Where it all began

If you love fishing, chances are there's a place forever etched in your memory - where the adventure began, where it first felt like magic.

For me, that place is the Firth of Thames, just over an hour from where I live today in New Zealand’s North Island. It’s where the tides and salt air shaped my earliest memories of freedom, fun, and fishing.

As a kid, my world revolved around biking, swimming, and fishing. I had a great friend, Jo-Ann, who shared all three passions. During school holidays, we’d disappear for hours, catching sprats and eels from the creek and wharf. We never tired of it - there was always something new, something exciting. We'd come home triumphant, a bucket of fish in hand and a tribe of eager cats waiting.

Back then, I didn’t have a real fishing rod. Just hand lines and home-made gear. Jo-Ann had a light green rod and reel I quietly coveted - but she was generous, always letting me have a go. I didn’t know it then, but that little green rod planted a seed.

As I got older, fishing adventures expanded to the Firth itself and around the Coromandel - off the rocks, from boats, with friends who fished and dived and lived for the sea. Those experiences gave me a deep appreciation for how the ocean could shape not just a childhood, but a life.

After university and two decades in the global corporate world, I felt the pull again - to go fishing, but this time with a bigger vision.

I saw a gap in the market for something that blended style and substance - a fishing rod with soul. Maven had been quietly forming in my mind for years. With a love for design, a passion for fishing, and a husband who happens to be one of the world’s best rod designers, I had everything I needed to bring it to life.

Maven is the realisation of that little green rod dream. Technically advanced, beautifully styled, and made with heart. They're not just rods - they're the embodiment of a life spent loving the water.

And now, I’m thrilled to share them with you.