Forget all fancy gear or the latest new fangled rods, reels and lines. By far the most important piece kit in NZ is a decent pair of walking boots. As you’re pretty much living in them they’ll become you best friend, so reliability and comfort rank high on the list. Over the years we’ve found gore-tex hiking boots outperform any wading boot on the market. Gore-tex is preferred not because they’re waterproof, they simply bend and yield better than leather, so clearly don’t pinch your feet when crouching. It’s no good arriving at a pristine river and not be able to spot any trout either! Cutting out glare, with good contrast the copper 580 lens on Costa glasses are pretty much worth their weight in gold.
A decent backpack is needed to carry water, provisions and a waterproofs. This Gale Force chest is not only waterproof, but roomy too, just the job for carrying all those fly boxes
Fly boxes loaded with terrestrials like blowflies and beetles will serve you well in the South Island