High Country Salmon Ltd
Catch-A-Fish Guided Experience
Catch-A-Fish Guided Experience
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Please note: the guide fee does not include the price of the salmon ($35/kg).
The ultimate guided one-on-one salmon fishing experience! Catch your own chinook salmon in the glacial waters next to our cafe. No gear required (all provided) and no fishing experience needed. Take home your cleaned (gilled and gutted) whole salmon, or you can ask for it to be filleted for you (extra charge applies). This is a family-friendly attraction - either catch a fish yourself or sit in our landscaped garden and watch the excitement. This is a big fish experience - no tiddlers here and expect them to put up a fight as you reel them in! (Please note: catching a salmon is not guaranteed - see bottom note below).
Further information:
- The non-refundable guide fee includes the one-on-one guided experience and all fishing gear.
- Salmon is weighed after being caught and the cost is $35 per kg landed weight.
- All fish are gilled, gutted and filleted for free.
- There is complimentary packaging with ice and either an insulated bag or a polybox.
- You must purchase what you catch - there is no catch and release.
- Please book online to guarantee your spot. Choose a time and go through to checkout. You will receive a booking confirmation by email.
- We may accept walk-ins, depending on guide availability on the day.
- Please only book for the number of fish you want to catch and pay for e.g. to only catch one fish, only book one spot regardless of how many people in your group. If you want to catch 2 fish, book for 2 salmon. DO NOT change the quantity in the cart.
- Catch-A-Fish bookings available between 9am and 5pm daily.
- The pond contains salmon estimated between 2kg and 5kg. If you catch a salmon over the 6kg upper limit, you can swap this for a smaller fish (subject to availability).
- Children 12 years and under must be accompanied by an adult.
- It is highly likely you will catch a salmon, but this is not guaranteed. If you don't catch a fish, your guide fee will not be refunded. This charge still covers the guide's time, equipment and the valuable information provided to ensure a memorable experience.
- If you need to contact our guides directly please TEXT on 022 569 8068 and they will get in touch with you as soon as they're free!
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I had booked my two children in to catch a fish each. There was only one staff member on and he had let two other couples go fishing after us. He didn't let the kids cast there fishing rods and did it for them and they are older 10 and 11. He let one start in the pond with the big fish but didn't have time to wait so made them go to the pond with small salmon, which they caught one straight away. He never let them cast the rod,he threw it in. They both got tiny wee salmon. We asked if we could try again as we still had 25minutes of our booking time left but he wouldn't let us. Son also asked for his fishes salmon heart so he could take it home but wasn't allowed that either. Very disappointing and defeated the purpose of paying for kids to fish. Will not go again.
Kia ora,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I’m genuinely sorry to read how disappointing your children’s fishing session was — this is absolutely not the experience we aim to provide, especially for kids who are booked in to learn, participate and enjoy the activity themselves.
Children aged 10 and 11 should be encouraged to cast and fish independently where it’s safe to do so, and I’m very concerned to hear that this didn’t happen. The purpose of our kids’ fishing sessions is to build confidence, enjoyment and memories — not to rush the experience or remove that hands‑on involvement. I also apologise that your remaining booking time wasn’t honoured and that your son’s request to keep the salmon heart was declined without a clear explanation.
What you’ve described has been shared with our team, as it’s important we address both staffing levels and how sessions are delivered, so this doesn’t happen again. Your feedback is taken seriously and helps us improve.
I’d really appreciate the opportunity to discuss this further and make things right for your family. If you’re willing, please get in touch with us directly and ask for me.
Thank you again for your honesty, and I’m sorry we let you and your children down on this occasion.
Ngā mihi,
Taylor Renshaw
Activities Manager
High Country Salmon
We took our 2 grandsons and fantastic experience and bonus was catching actual salmon
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review. We’re absolutely delighted to hear that you and your two grandsons had such a fantastic experience with us – and what a bonus to catch actual salmon too!
Creating memorable, hands-on experiences for families is exactly what we aim for, so it’s wonderful to know it was a highlight of your visit. We hope those salmon-catching memories will be talked about for a long time to come.
We’d love to welcome you and your family back again in the future. Thanks again for choosing High Country Salmon and for your lovely feedback.
Taylor
Activities Manager
Awesome experience but feel the rod hire is over the top . Hook in Wanaka charge $10 which I feel is more realisitic
Hi Sandra - great you had a great experience - it's a great feeling to reel in a salmon! For clarification, we don't have a rod hire, we have a Guide Fee which is for the one-on-one tuition each of our Catch-a-Fish customers receive. Hook has a different model, whereby customers hire the rod and fish on their own. Both are great experiences! Jeni Logan, MD, High Country Salmon
My kids loved it. Must do for everyone
Yes, enjoyed by old and young alike! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave the review - and hope your kids enjoyed eating the salmon as much as catching it! Jeni Logan, MD, High Country Salmon
I've always wanted to catch a salmon but never had the opportunity till now. Stu, the guide, made it so easy and safe and I got a lovely fish on my first cast.
The staff at HCS were lovely and friendly despite being rushed of their feet by the sheer number of visitors. Thanks HCS for a great experience and lovely memories.
Hi Keith - thanks so much for the great review! We certainly are busy at the moment, but everyone who visits us deserves a memorable experience and so your positive feedback regarding this means a lot to me, to our staff and to our family. I will pass on to Stu your very kind words - he certainly knows his fishing, loves to pass on his knowledge and is a great member of our team. Jeni Logan, Managing Director, HCS