me way more control when we’re dodging willow snags or threading through rapids.

And the space? Two metres wide means you’re not elbow-bashing your mate while double-hauling into the wind. Which, by the way, happens more often than you’d think—afternoon nor’westers here have a habit of showing up uninvited.
The Fishing: Dry Flies, Nymphs, and the Occasional Dirty Streamer
Here’s how a typical day with me goes:

Mornings: Dry fly heaven. Sight fishing to risers in the braids—size 16 Adams or CDC duns usually do the trick, unless the trout are being prissy (which, let’s be real, is often).
Midday: Switch to nymphing through the riffles. I’ve got a stupidly effective pheasant tail variant that’s saved more slow days than I can count.
Afternoons: Time to go deep. Big streamers swung through the drop-offs where the big rainbows sulk.

We’ll wade too—edge water, tailouts, those little runs the boat can’t quite reach. Found a 6-pound brown last season in knee-deep water you’d swear was too skinny to hold a minnow.
The Rivers: Pick Your Poison
Clutha River – Full Day Drift
My bread and butter. Starts at 9 am, wraps up by 5 pm. Rods, reels, flies? Sorted. I’ll even throw in a packed lunch (my wife makes a mean venison sandwich). $1050 +GST for two anglers.
Waiau or Waitaki – 2-Day Expedition
For the hardcore crew. Two full days hopping between boat, banks, and islands. Same $1050 +GST per day, but trust me, the memories are priceless.
West Coast Multi-Day
Custom trips for the truly adventurous. Think remote backcountry, alpine lakes, and trout that’ve never seen a fly. DM me—we’ll design something wild.
Winter Half-Days (May–Sept)
Upper Clutha, 10 am–3 pm. Frost on the rods, steam off the coffee, and the trout are hungry. $650 +GST.

The Fish: Fussy Browns and Fiery Rainbows
South Island trout don’t play fair. The browns? Masters of the side-eye refusal. The rainbows? All shoulders and attitude. But when you stick one from the boat… mate, that’s the stuff.
So if you’re keen—proper keen—drop me a line. No corporate guarantees, just honest fishing with a bloke who loves these rivers as much as you will. Cheers,
– Simon
(P.S. Roger’s your man if I’m booked. He’s alright… for a Cantabrian.)