Skipper has all anglers covered

A "fisherman artist" is breathing new life into the old Lake Wakatipu commercial fishing fraternity, offering lake fishing, private charters and sunset cruises with the benefit of his international fishing expertise.

Professional guide Craig Hind has launched X-Stream Charters Fishing Queenstown and welcomed his first clients earlier this month.

Operating from O'Regan's Wharf, near the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the business takes fishing fans of all ages and abilities on to Lake Wakatipu for an unforgettable experience.

"We do lake fishing and private lake charters and our famous sundowner cruises," Mr Hind said.

"We lake fish all year round for brown trout, rainbow trout and quinnat salmon.

"Lake charters take two to four hours and are weather and wind dependent.

"They involve a thrilling 15 minute ride at speeds of up to 30 knots [55kmh] to various locations on the lake, then a slow cruise taking in the spectacular scenery."

Mr Hind said as summer approached he would take two-hour trips into the middle of the lake, float out with engines off, "start the barbecue and watch the sun set over the Remarkables".

"It's spectacular and we speak from experience."

The 32-year-old South African has logged 35,000 nautical miles as a professional skipper and has sailed across the Atlantic, around the British Isles and North Sea and extensively around the Indian Ocean.

"I've been a skipper since before I could drive a car.

"I'm a marine engineer and I worked for an engineering company when I moved to Queenstown two years ago, but fishing has always been my first and foremost passion.

The company is owned and operated by Mr Hind and his fiancee, Bridget Farrow, with the support of Queenstown's professional fishing community.

Mr Hind acts as a guide for clients on board the former American competitive fishing boat The Baron, which has been certified by Maritime New Zealand.