Brown trout are the mainstay of the region’s angling, and the rivers are justifiably famous for their quality. Rainbow trout are more common in local lakes and their tributaries, and add yet more diversity to the angling scene. Watching a large green snout close over a cicada pattern and feeling the anticipation as you wait to set the hook spins most anglers’ wheels.

Southland offers great hunting for waterfowl, and boasts the most consistent mallard hunting in New Zealand. Hunting for paradise shelduck can also be productive, as the birds can be successfully targeted in specific locations, such as grain stubble paddocks.