King Tide Salt Fly

Lucas Allen is New Zealand’s specialist saltwater flats fly-fishing guide, based in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. Through his guided fishing trips, he helps anglers explore the Tauranga Harbour flats and pursue “ray-riding” kingfish: powerful fish that follow stingrays across shallow water in search of food. The experience centres on spotting fish, stalking them from the boat and making a well-placed cast, offering a visual and challenging form of sight fishing. Trips may also target kahawai, snapper, trevally and tuna, with spring through autumn—October to May—identified as the prime season.

Allen provides saltwater-ready fly-fishing equipment, including Scott rods, Hatch and Waterworks Lamson reels, Airflo lines, and locally selected, hand-tied flies such as poppers and clousers. Anglers can also consult his blog for gear advice and rigging techniques. Trips operate aboard King Tide, a custom-built, surveyed 17.5-foot aluminium boat equipped for quietly working shallow water. The website features information about guiding, testimonials, photographs, fishing articles and contact details for bookings.