Fly Fishing New Zealand: A Young Guide’s Epic Backcountry Adventure
With : brady.leatherberry
We caught up with Brady, a young guide with an old soul and a 5-weight in hand, who’s traded comfort for the chase—living out of a car in the New Zealand backcountry, stalking brown trout that spook at their own shadow. From his humble roots wrangling critters in Arkansas ponds to guiding high-country waters in Breckenridge, this fella's journey reminds us why we fish: not just for the tug, but for the stories that ripple out long after the cast. Here’s what he had to say about chasing fish, finding friends across the globe, and living a life tied to the current.
Brady, how did you get into fly fishing, and what was it that first sparked your interest in the sport?
As a kid growing up in Arkansas, some of my earliest memories are catching critters with my brother. Whether it was lizards, snakes, crawfish, or digging up worms to catch anything that bites. As I got older, I got more intrigued with chasing big bass. But I always attached fly fishing to trout, and that was that. One day I was looking into fly fishing as I thought catching a big bass on the fly would be sick. So as you do, I went down a huge rabbit hole on YouTube, Facebook groups, and old forums. I happened to bring the interest up to my uncle one day about getting a fly rod soon, and he said he had one lying around I could have because he never really picked it up and got into it. Game on! I was set up with an old 5wt Okuma 2-piece rod and no telling what brand reel. The first thing I did was take that puppy home, string it up, and hit the small pond we have in the front yard! And caught The first and best species to learn to fly fish on the bluegill. An aggressive fish that is begging to eat anything that slaps the water! Spring forward 8 years; I now spend my summers guiding in Breckenridge, Colorado. I have recently turned 23, spending the New Zealand summer living in a car solely for catching fish on dry flies.
You recently had the opportunity to fish in New Zealand. What was that experience like, and how did it compare to your usual fishing spots in Breckenridge, CO?
I’m not even sure where to start when it comes to describing how amazing New Zealand summer was. These three months absolutely flew by… like most, I started in Christchurch, purchased a car that will come to be my home for the next 90 days. After playing “grown-up“ and getting the car squared away with insurance, registration, etc., I was absolutely itching to get out of town and hit the mountains! New Zealand trout fishing is nothing short of incredible, but as good as it is, it comes with its challenges. Spot and stalk big brown trout on dry flies… that’s the allure that has you flying one-way tickets across the world. But these fish don’t get big by being dumb! My first few missions, I learned quickly this isn’t Colorado…. Double the leader length, walking quadruple the distances, and way less fish per mile. And the fish you do find are scared of their shadow. In this land, the first cast is the most important cast you’ll make. If you don’t make the first cast, I believe your chances go down at least 75% of catching the fish. It doesn’t take long for them to catch on to you. They know a few things, and that is to eat, reproduce, and survive; if they have a gut feeling that something is up, see you later… back to walking.
Brady, what are your top five tips for anyone looking to make the trip to New Zealand for fly fishing?
move slowly, good boots, long leaders, make first cast count , cover up
I learned a lot as an angler from this summer! And most of the things I learned were from making mistakes and adapting, whether it was techniques, attire, or just plain out spooking fish. No worse feeling than walking 5 miles up a river and spooking the 6 fish you came across because you were walking the bank aimlessly waiting for a fish to wave his hand at you... yes, the water is gin clear, some of the most beautiful rivers you’ll ever see. But these fish adapt to their environment incredibly well. This is a game of looking at “smudges.” Rocky smudges, sticky smudges, and our favorite fishy smudges. I feel a lot of anglers are walking the river and looking too far ahead at the next “good pool” where you’ll see the fish easier. As you could be passing several fish that are feeding hard, you just didn’t take the time to look. Move slowly! And watch carefully; it only takes one time for that fish to swing for a midge to expose himself to you. That leads me into my next tip: good boots. The chances are you’ll be walking more than you ever have for a fish, sometimes even crawling over vehicle-sized boulders, so make sure your boots are good! It’s like American Ninja Warrior out there! When you do come across that fishy smudge and it slowly presents itself to you as a feeding fish, take your time. Because in most cases, you only have one shot. Make the first cast count. Don’t overthink the fly as much, but more so your leader length. I like at least 15 feet or two rod lengths. You better start practicing at home. For my last tip, it would be to cover up. It’s not just fish living in those beautiful valleys, but sometimes the most sandflies you could ever see in your life, and they know exactly where you have exposed skin.
What was the most memorable moment of your trip to New Zealand, and how did it influence your perspective on fly fishing?
When I sit back and think about the most memorable moment of my trip, it’s not so much just one particular moment. Like the 10-pound brown trout slowly sipping the dry fly, or a happy trout swinging about in a massive pool miles in the backcountry. But what stuck out to me The most was meeting like-minded anglers from all over the world, no matter what we believe in, where we come from, who our leader is, how old we are, or how much money we have. We are all coming together on a small island in the middle of the ocean with one thing in mind: right lines! Not so much does it influence my fly fishing perspective, but also my perspective on life. No matter who you are, we have common ground somewhere. It’s cool to have friends all over the world. Tight lines and best of luck to everyone. I met these three months.
What's next for you, Brady? Do you have any upcoming adventures or new projects in the works?
As I sit here and answer these questions, waiting to show the car to the next buyer. I have no flight out just yet; if the car sells tonight, I’ll be heading to Indonesia in the morning. I have about two months left until I go back to Breckenridge, so I’ll be doing a bit of island hopping around Asia with a rod in hand, of course. Come June I’ll be back full-time guiding at the Mountain Angler. Feel free to give them a call and request a trip if you want to hear more about New Zealand or other adventures I have coming up. I’m not so sure what my life holds in the future, but I know I have a fire in my heart to chase the unknown, and that’s the beautiful thing about fishing: it can take you all over the world. You can meet people from all walks of life, and as some say, it keeps you out of trouble.
