Hamish McLeod is a New Zealand backcountry fly fishing guide based in the Southland region of the South Island, where he has spent the past twenty years guiding visiting anglers on some of the most visually spectacular and technically demanding trout water in the Southern Hemisphere. Hamish grew up on a sheep station bordering the Mataura River and learned to fish before he could read, developing the acute eyesight and patient stalking skills that are prerequisites for success on New Zealand's crystalline rivers. His guiding territory spans both the South Island's famed spring creeks and the remote backcountry streams accessible only by helicopter or extended bushwalks.
New Zealand fly fishing is defined by sight-fishing to individual trout, and Hamish is a master of this discipline. His ability to spot brown and rainbow trout holding in clear water at distances that leave most visiting anglers shaking their heads in disbelief is legendary among his clients. Once a fish is located, Hamish coaches the approach, the cast, and the drift with a calm precision that puts nervous anglers at ease and consistently results in the fly arriving in the trout's feeding lane at the exact right moment.
Hamish organizes multi-day backcountry expeditions that combine helicopter access, wilderness camping, and fishing on rivers that may see only a handful of anglers per season. These trips offer the chance to pursue trophy brown trout exceeding eight pounds in water so remote that the only sounds are birdsong and the river's current.
Contact Hamish McLeod — NZ Backcountry Fly Fishing directly to book your guided trip.
