You don’t know who Harry Moores is? That’s probably because you are not following him on Instagram… Harry has quickly made a name for himself in the fly fishing industry, with some incredible photography, and more notable his countless array of short, sexy, exhilarating Instagram videos. Harry is able to capture a classic New Zealand moment so perfectly, edit it to the right length, and share it with his audience. If you are not following him you are missing out!
1. Give us a little background on who you are.. (Age, Occupation, How Long Have you been in NZ)
I was born in Taranaki on the West Coast of the North Island (NZ), and grew up there (I’m now 28). My Dad and his good mate Hamish from the UK (both chefs at the time) used to fly fish in their spare time and before long I followed suit. I have had an unconventional career path and I have found that creative pursuits such as painting, music (piano), and photography provide me with enough income and freedom to follow my passion for fly-fishing.
2. What is the largest trout you have ever landed?
These days I take as much pleasure just being out there on the water as I do catching large fish so I don’t normally target ‘trophy trout’ as much as I could or perhaps should. Targeting large fish can mean fishing crowded water. I much prefer finding locations where free rising fish are plentiful and the crowds… not so much. I have been fortunate to land a number of fish around the 9-pound mark though, and I know where one or two trophy trout reside, so perhaps next season I will look at catching the big one!
3. If you had to describe fly fishing in one sentence..
Being near clear running water is almost a spiritual experience for me. So when Picasso talks about art washing away from the soul the dust of everyday life, I would say: “Fly fishing is art†(and an excuse to explore).
4. You obviously spend most of your time in NZ, are their any other fishing destinations on your bucket list?
I was fortunate to fish off Cairns a number of years ago and caught my first Black Marlin on the charter boat Moana 3. I also took a photograph of a 900lb fish on the trip, and my interest in photography grew from then on. I would love to go back and capture more moments like that on the Great Barrier Reef. Places I would want to explore with the fly rod include Alaska, Montana, South America (The Rio Grande in Tierra Del Fuego and Jurassic Lake in particular), and Aitutaki (for Bonefish).
5. You have some awesome content on your Instagram feed, some of the coolest short edits, are these clients that you are guiding? Is there any advice you can give a young videographer?
A lot of the content features my good friend Kyle Adams who used to guide at Cedar lodge. We bought a camera and explored the South Island for a month a few years back with the intention of creating a film. That never eventuated, however, I was left with a lot of great footage from the trip. I also filmed Herb Spannagl demonstrating the TRC (Tongariro Roll Cast) on the Tongariro, which proved to be a very popular short clip. I’m not suggesting that popular is good, but what both these trips have in common are good people and great locations. So once you have the basics down (how to use the camera), I would suggest mixing with people with similar interests that are better than you. Self-taught photographer Ben Moon (photographer for Patagonia), spent 3 years living in his van photographing some of the best climbers before he got recognized. So pursuing your passion can be the way to go. On the Instagram side of things, I have found that simple clean edits do well.
6. Ideal Rod Setup?
I currently use a Sage Z-Axis #6 with a Rio Gold floating line for most of my backcountry fishing. For the winter fishing the Tongariro where I use the ‘Tongariro Roll Cast’ a lot, a good set up would be a Scott Radian #7 with a Rio Salmon/Steelhead #8 or #9 floating line.
7. Favorite Fly?
For small fish, I would go with a tungsten bead #14 mayfly imitation. For rivers where the fish are educated and/or big, my two go-to flies are Sinking Spiders and Stoneflies. Both of these flies are big (#8 – #6) and seem to do the trick. If I had to pick just one, I would pick the Sinking Spider for its versatility.
8. Craziest fishing experience…
In the headwaters of the Rangitikei River, I spooked a large rainbow a number of times to a point where it was sitting dead still, at the bottom of a very deep pool. Without anything to lose (there weren’t much active fish around) I extended my leader length to about 24ft, tied on a weighted stonefly and took off my indicator. I chucked the fly out and just watched the fish (the water is crystal clear). A few moments later I saw a flash of silver, indicating that the fish had somehow taken the fly and hooked itself – it was a real eye-opener as to how effective large flies can be. On that same multi-day trip my forehead and eye swelled up, and as a precaution I was airlifted out, later being diagnosed with the shingles virus. Another crazy experience (which is featured on my Instagram feed) is my mate Kyle wet wading across a freezing cold West Coast river in order to untangle a fish. He swims back (kicking backstroke style, with the rod in hand, and his head fortuitously resting on his backpack) and lands the fish. The most exciting fishing moment I have experienced is when a 900lb Black Marlin was lit up on the wire while fishing off the Great Barrier Reef.
9. Favorite Drink?
Kombucha.
10. Favorite Movie?
Growing up I was always a fan of the classic Shawshank Redemption. If you haven’t seen ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ I would recommend that as a favorite Kiwi comedy of late.Â
11. Any Idols in the Fly Fishing World?
I didn’t have the chance to meet him but Norman Marsh has had the most influence on me as a fly fisherman. His book ‘Trout stream insects of NZ’ is the most thorough reference book on NZ Fly Fishing that I have read. I have also learned a lot from a number of NZ anglers, notably Kyle Adams (Taranaki), and Clayton Nicholls (Blenheim).Â
12. What is next in the world of Harry Moores?
Filling up the fly boxes with some new ties before embarking on some more adventures. Once October comes around I eat, breath, sleep fishing, so you will probably find me on a remote corner of the South Island.
Although our photos are not as majestic as the legendary David Lambroughton, we have also been fishing the upstream Rod this summer. In fact two weeks ago we fished on the Farmington River up in Connecticut. To be honest I had never experienced fish this picky. Throwing two dries in a tandem rig, I watched this fish nose at the larger fly, bumping it to see if it was real. It turned it down quickly, then opened its mouth to slurp a small Trico trailing behind. The Upstream Rod Series, has a way of delicately laying out your line, allowing the fly to land as naturally as possible. It really makes a difference in circumstances like this.
 Five hours after landing at JFK, I was in a hospital room at Yale New Haven. I’ll spare you the details, but after two months, numerous tests, and a visit to the infectious disease doctor I was officially diagnosed with 
If you look at a map of Western Montana you will see land riddled with thin blue lines. It is an endless labyrinth of fresh water passageways that carve through some of the wildest terrain on Earth. The trout, and the water they occupy should never be underestimated. Truly wild trout can be found if you search hard enough. When we say wild, we mean fish that are only casted at a handful of times per year, or less. Imagine trout up to two feet long sitting in slot canyons and pools, miles away from roads, crushing flies without a care in the world. This is reality in Western Montana for those who have the drive to search where others do not.
There is a sense of pride that comes from finding something on your own. One of the main aspects that created fly-fishing was adventure, a concept that has been lost in recent years by the majority of anglers. Too often we see people on social media asking, “Where is this?†Maybe to some people that seems like a harmless question, but to us it is kind of a bummer. The easy way has somehow become the popular way. Yes, we are part of the new generation of fly fishermen, but does that mean we have to ignore how our predecessors did things? Absolutely not. If you want to find a badass fishing spot, then go find one. Don’t go asking people on the Internet where to fish, but instead pick up a map! Study that fucking thing! Find a creek, circle that damn blue line with a sharpie, and go conquer it. It is up to us to keep fly-fishing awesome. Respect the fish you catch, stay humble about your abilities, and above all else, remember that people have fly fished before us, and it is all of our responsibilities to make sure people are able to experience the sport after we are gone.
