Renowned New Zealand fly fisherman, conservationist, and our dear friend Dick Marquand has sadly passed away recently. A familiar presence on the Tauranga flats, Dick spent countless summer days wading these waters in pursuit of Kingfish. His love for vintage Fenwick fly rods was well known, and he even tried his hand with a bamboo rod recently to land one of these royal opponents. However, his favourite was the 686 FastGlass Epic fly rod, which he considered the perfect flats rod for pursuing Kingfish.
During the winter, Dick turned his focus to Kahawai and Trevally, embracing the intricacies of ultra-light gear. He often used a 3lb leader paired with a 370 Epic glass rod and occasionally pushed the limits with a delicate 0wt glass rod.
Dick’s was recently featured in FlyLife magazine, he was celebrated for catching 200 Kingfish while wading, including an impressive 22kg Kingfish landed on a fly rod. His current count is 204 waded Kingfish, all released for other anglers to enjoy. Despite these achievements, Dick’s true passion lay in sharing the joy of fly fishing with others. It was common to see him on the flats, not casting a line himself but guiding other anglers to their first Kingfish on the fly. The number of people he mentored is beyond measure.
Dick was also a co-founder of the Tauranga Salt Fly Facebook page, which has grown to over 1,600 members. Through his daily fishing reports, Dick captivated readers with vivid, immersive accounts that made them feel as though they were right there beside him. He generously shared his extensive knowledge which has helped grow the Facebook page.
While best known for his saltwater exploits, Dick was equally passionate about freshwater fishing, often spending time around the lakes of Taupō and Rotorua. He was also known to frequent local ponds in pursuit of the elusive grey mullet on the fly—a feat he sadly didn’t get to achieve.
In Dick’s memory, Epic Fly Rods has donated one of their new 8wt titanium fly rods to be raffled off, with all proceeds going towards a memorial and a park bench overlooking the Tauranga flats. If you’d like the chance to own an exceptional fly rod while supporting a meaningful cause, be sure to get your tickets.
As Dick would say, "Cheers."
Words by Jasen Cronje
