Team Tuesday - Ben Pond aka Pondy

Meet our mate Ben "Pondy" Pond from Hunting & Fishing Otaki. He really likes to fish!

"I really have done my best to give it all a nudge. From GT in the tropics to winter fishing lakes in the Deep South, I love giving it all a go.

Fishing, and in particular fly fishing, is constantly growing and evolving. I love the surprise that customers get when you tell them that the old days of an elitist sport of targeting only trout have gone. Anyone can pick the sport up and target any fish. That means that wherever you are you can pick up a fly rod and catch some local species. I love nothing more than going to the local river mouth with a few mates and bothering the Kahawai population, in saying that I am yet to find something that matches a backcountry brown sipping mayflies on a bluebird summers day.

I started my fly fishing story in Hawkes Bay and spent many an afternoon after school racing around trying to find trout. While I will admit the early days didn’t involve as many fish as I would have liked, I was hooked. From there I moved to Christchurch and after starting at Ballinger’s Hunting and Fishing I met a wide array of fishing frothers. From young groms to seasoned hands I was instilled with knowledge and passion to chase more fish in more places, this is something I enjoying passing on to anyone who is willing to listen. In more recent times I have relocated to Otaki Hunting and Fishing after some six years in the south so summer looks like it will involve a huge amount of recon and with a bit of luck a few fish. Thus far the prospects are looking great!

If you have an interest in fishing and want to try something different or if you are a seasoned fly guy or gal who just wants to chat the game I am always way too excited to talk fly."