Steve Brown

Yes, I am a confirmed fly-fishing addict. I have to tell the fishing shop to write the invoices out for clothes and work boots so the wife doesn’t catch on to how much fly-tying material and rods I have!

Well, a brief history. My mother has a photo of me with my first trout at 5 years old, caught on the Mataura River by Gore. I later lived in Rotorua between 8 and 11 years old and this was where I really got bitten by the trout fishing bug. We had a local spawning stream running behind our house called the Utahuna stream. School holidays and weekends would be spent walking up the stream with blown up inner tubes, floating down the river through the golf course (with a bit of diving for golf balls for pocket money). In the holes surround by blackberry we would poach the trout with hand lines with bread and roe for bait, knowing the local ranger would not find us. Before the Form 2 dance, I met the father of the lovely young lady that I was taking. When picking her up he said to me “Steve Brown – do you recognise me?” “No” I said. “Well, I’m the local ranger and I’ve been trying to catch you for two years – so look out!” And with that, the fly-fisherman was born.

I only fished occasionally from then on until my family grew up, but for the last twelve years I have been fully immersed in fly-fishing. I have also been a member of the Federation of Freshwater Anglers, a Fish & Game councillor for 9 years, and an active member of the Manawatu Freshwater Angler’s club for 12 years.

I’ve been competition fishing for the last 10 years, which has resulted in me representing New Zealand at the Oceania champs in Tasmania in 2003, the World champs in Slovakia in 2004, and the Commonwealth champs in Wales 2004. I won double gold at the Oceania champs in Rotorua in 2005 and will be off to the Worlds and Commonwealths again this year (2006). The competition fishing for me is more about conversing with like-minded people that have the same addiction that I do, and making long-time friends overseas as well as in New Zealand.

I live in Palmerston North where I’ve run a building company for the past 20 years. I have two grown up children, two grandchildren and an 18 month old son to my darling wife of four years.

Well that’s me – Poacher Brown!