Ever met someone who lives for fly fishing? Chappie’s that guy. Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone so at home knee-deep in a stream, rod in hand, eyes locked on the water like he’s reading its secrets. He’s been hooked since he was six—though, funny enough, it wasn’t until he turned thirteen that he first tried fly fishing. And man, that was it. Game over.

 Growing up in this stunning mountainous pocket of New Zealand, with what, three hundred streams? Most of them crawling with trout? Yeah, that’ll shape a person.

Small streams were his classroom. You’d think they’d be easier, right? Nah. That’s where he learned the real stuff—patience, precision, how to read the water when it’s barely wider than your stride. Even now, give him a dry fly and a tight little stretch of water, and he’s in heaven. Then there’s the mid-70s, when he just… went for it. Sold everything, quit his job, bought a beat-up 4WD and a caravan, and spent three and a half years chasing fish.

 Crazy? Maybe. But that’s Chappie. He’ll tell you straight: if you want to master something, you’ve got to live it.

These days, he’s been with the NZPFGA for, what, twenty years? Longer than some of his rods, probably. His fly schools? Used to be a day thing, now they’re two—packed with everything from basics to the kind of tricks you’d only pick up after decades on the water. And if you really want to dig in, he does one-on-one stuff too—single-handed, spey casting, whatever you need. Rumor has it he’s even cooking up these three-day, on-the-water intensives. Advanced casting, trout spey, the works.

Guiding’s been his full-time gig for over twenty years now, but before that? He was deep in the tackle game—wholesale, retail, even had a hand in designing some of the gear you’ve probably got in your own kit. Funny how things come full circle.

But here’s the thing: Chappie’s not just a guide. He’s one of those rare folks who can teach fishing, not just do it. Beginners, intermediates—doesn’t matter. And small streams? That’s his sweet spot. Most folks barrel past them for the big rivers, but that’s where the real magic happens, if you ask him.

As for species, well—brown trout, rainbow trout, he’s got them dialed. Rainbows especially. It’s like he’s got a sixth sense for where they’ll be lurking, when they’ll bite. Guess that’s why they call him “Chappie the Trout Whisperer.”