Cory Scott is one of New Zealand's top fly fishing guides and competitive fly fisherman. He is leading the NZ Fly Fishing Team to this year's World Fly Fishing Championships.
When it comes to fly fishing, Cory Scott is in a league of his own. The professional fly fishing guide has won the New Zealand championship 12 times and is heading off to his sixth World Fly Fishing Championships next month in Slovakia.
Fly fishing is a passion he inherited from his father and grandfather.
“I’ve always been really involved in the outdoors ever since I was a young kid,” Scott said.
“I was hunting since I was 2 to 3 years old. Duck shooting, pig hunting, deer stalking with my father.
“Fly fishing came about through my connection with my grandfather. He was a really dedicated fly fisherman and salmon fisherman from Southland.
“I always was intrigued at the mystique of fly fishing. It was seen as the sport of kings at one stage in life and I always wanted to give it a go.”
Scott’s competitive nature wasn’t always directed towards fishing. As a teenager, he won two national gymnastics titles and then turned to surfing after being injured.
“I was the editor of New Zealand Surfing magazine for 20-odd years and I’d travel a lot. And during that time I got to be immersed in the wilderness of New Zealand, and that’s when I really started to pick up the fly fishing again.”
He keeps a delicate balance between his personal love of fishing separate and his life as a working fishing guide.
“I found myself very lucky that I can call my job, my passion.
”I am guiding day in, day out. Yes, I get the odd day off here and there, usually I’m recuperating and preparing, but if I’ve got any spare time, a couple of days slotted in between jobs, then I’m out there myself and nothing lights my fire more than a journey into the backcountry, into the hills.”
Scott has established himself in the top tier of fly fishermen in the world - he has won 11 national titles and attended five world championships.
“In 2019, I hung up my rod, so to speak, and I finished at the World Fly Fishing champs in Tasmania. And in the very last session of that world championships I walked out the winner of that session. So that was good to just go out on top. And I went out on my own terms.”
But Scott is not done with fishing. Covid has brought him out of retirement.
“The world’s changed,” he said. “Everybody throughout the world has had to realign their their life, what’s more important to them, and we’re seeing an uplift in recreational activities across all sports.
“And for me, that was no different during that period where we were all questioning what’s more important in life.”
He competed in 2021 and won the national title again. This year he is stepping back into the international arena and about to head off to the World Fly Fishing Champs in Slovakia.”
Now living in Gisborne, Scott says it’s a surprisingly good base for both his work and his sport.
“Gisborne isn’t world famous for fly fishing but that’s a little bit of an underground secret, right here on the doorstep.
“Within 20 minutes to an hour’s drive, we can be in some of the best rivers in the world. We’ve got lakes nearby. We’ve got the best surfing in the country. And that’s the reason why I chose Gisborne as home.”
One of Scott’s main goals is to mentor and develop the careers of the next generation of fly fishermen.
“When I started out, nobody was passing on information, especially to a newbie or somebody that would be competing against you.
“We’ve got Hugo Pearce and Ollie Bassett and I helped them prepare for the World Youth Championships years ago, and this now is a stepping stone. So now they’re going to the senior world championships. So that’s really good to see.”
Scott has fished rivers all over the world, but the waterways in New Zealand still hold a special place in his heart.
“My most favourite place to head off and fish is a local river known as the Ruakituri in Te Urewera. That there is very special to me. There’s just something about heading up there, being in that forest, being in that environment. Every care in the world just floats away.”
