Welcome.
Welcome to Wilderness Trout, a celebration of wild trout in wild places.
My name is James Barnett, a passionate trout fisherman and artist. I would like to share with you my paintings, photography and
experiences flyfishing in New Zealand.
I have featured some great locations, useful techniques
for catching wiley trout and I reveal some of my
favourite flies.
You can also register to purchase limited edition prints and even
commission a life size painting of your trophy trout. I hope you enjoy
spending time at Wilderness Trout.
A note on conservation.
The beautiful scenery and
high quality of our trout are features that we in New Zealand occasionally
take for granted, yet we all know these are finite resources, especially
given the increased pressure put upon them. Water abstraction, hydro power
generation, intensive farming and increased angler harvest will all contribute
to the erosion of our outstanding ecosystem.
I advocate the conservation of New Zealands
precious lakes and rivers. I encourage fellow anglers to take an
active interest in conserving our waterways, this includes limiting the
numbers of fish we take for the pot - an approach that is even more important
when fishing relatively fragile back country headwaters and streams.
Lets all enjoy our trout fishing, both now and in the future.
News / Features.
Late runs yield the larger trout - 22 Oct.
Fishery scientists have identified a trend towards later spawning runs in the Taupo district. These figures have been published and details discussed in the magazine 'Target Taupo'. It is also possible that these later running fish will be larger than the earlier running fish - good news for anglers willing to extend their trips to the Tongariro beyond the traditional winter period.
DoC bans felt soles in Taupo - 1 Oct.
The Department of Conservation have taken the decision to align with Fish and Game over the issue of felt soled wading boots. This means that anglers fishing throughout New Zealand, including the Taupo region, will not be able to wear felt soles from the beginning of October.
Painting: 'Tongariro Jack'.
My painting features a male rainbow trout in full spawning colours, as it runs the world famous Tongariro River -more>
Trophy Trout Painting.
Commission a life size painting of your trophy trout. Your measurements and photographs will be used as a guide for the painting -more>
Interactive Casting Guide - in development.
Timing is everything. Never has this phrase been more accurately applied, than when casting a trout fly -view example>
Interactive Fly Selector - in development.
This interactive guide will help you select the right fly for the occasion -more>
Personalised Gift Packs - enquiries welcome.
Selections of quality trout flies presented in personalised gift packs,
ideal present for a discerning fly fisherman -more>
A highly recommended New Zealand book written by keen flyfisherman and fishery scientist Dr John Hayes with stunning photography from Les Hill:
The Artful Science of Trout Fishing
Further excellent books available internationally:-