About South Flyfisher

About Southflyfisher

Edited by Michael Gregg | Fly Fisher | Explorer | Honest Gear Tester

I write honestly about the products I use and share insights from the field – what works, what doesn’t, and where things are headed for those of us chasing trout and saltwater species around the globe.

Who I Am

Hi, I’m Michael Gregg – known online as South Flyfisher – and editor of Southflyfisher.com.

I started fly fishing in New Zealand in 1982. I caught the bug as a kid after watching a big brown trout cruise under a willow branch. It saw me, bolted, and set off a 40+ year obsession.

I learned to cast on the deep crystal-clear streams near home – spooking fish more often than fooling them. I caught my first trout on a #12 Dad’s Favorite dry in a tiny spring creek – a 2½-pound brown that showed more patience than I deserved.

Since then, I've fished over much of New Zealand’s North Island and South Island backcountry – on foot, by raft, and, fortunately with jetboats and helicopters. I’ve tramped out of valleys in the dark, camped under the stars, and swum across rivers with my pack held overhead. I’ve explored the Taupō, Rotorua and Central North Island regions and down the South Island to the majestic mountain valleys of Fiordland – chasing large rainbows and browns through almost every season. It's my thing (but I guess you've worked that out).

In recent years I turned my attention to international waters, with a bucket list stretching from South America to the South Pacific – and far too many species still to catch.

I’ve balanced these angling adventures with a career in marketing and advertising, raising a family in Wānaka, and trying to keep the scales tipped slightly toward angling adventures whenever possible.

Image: Southflyfisher circa 1986 on a New Zealand spring creek.

What I Do Now

With decades of marketing consulting experience and a deep love for fly fishing, I’m now focused on understanding how anglers choose gear, what earns their loyalty, and what really works in the field. I buy and test a lot of kit – fly rods, reels, waders, packs, apparel, boots, tents, cookers and other tramping gear – and then write about the ones that pass the test.

If I’m reviewing something, it’s because I genuinely use it and rate it.

I share my packing lists, location guides, gear reviews, and fishing insights on this site, on social media, and through the Southflyfisher Substack platform called Exploration Angling. I write about remote destinations worldwide – the special places that remain wild and un-pressured.

I also speak honestly about access, conservation, and fisheries management, especially here in New Zealand and in fragile areas like Patagonia, or most recently Montana, USA.

I also host fly fishing trips for Isolation Outfitters.

What's coming up for me?

The 2025/26 New Zealand trout season kicks off in October, and I’ve got plenty of days planned on the water – some from helicopters, some on foot – fishing alongside anglers from the USA and elsewhere.

Over Spring and Summer, I’ll be in pushing into Te Anau, heading north to fish through my favourite haunts in the Lewis Pass area and getting over to the deep backcountry on the West Coast of the South Island – camping, hiking, and chasing trout whenever I can.

In February, I head to Chile and Argentina for the start of the Patagonian sea trout season – chasing chunky brookies in beaver ponds, sea-run browns the size of porpoises, and even Atlantic steelhead in remote streams beneath the Andes.

I’m hosting a small group of U.S. sea trout anglers at a new Tierra del Fuego ranch called Estancia Las Segadas and we're staying at the new Las Segadas Lodge. It's previously unfished water (very exciting) on the Chile side of the Rio Grande that’s opening up for the first time in February and March 2026.

I’m hoping to squeeze in a trip to Fanning Island and Kiritimati in early April before returning to New Zealand for the last of the late-summer fly fishing in the deep south.

After that, it’s more winter spey casting and streamer practice on the local Mata-au – training for future Patagonia trips.

Right now, there's also the possibility of a dash to Cocos Keeling Island with an Australian angler, but we're still working on the logistics.

Aitutaki beckons in August, plus the possibility of a secret atoll high in the northern part of the South Pacific with members of The Isolation Club. But that last trip is hush hush so no further details can be shared.

Let’s Fish

If you’re planning a trip and I’m in the area, please drop me a line. I fish with a wide range of people – Kiwis and internationals alike – and I’m always happy to swap a few flies, some hard-earned lessons, and a yarn or two.

Hope to see you on the water soon.

Cheers,
Michael

Southflyfisher.com

Image: Southflyfisher with a fine South Island Brownie.

Southflyfisher Hosted Trips

At Southflyfisher, we have partnered with specialist remote angling travel operator, Isolation Outfitters, to host a series of freshwater & saltwater fly fishing adventures over the next year. These are a chance for individual anglers or a small group to join an expedition and explore some incredible bucket list destinations.

SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

We're hosting three South Island trips chasing trophy brown trout.

February 2026 is core sea-run brown trout season and we're heading deep into Patagonia, down to Tierra del Fuego on both sides of Chile and Argentina border.

THE SEA-RUN SESSIONS

THE SALTWATER SERIES

We're hosting at four amazing locations in 2026. This is bucket-list stuff!

If you would like to know more about any of these hosted adventures, please contact the team at Isolation Outfitters.

If you’re in the fly fishing industry and would like to work with Southflyfisher, just drop me a line. Thanks!