These are our awesome staff members! What sets us apart is that our passion for fishing is matched by our passion for customer service. We aim to provide the best possible tackle shopping experience and are known for going the extra mile. We're always keen to talk about anything fishing and fish related, share our experiences and listen to yours. Come by and get to know us or check out our staff profiles below.
Mark is the owner of the Fishermans' Loft since the summer of 2019 after co-owning it for over 12 years. Besides running the shop, he is also a qualified casting instructor and has been fishing all his life. He is a passionate fly fisherman who loves chasing the trophy trout in the back country rivers and lakes. Mark also enjoys boat and land based sea fishing and taking his son for a fish.
Kieran has been fascinated by fly tying and fly fishing from a very young age. He was buying flies with pocket money before he even knew what they were used for. When a relative gifted him a fly tying book, he started to study up on entomology and tie his own frauds of fur and feather. Curiosity turned into passion after joining the Canterbuy Fly Fishing Club. His learning accelerated with the help of experienced fly fishermen. One thing lead to another and now Kieran is working at the Fishermans' Loft giving back to the ones that took time to help him and sharing his knowledge with other keen anglers.
Matt's passion for fishing began early chasing trout and salmon throughout the South Island alongside his stepdad, Graeme. Many summer evenings were spent on the Waimakariri River, and weekends were dedicated to exploring lakes and rivers further afield.
After a long hiatus from fishing, during a holiday to Nelson with his wife Kate, a spontaneous purchase of a cheap Kahawai setup reignited Matt's passion for tight lines. This eventually led him back to his childhood fishing shop(The loft of course), and from that moment, he was hooked once again.
Today, four years later you'll often find Matt in the store deeply immersed in all things saltwater fishing. Matt is your go-to guy whether it's sharing the best blue cod spots, offering game fishing tips, or just some good yarns.
Hi I'm Alex, I am a keen young fisherman with an interest in both salt and fresh water fishing. I'm always wanting to help others learn about the art and techniques of various fishing methods and use this knowledge to get stuck into some of the great fish that inhabit our waters here in New Zealand.My favorite type of fishing is using soft baits targeting trout and salmon in lakes and rivers. My favorite place to go fishing is the Karamea river. I like to target the large sea runs and Kahawai around the mouth and in the estuary and resident brown trout further up stream.
I'm Wilfie, I have been fishing since I was 5 years old and have loved every moment of it since. I also fly fish salt and freshwater and love tying my own flies. My favourite type of fishing would have to be game fishing because of the adrenaline rush when the reel starts screaming. I now make and sell my own custom designed topwater lures for Kahawai, Kingfish and other saltwater species.
Jake's passion for fishing began as a kid at his family's farm in the Ozark mountains of Missouri, USA where he would chase smallmouth bass and other warmwater species with ultra-lite spin setups. After a few trips to the western USA, Jake took up fly fishing and developed a passion for trout fishing that would later prompt him to move to Fort Collins, Colorado. In Colorado, Jake befriended some incredible fishermen and fly tiers, who further ignited his passion for both fishing and fly-tying alike. These days Jake spends the summers commercial fishing for sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and fly fishing as much as possible when not working. He has traveled the world with a fly rod or two in hand, including a 10 day fishing trip to New Zealand in 2017. That first trip to NZ opened his eyes to the world-class sight fishing that the South Island has to offer. Since that trip, Jake has returned to New Zealand multiple times and has explored heaps of rivers around the South Island. The team at Fisherman's Loft helped him with fishing advice along the way, and today Jake finds himself working at the Loft to help other keen anglers find success in New Zealand fisheries.