“It is more buying a lifestyle, then just buying a boat”
This is how Bill Pepper, proud owner of a Surtees 610 Game Fisher, described his experience after the first Surtees Owners Catch up in the Coromandel late last year.
In mid-December 2018, a bunch of keen Surtees owners gathered at Anglers Lodge, Amodeo Bay, to share a common passion for their boats and time on the water, including two days of fishing, exchanging stories and making new friends.
The event will be repeated on the weekend of October 4th-6th at Ruakaka, Bream Bay, where organisers are expecting some new faces to build the community even more.
“Surtees owners are extremely proud of their boats and are super-passionate about fishing – it was about time that we had a catch-up and create some memories together, ” event organiser Sascha Haag said.
Neil Surtees, founder of the brand, was present to meet the bunch of keen Surtees faithful.
“It was one of my highlights, meeting the brains behind this genius design, ” said Tyrone Paul, an Auckland 575 owner, when he posted a selfie of himself and Neil on his Facebook page.
Dave Wai – a Palmerston North Westcoast warrior, made the long drive north with his crew to participate.
“It was a big haul, but totally worth it,” he says.
The younger ones had a great surprise when Ben Brown – host of Built to Fish – also made it to Amodeo Bay, fishing the weekend from his 575 Pro Fisher and taking some amazing shots. Surtees sponsored the BBQ on Saturday night and overall it was a huge success.
“We will try to make this a bi-annual event, staging one on the Coromandel for the keen fishos of the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions, as well as one in Northland to cater for the guys from further north.
“Maybe there is even interest for some more around the country, who knows?” Sascha says.
Anyone interested in attending the Ruakaka event or wants more information should phone Isabell Zitzelsberger on 027 552 6088 to RSVP.

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