Fishing near Gore, Southland

Gore sits in Eastern Southland, at the heart of what locals call Māruawai — "the Valley of Water." The town is internationally recognised as the Brown Trout Fishing Capital of the World, a reputation built on the Mataura River, which runs directly through Gore and extends nearly 150 km of accessible water through Southland. Brown trout fly-fishing on the Mataura has drawn anglers here since the 1870s, and the river remains the marquee draw, complemented by the Waikaia, Pomahaka, and other Southland rivers within reach.