From giant arapaima in Guyana to tigerfish in Tanzania, Oliver White has built a life around adventure, exploration, and sight fishing at the highest level. In this Q&A, the renowned guide, conservationist, and lodge owner shares unforgettable days on the water, dream destinations, favorite gear, and why chasing powerful fish with a fly rod never gets old.
Q: What is your name?
A: Oliver White
Q: Can you share a bit about your background?
A: Professional angler and guide, lodge owner, writer, and conservationist.
Q: What species do you like to target most?
A: Anything that swims—I love it all, especially getting out there and exploring.
Q: What are some of your guided angler highlights?
A: Two 28 lb. brown trout in Tierra del Fuego and a 200 lb. arapaima in Guyana.
Q: What is your favorite fly?
A: I’m a believer in custom flies on the best hooks. Enrico Puglisi are the best commercial flies out there—his spawning shrimp is standard in my box.
Q: What is your favorite water to fish?
A: The flats.
Q: What is your favorite type of fishing?
A: Sight casting of any kind. Bonefish, permit, tarpon, trout, arapaima—if you can see it all go down, that’s fly fishing at its best.
Q: What is your favorite Nautilus reel and why?
A: Monsters—if I’m breaking out the Monsters then we are chasing something special. Yellowfin tuna, arapaima, GTs. No matter what, it’s guaranteed to be exciting.
Q: What was your best day fishing?
A: I had a day in Tanzania tigerfishing that can’t be beat. Twenty-pound tigerfish, elephants and hippos, and a monster vundu catfish all with great people.
Q: What’s the biggest fish you ever lost?
A: Been spooled more times than I can remember. I’ve hooked an arapaima over 400 pounds that embarrassed me. A 10–12 lb tigerfish ate my fly and took my entire line and backing without slowing down.
Q: What is your dream destination?
A: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea.
Q: Who would you like to guide one day?
A: David Letterman and Jim Harrison.
Q: What do you do when you’re not fishing?
A: I love live music—acoustic and lyrical. Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers. Or in the woods with my long bow or in the field chasing birds with a shotgun.
Q: What do you like about Nautilus reels?
A: Unprecedented reliability. They never fail, never slip, and take endless abuse. Smooth drag, especially on start-up. The large retrieve is great for line pickup.
