Day Thirty Four: Sandy Caddis

Sandy Caddis:

This is another very simple fly. The Sandy Caddis is just that, a Caddis that is encased in the sand it lives in.  

There are areas of our country, that the fish are so full of them, they have been likened to a bean bag, or crunchy football.

Day Thirty Three: Doll Fly

Doll Flies:

This fly is commonly tied with a luminescent body. Fished day or night, it has been associated with some very nice lake trout indeed.

This one is tied with a Pearl Mylar body as my local supply store had no glow material. I think you still get the impression of the smelt it’s meant to imitate.

Day Thirty Two: Purple Fuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy:

 Yet another night time pattern. The Fuzzy is usually tied with red or green chenille. From all accounts  purple has been a very effective colour with our Rainbows recently.

I will give this fly a try on Friday night; I have tied up the usual green and red variants. However, my gut feeling suggests this fly is about to get smashed.

Day Thirty One: Black Marabou

18 years:

It has been 18 years since fishing the hallowed lakes of Rotorua. I grew up there in more ways than one, and it has been far too long in my return.

This fly is a night time pattern. Fished slow and deep, on a sinking line it has and will take fish. At this time of year, in some of the Rotorua lakes, that fish could be well into double figure territory.

Day Thirty: Another Hotspot!

Another Hotspot:

There really is something so fishable about 2 minute ties. This hotspot caddis has done the business for me, time and time again.

Why? It is rough, buggy and seems to have all the triggers that my browns require. With or without the Hotspot, it really does deserve its place in my fly box.

Day Twenty Nine: Silver Invicta

Silver Invicta:

I have done this fly no justice today. The hackle is way too long, and rigid. I will still fish this example; however I really need to spend some time correcting the hackles.

I fish these down and across, on a floating line at dusk. The fish usually hits mid swing. More drag the better, the swinging across mimicking the skittering of a caddis.

Day Twenty Eight: More Tubes

Still Playing:

Still mucking round with some tubes. This one will have a run tomorrow, chasing some of my local browns. I feel the more subtle colour will have a better success rate than yesterday’s effort.

On a side note: I apologise to all who have commented on some of the flies, for some reason I cannot reply, or even comment on my own posts. However I have read them, thank you for your comments. Jack the dubbing used on that is Hares Ears SLF dubbing, but will have to double check that.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Ps: These will be used to chase down some Kawhai if the Trout aren’t cooperating J

Day Twenty Seven: Tubes

Tube Madness:

This is one for the aggressive winter rainbows. I would love to have the chance to flick a tube fly at a good size fish- something I have never done before.

I have also never tied one. The head in this example needs a lot of work. I would imagine that tied with the right tube, mandrel and the correct vice, they would become very popular in NZ.

Day Twenty Six: M.V.F (Most Valuable Fly)

All Time Favourite:

If I had to choose one fly and one only, to fish with for the rest of my life, then this would be it. It is simple, but very deadly.  A 2 minute tie I was saving this for a night when I was running out of time.

I once landed 5 fish over 4lb, on this pattern. All within 50meters of each other, and I only missed the sixth due to the barb disappearing at some stage after the fifth. It was a glorious half an hour that I have never repeated.

Day Twenty Five: Stimulator

Blue Stimie:

I owe my best Hutt fish of this season, to this fly. I had hooked and dropped him on a cicada pattern; he then lay doggo in a deep run, clearly visible and not interested. 

 Eventually I gave up and threw this at him. He came up, had a look, declined the offer but this started him feeding again, the next cast he took a foam cicada from the surface, sight fishing at its very best.

Day Twenty Four: Bloody Simple

Bloody Butcher:

Not quite true to the original. I use black rabbit for the wing, reason being I have plenty of it, and I like its movement, so too do the fish.

I fail to see the issue with simplifying patterns, the silver Mylar more often than not gets torn after 2-3 fish. It is not uncommon for me to rid the silver ribbing, and use more durable copper wire.

Day Twenty Three: Modern Nymph

Rainbow Connection:

It is not often I get to chase Bows. All my local rivers are Browns only, not from lack of trying, the Bows just never successfully took hold. So whenever I get the chance to I jump at it.

This pattern did the business for me on a river in the Hawkes Bay. Although nothing huge came to the net that day, the Bows kept me well entertained.

Day Twenty Two: Double Bunny

Big Flies:

Fishing at this time of year can be most frustrating. Most of the browns have moved upstream, and spawning is occupying their pea sized brains.

For the fish that still hang around, inducing a strike is often out of a territorial instinct,rather than a feeding one, so don’t be afraid to go BIG.

Day Twenty One: Black Pennell

Black Pennell:

This fly is another very simple wet, the Black Pennell, an old Welsh pattern. It excels as a Lake Fly in sizes 8-10.

I must admit today’s fly I have never fished! I went for a simple pattern, as it is Friday night, I am tired and cold, and all I could manage tonight was a 2.5lb sea run, and for my efforts I pulled my calf muscle. Damn!

Day Twenty: Captivator

Captivator:

Last night, I returned to find my wife at the vice. This has only happened once before. The result is the first photo, a fly she calls the “Captivator.”  (wing span of nearly 150mm, it is massive)

The challenge for me is to fish it successfully, so I adapted the pattern slightly for my local browns (second photo), However I can’t help but wonder if her original pattern would fool a fish or two.

Day Nineteen: Caddis

Opening Day:

Around here opening day always seems to crap out on me. Last season was no different. The rains came for a solid week and the river turned to a brown torrent.

On the side of the main flow I saw a dorsal cut through the surface, struck, and it was all on. Two minutes later it was all off. Fun while it lasted.

Day Eighteen: Mr Glister

Sorry Chris: (hope this doesn’t violate any trademarks etc)

The Mr Glister was invented by one of NZ top guides, and if not one of our top anglers, Mr Chris Dore, who’s love of glister, is only beaten by his love of catching “fush”

Sight fishing in rivers, with streamers, is gradually becoming a very fashionable way to fish for big fish, and big fish love a big feed, the Mr Glister fits the bill beautifully.

Day Seventeen: Turks Tarantula

Cicada Time:

The best time of year, this is what NZ is renowned for, when the big browns through caution to the wind and rise freely to a big dry, plopped heavily in the water.

I can’t remember any individual session with a cicada, there is just too many, and they just seem to be getting better and better.

Day Sixteen: Royal Wulff

Classic Dry:

Wither you are new to fly fishing or and old hack, chances are you would have fished one if these. Around here they are very popular in tandem with a nymph dropper, and for a searching pattern.

My fondest memory, of the Wulff, was on a very wet day, a fish beside me started to rise, His neb braking the surface no more than 2.5m from me, long story short, here is his, all 5lb of him:

Day Fifteen: March Brown

Timeless:

This is one of those patterns I hate to tie. The wing sucks! Here I have used Turkey instead of the original Hen Pheasant. I don’t know if it really matters, but it’s all I could find in the mess on a tying table.

I once brought some very nice tied March Browns, the only problem being they seemed to catch more fish after the wing had almost worn away. Money well spent, I think not. The rough and ready home ties seem to do just as well.

Day Forteen: Red Head Wet

Traffic Jam Beater:

Pretty simple and boring looking, what’s not boring is the sharp tug as a fish hit’s mid swing. Such an effective fly should not be forgotten as the dusk turns to night.

While living in Newtown and working in Upper Hutt, I would often stop and flick this pattern through a few runs of the Hutt on my drive home, simply the best way to beat rush hour traffic.

Day Thirteen: Para Adams High Vis

Unlucky for some:

I must admit I really wanted to tie a Lead Wing Coachman for today’s fly, or failing that, a classic Coachman. But looking into the gear do you think I could find a suitable wing material? So I ended up tying another emerger.

I very rarely bother to fish emergers, although when I do they are usually very, very successful. This highvise Parachute Adams is simply one of the best.

Day Twelve: Coch-Y-Bondhu

Beetle time:

One of the most infamous flies of all time.  However, it is not limited to imitating a beetle. Fished wet with a sparser hackle it can deceive fish on dusk, or tied with a longer, fuller hackle it makes a nice cicada pattern for fussy trout.

I can’t really pin point the first time I ever use a Cochy, they have always been in my fly box and my fathers before me. Here’s hoping it will feature in my sons or daughters.

Day Eleven: Toe Biter

Alder Fly Nymph:

Fearsome name! Fearsome nature! This nymph is often overlooked by anglers but very rarely by the ones we angle to. Fished after a fresh or swifter running runs produces some nice results.

My biggest fish from the Hutt, to date, was caught with this pattern. He was sitting in a deep fast run, and this was the heaviest fly I had on me, I gave it a half chance the fish gave it a full one.

Day Ten: Copper Caddis Emerger

Copper Caddis Emerger:

This fly, fished as an emerger, was essentially made to complement a 3 fly swap. I had tied a Caddis nymph and dry in copper tones and needed an emerger, hence the Copper Caddis trio was made.

The baptism of this fly was on one fish I know very well. Currently, including yesterday, he has beaten me 17 – 3, and you guessed it one of those times was on this fly. Go figure.

Day Nine: DHE Deer Hair Energer

Simple and Effective:

If you had to explode from your skin, what kind of pressure would be involved? It wouldn't be a pretty sight, and that's exactly why I add a turn or two of red seal's fur.

I tend to have trouble with the proportions of this fly, however I am sure the fish don't really care.

Day Eight: Wooly Bugger

Launch the.....

Today I went fishing; I found a nice little brown if 2-3lb not huge but a nice looking fish. After half an hour, and plenty of nymph changes nothing, spitefully he rose beside me.

Now you would think I changed to a dry or an emerger right? Wrong, on went the biggest heaviest fly I had on me, that’s all that was required.

p.s: that is a 4.5mm tungsten bead.

Day Seven: Current Go to

Variation of my go to:

A very simple, quick and effective tie. What more do you need? Usually I would tie with a “Hot Spot” behind a black bead but have found the coloured tungsten to be just as effective.

This is one of my go to nymphs for late season sessions, and if you haven’t figure out by now yes I am a lazy tier, and maybe just maybe a lazier Angler.

Day Six: Damsel Nymphs

Bug Eyes:

I admit the eyes on this Damsel maybe a bit too big, but the fish haven’t complained so I’m not going to either.

 Some prefer a slightly browner look to their Damsels but I have never really had a need to change, maybe that’s why they catch more fish than I do.