Orvis Week at Stonefly Lodge
Enjoy immediate access to some of the best fly fishing waters in New Zealand.
Orvis Week at Stonefly Lodge
Enjoy immediate access to some of the best fly fishing waters in New Zealand.
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Seth Berger
Orvis Week At Stonefly Lodge
1-800-547-4322 Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm (ET) orvistravel@orvis.com
January 11-18, 2025
What Is Included?
- 7 night's accommodations
- Continental and cooked breakfast
- Lunch on guided fishing days
- Pre-dinner drinks and appetizers
- Four-course dinners
- House beer and wine
- 6 days Guided fishing (2 anglers per guide)
- Fishing equipment including waders, boots, rods, reels, and terminal tackle
- Local Taxes
- Wi-Fi and use of lodge computer
What Am I Responsible For?
- Airfare to Nelson Airport
- Transfers or rental cars
- Heli-fishing excursions
- Lunches on non-fishing days (box lunches available for purchase)
- Non-angling excursions
- Fishing licenses
- Laundry service (available for a small charge)
- Phone calls and items of personal nature
How Many People On This Trip?
Maximum of 8.
Skill Levels/Experience:
Any skill level is welcome.
How Strenuous Are The Activities?
Activities are offered to match all fitness levels.
Is This A Child Friendly Trip?
Children 16 and older are permitted.
Meals & Dining:
A large open kitchen adjoining the dining area offers a relaxed atmosphere for sharing meals. The menu is designed by an international chef and integrates seasonally fresh produce from the extensive garden with homegrown produce, local quality meats, and fresh seasonal seafood.
Species:
Brown Trout.
Typical Weather:
December is the beginning of summer in New Zealand, so you can expect temperatures from the mid 50s to 70s. There is always the possibility of rain, but the weather typically starts to stabilize this time of year with consistently sunny days and cool nights.
Gear Recommendations:
Anglers should plan to bring their own waders and rubbed-soled boots, as well as a 9 foot 5-wt. rod with weight-forward floating line. Additional detail on flies, leaders, and other essentials will be provided in the packing list.
What Else To Bring?
A detailed packing list will be provided upon booking. Some essential items to bring are:
- Fishing rod and reel
- Waders and boots
- Polarized sunglasses
- Good rain jacket and pants
- Fleece or other layers to stay warm
- Travel documents, including a valid passport
- Medications
- Chapstick
- Download travel apps to your phone to make traveling abroad easier. These include a currency converter and WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger
Additional Activities:
Stonefly Lodge’s location makes it the starting point to explore Abel Tasman, Nelson Lakes, and Kahurangi National Parks, as well as the wineries and the renowned craft studios of the Nelson region. Non-anglers can enjoy guided hikes, boat tours, sea kayaking, and horseback riding, just to name a few. Guests can also visit the farm on the Stonefly property to help pick fresh produce for the kitchen, or enjoy a massage in the privacy of their room. Non-angling activities can be arranged upon arrival.
Misc:
Nelson Airport (NSN) is the closest airport to the lodge, just a 50-minute drive. Transfers can be arranged.
7 nights, 6 full days of fishing.
*Please note that this is a sample itinerary. Fishing locations and schedules are arranged by your guide based on weather, water levels, and angler preference.
Day 1: Arrive in Nelson, New Zealand
There are direct flights to Nelson Airport (NSN) from several cities in New Zealand, including Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. After you arrive at Nelson, you will pick up your rental car or be met by a lodge staff member. Stonefly Lodge is about 50 minutes from Nelson through the scenic Moutere Hills, home to many vineyards and farms. Once you arrive at the lodge, you can unpack and enjoy a drink at the bar or head down to the river to try your luck on the wary trout of the Motueka River. Before dinner that evening, enjoy the local beer and wine or a drink of choice over appetizers while you get to know your fellow guests. You’re welcome to watch Chef Dean prepare dinner from locally sourced ingredients at the kitchen bar, sit around the fireplace, or watch the evening hatch on the Motueka from the sunroom. Then, enjoy a 4-course dinner with your fellow guests and lodge owners, John and Kate Kerr.
Days 2-7: Six Full Days of Fishing
Each morning, enjoy a continental or made to order breakfast. Coffee will be ready by 6:30, breakfast is served at 7:30. After breakfast, you will meet your guide and discuss the plan for the day. You’ll leave the lodge by 8:30 to head out to one of the many rivers in the area. Each day’s fishing will give you the chance to stalk and cast to wild brown trout in gin-clear water. Whether you and your guide fish a small mountain stream in Kahurangi National Park, or a larger river in the Motueka Valley, you’re sure to have opportunities throughout the week at the fish of a lifetime. If you like to get completely “off the grid,” heli-fishing in the backcountry will be an experience you never forget. The thrilling flight will expose you to some of the world’s most beautiful scenery before you’re dropped off on a narrow gravel bar in a tight canyon. Once the pilot leaves, you and your guide will likely be the only humans in sight, and you’ll probably have this entire stretch of river to yourselves. In New Zealand, it is these small headwaters that hold the largest fish, and because their home is so isolated, they don’t get many visitors. These fish are still challenging, but patient and skilled anglers are often rewarded. Your guide will carry lunch so you can enjoy it streamside while searching for the next big fish. Return to the lodge around 5:30 to relax before dinner and trade stories with your fellow anglers.
Day 8: Return to Nelson
After a relaxing morning and a hearty breakfast, you will check out of the lodge by 10:00 AM and be transferred back to Nelson in time to catch your flight. Alternatively, you can say farewell to the lodge staff and drive your rental car to another exciting destination. Orvis Travel will be happy to help you coordinate your stay at Stonefly Lodge with one of our other endorsed New Zealand fly-fishing lodges.
This region of New Zealand is graced with incredible mountains, crystal clear waters, and large wild trout. On a typical day, skilled anglers have a realistic chance of catching 2-3 large fish. Each fish will likely present enough challenge to make it interesting, but this type of fishing requires a bit of patience and persistence on the angler’s part. Trout fishing in New Zealand is often a game of finding fish, which calls for some hiking: don’t be surprised if you walk a ¼ mile between fish. Once you find a fish, you only get a few casts to try and entice them to take your fly. It is this challenge that most skilled anglers truly enjoy, and what makes fly fishing in New Zealand truly unique. Heli-fishing is popular in New Zealand and allows anglers to reach more remote headwaters where the larger trout often reside. It is also a great way to see the spectacular landscape. We encourage you to consider at least one day of heli-fishing during your stay at Stonefly Lodge. It can be booked on-site in consultation with your guide, and the rates vary depending on the destination and size of your party. All fly-fishing guides at Stonefly Lodge are members of the NZ Professional Guides Association and are hand-selected for their vast experience on the local waters, ability to stalk and spot trout, and individual personality.
Stonefly Lodge was built from locally sourced stone and timber, and boasts an authentic, yet luxurious design that guests are sure to enjoy. The lodge and facilities are powered by alternative energy sources to protect the environment and conserve the area’s natural resources. A large open kitchen adjoining the dining area offers a relaxed atmosphere for sharing meals. The menu is designed by an international chef and integrates seasonally fresh produce from the extensive garden with homegrown produce, local quality meats, and fresh seasonal seafood. Four double, guest rooms are located upstairs complete with en-suites, heated towel rails, and private balconies overlooking the Motueka River and surrounding mountains. Each room can be configured with a king bed or two twins to accommodate a variety of group preferences. Complete with a library, a billiards table, and the “Matai Bar,” guests have the ideal setting to relax after an exciting day of fly fishing or exploring the numerous sites and attractions of the region. The upper landing area above the dining room provides a quiet secluded place to tie flies or read a good book.
Reservations, Deposits & Payments
The deposit is 50% of the trip price unless stated differently in the trip proposal and materials (trip planner and confirmation email). In some cases, deposits are non-refundable, this depends on the destination and will be clearly noted in the trip proposal and materials as well. Deposits may be made by check or credit card: Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card. Beginning November 1st, 2024 a convenience fee of 3% will be applied to all credit card transactions. The balance of the trip cost is due 90 days before departure, except where specified differently on individual itineraries. The balance will be charged automatically to the credit card used for the deposit, unless otherwise specified. Any changes made to the method of payment after the final balance has been collected are subject to processing fees.
A reservation form and release are required prior to departure.
All prices must be paid in U.S. dollars. Deposits are not transferable from one trip to another.
Prices quoted are based on foreign exchange values and tariffs currently in effect and prices are subject to change. Orvis Adventures reserves the right to adjust prices accordingly until the time of departure.
Planning information
When your reservation is confirmed, you will receive planning information to guide you through trip preparations. Details about arrival and departure, clothing and equipment, trip cancellation insurance, pre- and post- trip extensions, visas and documents and activities are included in the planning information.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Although cancellation fees may be higher for some trips (stated in the trip proposal and materials), the following minimum cancellation fees will apply:
Days Prior to Trip | Fee |
+ 90 days | $300 per person |
89 days or less | 100% of cost |
For trips that include an Orvis gift card or Orvis merchandise, the retail value of the gift card or merchandise is non-refundable upon delivery. Cancellation fees cannot be waived for any reason, including health, business or personal emergencies, or weather.
We strongly urge you to purchase trip cancellation insurance.
No refunds will be made for unused portions of a trip, including late arrival or early departure. Guide fees and hotel costs are not refundable if unused as outlined in the itinerary. Orvis reserves the right to modify an itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. In the unlikely event that Orvis must cancel a tour, all payments received to date will be refunded, which constitutes a full settlement.
Orvis is not responsible for expenses incurred in preparation of any canceled trip, including airline tickets and visas fees.
Cancellation Insurance
Your planning information includes information for travel insurance covering cancel for any reason, cancellation for medical reasons, trip delay, medical expenses, lost baggage and medical evacuation. We urge you to obtain this coverage.
Share policies
Trip prices are based on double occupancy. Single rooms & cabins are limited. If you request a single room, a single supplement will apply as noted in the itinerary. We will confirm the single room as early as possible, but in some cases it may not be earlier than 30 days prior to the trip. If you request a roommate, we can usually pair you with another guest of the same gender, and no single supplement will apply. If you request a roommate, and one is not available, we will only charge you the single supplement if required by the lodge or facility used in the trip.
Children under 18 must share a room with a parent or other family member. In some cases this may be waived.
Passports and documents
International trips require a passport. Check your passport early and make sure it has six months validity at the time of travel. A visa is needed in some countries and we will send you complete details and instructions.
Arrival and Departure
Group transfers from a central location such as an airport are described in the itinerary, and are included in the land cost.. Transfers are not included in the land cost if you arrive early or leave after the scheduled departure day.
Equipment & Clothing
You will receive a detailed list of appropriate gear with your trip planning information.
Airline reservations
The land cost of your trip does not include airfare.
Limitation of liability
This section defines Orvis Travel’s responsibility with regard to all travel arrangements made by Orvis Travel, including individual travel and pre- and post- trip extensions. Please read it carefully.
Upon sending your deposit to Orvis Travel, you acknowledge that you have read and understand all the terms and conditions outlined here, and agree to be bound by them.
All trips that involve outdoor sporting activities such as shooting or fishing, or travel through remote places by vehicle, boat, small plane or on foot, put you at risk for accidents and serious injuries in the normal course of the activity. That is the nature of travel to such destinations and you acknowledge that you accept these hazards as a condition of participation.
Orvis Travel, its Owners, Employees, Associates and Agents give notice that they act only as the agent for the owners, contractors and suppliers providing means of transportation and/or other services and assume no responsibility howsoever caused for injury, loss or damage to person or property in connection with any service resulting directly from: acts of God, detention, annoyance, delays, expenses arising from quarantine, strikes, thefts, pilferage, force majeure, failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, civil disturbances, terrorism, government restrictions or regulations, and discrepancies or changes in transit or hotel services over which it has no control. Reasonable changes in the itinerary may be made where deemed advisable for the comfort and well-being of the passengers.
Baggage and personal effects, including items purchased, guns, fishing equipment or sporting goods are the sole responsibility of the owners at all times and no employee/agent of Orvis Travel, its subsidiaries, affiliated or associated companies is authorized to accept these for storage, safekeeping, or transportation.