Kiyoshi Nakagawa
Yoshi, as he is popularly known, is a dedicated fly fisherman, having fished Japanese, American and New Zealand waters for more than 15 years with a fly rod. He graduated from one of the top Boatbuilding and Design schools in the USA, his studies only interrupted by frequent fishing trips, targeting striped bass and various species of trout. Yoshi's speciality is wooden boats, fusing traditional Japanese boatbuilding knowledge with the latest high-tech techniques. In addition to fishing and boatbuilding, Yoshi is a passionate sailing enthusiast, having sailed and raced for 15 years.
He came to New Zealand in 2002 to study and to further his knowledge of the yacht and boatbuilding industry. He worked at Tisdalls in Auckland for two years and is a high-profile member of the Auckland Freshwater Anglers Club. Yoshi first got hooked on competition fishing when he met Peter Scott, with whom he co-founded The New Zealand Fly Fishing Academy (NZFFA) in 2004, teaching fly tying, casting, and river fishing.
As a keen competition fisherman, Yoshi's innovative techniques and ideas have given him an enviable track record. He was a member of Team Japan at the World Championship in Slovakia 2004. gained second place at the Tauranga Championship 2004 and Hamilton Championship 2005; first place at the Tauranga Championship 2005, Waikato Championship 2005 and North Shore Championship 2005; seventh place in the Oceania Championship 2005; third place in the National Championship 2005; and fifth place in the National Championship 2006. 4th place in the Old farts contest 2006. 4th individual, Winning team Oceania Championship Tasmania 2007. National Championship 2008 2ed individual. World Championship New Zealand, 18th individual(Team Japan) Oceania 2009 NZ team. 1st individual, Winning team Oceania Championship New Zealand 2009. 2ed place in the National Championship 2009. 1st place in the National Championship 2010.
Yoshi co- organised the 2006 National Championship Venue with Peter Scott and Steve Brown, and is also one of the organisers for the 2008 World Championships in New Zealand. He is a fly tying instructor for Umpqua, and has been appointed as official fly tier for the New Zealand national team competing in forthcoming Oceania and World Championships. He is one of 30 contributors for the upcoming book "New Zealand Best Trout Flies", and is mostly found standing waist-deep in any fast-flowing river, short-lining his favourite dry fly/nymph combo in search of his next trout.
