Trout Tales

Tribute to Japan Pt 1

2011-10-21T18:55:00.003+13:00

My travels in Japan were life changing - meeting so many kind, caring and talented people along the way, so I've decided to make these short clips to let everyone over there know that my thoughts and prayers go out to a nation that has suffered greatly in this past year.

Tribute to Japan Pt 2

2011-10-21T18:49:00.002+13:00

A Tribute to Japan Part 3

2011-10-21T18:12:00.004+13:00

Sights of Spring

2011-10-16T23:48:00.007+13:00

Getting there...

Being there...

Honey Dew...

Quiet Giant...

River Life...

Went for a walk today saw a few trout, caught a couple and listened to the river rumbling over the rocks.

Crane Flies

2011-10-13T15:51:00.003+13:00

36 knotted pheasant legs later - 6 Craneflies and a funny twitch. All worthwhile...yeah right!

Landing Sequence

2011-10-13T15:35:00.007+13:00

Images of Interest

2011-10-13T01:34:00.004+13:00

Paradise

Beautiful scenery, but where are all the fish?!!

Shifty fish, they have already been tickled.

Slow down and have a good look!

Spring Weather - 4 Seasons in 1 Day.

2011-10-13T00:23:00.007+13:00

Trout Tucker.

Large river stones make an excellent wind break for these delicate insects.

Deep water, a weighty trout and a small net = "The run-around."

On a double nymph rig this fish took the top fly - my swimming mayfly pattern.

Enjoying the muggy spring light northerly rain, heaps of insects around, a few sporadic hatches of mayflies and stoneflies. The swimming mayfly pattern is proving to be unstoppable. All fish I have caught have been taken on it. I will post the tying instructions soon as I have now photographed the tying steps. I have a new mayfly dryfly which worked well today which I will share soon too. Great to be on the water again with me old mate Jack.

Swimming MayFly Nymphs

2011-09-05T19:31:00.004+12:00

Trout love to eat swimming mayflies especially as they are emerging to hatch. They are usually quite large and have a hunched appearance. I have found it difficult to get the shape of these right as the legs, head and wingcase are located up the front of the insect.

Tail: Hare mask guard hairs with the stripe between the black and gold colour.

Body: Latex strip.

Gills: Flat nylon thread looped and tied under the latex.

Top Gill: Guinea Fowl Fibres.

Head: Black 2.5mm tungsten bead.

Legs: Hen Pheasant Tail fibres.

Wingcase: Latex.

Photo Effects

2011-08-27T16:27:00.004+12:00

Learning to Fish

2011-06-05T21:51:00.006+12:00

It seems long ago when I first picked up a fly rod. Nearly 30 years ago now. It's fun to see someone elses first day on the river!

Fish 0 Stag 1

2011-04-27T13:51:00.007+12:00

When I was out on the river, splashing in the distance caught my eye as a Red Stag was galloping full steam across the river towards me. He stopped mid river and stared at me, then turned back and continued up the far bank. It's not so common to see these guys when your fishing, but in April during the roar anything is possible. What a sight!

JAPAN

2011-04-27T13:03:00.012+12:00

Yep!

Mr. Kato's backwater Fly Store "Dusk" and top customers.

Mr. Kato admires Noriko's creation.

Mr. Yoshida - Bamboo Rod Builder.

Amago.

Hitch'n a ride.

Beautiful Japan - Countryside.

The approach - #3 weight rods and gentle casting.

Nature's fridge.

Lunch.

Fish'n Buddies.

Man-made obstacles.

HANG ON A MINUTE MATE!

2011-04-12T10:20:00.006+12:00

House size boulders with deathly vertical drops, cheap slippery trekking shoes and a light weight tippet had my mate doing the crab-walk as he tried to navigate his way closer to the water to land his catch. I'm pleased to say that he didn't come to any slippery demise and the fish was eventually landed and released, not before a frenzied mob of eels came in for a closer look. I've never heard of a nest of eels but if there is such a thing this was definitely it.

A week later I went back and fished a few eels out for a feed. There were literally 30 in this small area and some were at least 15cm across the back, with a metre of 40lb line, a hook and a bit of beef, I could chose the ones I wanted by just dangling it infront of there mouths. Messy to prepare, but good to eat!

Com'on its Hopper Time!

2011-02-13T13:08:00.006+13:00

fish were missing tabs... probably damaged when they were small fellows.

Rock hopping again!

The double foam strip with the yellow on top is easy to see.

Had some fun on some big foam hoppers. I use a really small gape long shank hook by Daichi, which in my mind is harder for the fish to see. Most people here use massive hooks for hoppers, there's no need and they only put fish down. Boy do they eye-ball them before they take. I used red deer hair which is common around here, for the wing. It's very stiff and can survive a real thrashing. I was impressed with it. When tying it in it flares out if you over tighten it. To get around that I just use glue to do the rest.

New Year Fish'n and Fun

2011-02-13T09:30:00.007+13:00

The peat stained water brings out the red spots beautifully on this Brownie.

Getting through the weed, Dad waits for the slurp!

A little patience pays off...

The rabbits have been chased, the sheep surveyed. Now it's time for a break.

Wish it was mine...

A new location.... wonder what's in here?

Ashley keeping an eye on the fishing.

Take your pick of leader destroyers.

The New Year brought its weather challenges. The rain came from every direction. Dad's more of a fair weather fisherman so we sat it out and waited for some better weather. And when the sun finally poked through, we fished up a storm!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T18:34:00.003+13:00

It must be that time again, the Christmas lillies are out and fill the room with their heady aromatic fragrance. Just finishing off a few more damsel nymphs in preparation for some lake action. Thanks for visiting my blog and keep watching out for some movies after this holiday. Have a good Christmas and for anyone in the Northern Hemisphere I'm feeling for ya!

Hentai-ing

2010-12-21T13:12:00.007+13:00

Straight from the dark side of tying, Nagoya, Japan comes a new pattern inspired by the anime classic Cutey Honey. A voluptous monster slayer who reveals her breasts as she changes into a costume that matches her cheeky mood. Tied on a longshank #14 using glo-bug yarn, melted mono and a touch of pink paint. Most fishers are surprised to hear that this perky pattern is an emerger designed to bring 'em up off the bottom!

Special thanks to creative genius, Daisuke and also the creators of Cutey Honey for providing the inspiration. Daisuke is currently working on a more technically challenging design.

Summer Lake Collection 2011

2010-12-18T15:09:00.006+13:00

Topping up the boxes for a trip with Dad down to our holiday house in the deep south. The masks on the boatmen and dragons' are made from latex tied in first then pulled back over the eyes. Eyes are made of melted mono. Gave my parachute green beetles legs ...well why wouldn't ya!

Boys will be boys!

2010-12-12T20:27:00.011+13:00

"I've wrestled all of the other 6 year olds to the ground...yeah I'm the toughest!"

Delish.

Trout and eggplant.

A sofa with a view.

A face full of wash and still smiling!

Fly fishin'

We went up the lake with the boys for a fish and tried out a new wool-head sculpin pattern. The trout were more interested in taking big dragonflies on the wing. We saw some spectacular acrobatic rises and managed to catch a couple. Next time I'll remember to take my dry fly box and some floatant!

We finished the day with some trout on the barbecue and a few bottles of ginger beer. After dark the boys went for a hunt and got some meat for the freezer. These boys are so hard case... they don't wear shoes and run around on prickly paddocks in the dark to pick up a freshly shot rabbit. When you're tough you don't need to say it!

Eagle Eyes

2010-11-06T18:37:00.008+13:00

A river worn forest giant.

Rock hoppin up the gorge.

Trout, ghosty, mid-photo.

A window passes over to reveal his lie.

Taken on my yellow nymph.

Warming up.

A good cast matched with a good fly will get'em, if you can see 'em!

Cicada's beginning to chirp, mayflies and caddis on the move too.

Off the Road

2010-11-03T20:52:00.008+13:00

My next goat curry on the supermarket shelves.

Broke the tip off my cane rod....not a good rod for bush bashing!

Man those eels are scary big..

Tried to get into this creek, took the waders off when it got up to my arm-pits, then tried to cross in my shorts with my pack over my head. Had to backtrack when I started floating. Tried again up-stream and finally got into some gem-green pools. Fish sitting at 20ft eye balling me. Missed a good fish in the top of this pool, he came down the pool a couple of times suspecting some kinda mischief.

Green Stoneflies - Teimco 400T

2010-10-25T19:21:00.007+13:00

Thought I'd give this idea a go. Tying on the side of a 400T swimming nymph. This weekend I turned a few stones the the river in the photo and found some big stonies. They way the curve when they crawl and curl when they free float inspired me to try and capture it. Not sure how the hook-up will be having the hook on the side, should be OK. My mate Jack bent his up into some unusual positions with pliers and they still worked. These stonies have a yellowy orange on the underside which I penned in. The suggestion of gills were made from yellowish CDC.

My New Old Vice

2010-10-09T10:01:00.004+13:00

Regal vices have always been number one in NZ, that's if you could afford one. I guess years ago they were around the $250.00 to $300.00 NZ dollar mark and back in the day this was a lot of cash for a high school lad. My first Regal was purchased from "The Tackle Box"in Chrtistchurch, where I once worked as part-timer. It was the standard regal with no rotation or leverage up and down. I've used it for years, only ever had one hook ping out, it's an old faithful, the jaws are still holding firm since the mid-80's. That one has now been passed on to dad and may have been used after his recent renewed interest in tying. (Although in all honesty he's probably using his old Indian vice.)

The other regal I picked up was for around $70.00 when I was living in Japan. The shop just wanted to get rid of it as it didn't seem to suit the tiers over there. Something about hook size. Anyway they have C and F and other fantastical vices to chose from.

Here's where the story gets interesting. While purusing our local internet auction I came across a Regal in all it's glory, advertised as new with rotating head, the up/down movement and a large clamp. It looked great. So like the trout to the fly I decided to buy it. I was so excited by the thought of being able to turn my fly upside down, nothing else seemed to matter. On arrival all looked good apart from the positioning of the jaws. So I contacted Regal in the states to ask them about the jaw positioning. They were extremely helpful. According to them however, this vice is an antique. possibly brought out on one of the first four ships to colonize NZ. They haven't seen this model since the early 80's and don't carry parts for it.

Anyway it performs well and now I can turn my fly upside down. And hey, I have a new antique!

Pale Yellow Nymph

2010-10-08T21:29:00.005+13:00

For the rib I used this micro-tubing from Wapsi.

The wingcase is a yellow, mottled thin-skin.

I sat down to come up with a pale-yellow stonefly nymph and ended up with these . . . more like a mayflies. These were tied on a long shank #16. They have a small tungsten bead on the front. They are a bit plasticy, but in some places it's good to have flies that other, more professional fishers don't use.

Re-cycled Wooden Cabinet

2010-10-06T20:43:00.005+13:00

I had been wanting to make a cabinet to display a few old fishing collectables and finally finished it last week. All of the wood I used was from old building materials with the odd nail hole here and there. I didn't check to see if it was square the first time I glued it, so had to pull it apart and straighten it up a bit. The woods I used are NZ Rimu and Macrocarpa. The lighter "macro" in the back makes a bright background to display the old tackle against.

Season 2010

2010-10-06T08:58:00.009+13:00

Some trees have been cleared out, while others have appeared.

Bending the rod.

A 7.5lbs beauty.

Silver with a touch of orange.

Hard to see in amongst the rocks, silver rocket.

It's great to be out on the water again! After about a week of torential rain prior to the start of the season, the smaller creeks have started to clear. With the snow-melt and rain some of the larger rivers are still coloured up. Most of the fish landed have been in pretty good condition and haven't been too fussy.

Dragonfly Nymphs

2010-09-25T14:02:00.004+12:00

A Great Wood Working Blog - Manasan

2010-08-01T14:31:00.002+12:00

This guy has some great ideas and is very innovative. If you like tinkering with wood, check this guy out. Http://homepage3.nifty.com/manasan/english/index.htm

J Stockard - Internet Fly Tying Supplies - (Click for link)

2010-08-01T12:03:00.006+12:00

I got in touch with these guys and ordered some tying goodies. They were very patient and professional. All the materiels arrived as ordered and the exchange was reasonable. Nymph legs are quite hard to get, my brother had trouble tracking them down from the distributor in England. The wing cutters are good, but I recommend sticking with the River Road Creations brand.

This is also a good place to pick up bulk micro-rings at a good price. Check them out for some tying goodies sometime.

Miho Mizuno - Artist

2010-08-01T11:21:00.008+12:00

Keeping the sun off my neck. Thanks Miho!

Simply stunning!

Hare comments on Frog's back-cast.

We all know this feeling.

A call went out from the local store Kamiieda in Nagoya when a fresh faced foreigner wandered into the store. I was chatting with a guy who could speak english well and who wanted to rush down to the store to translate, but with time against us we decided to leave it this time. It wasn't until 2 years later I was talking with Daisuke Mizuno, that we figured out he was that guy on the end of the phone. It was amazing with over 2 million people in the city that we had met after speaking with each other 2 years prior.

I fished with Daisuke and his partner Miho a couple of times, but left for NZ shortly after that. They are a great couple to know, always smiling and laughing about something. Like the time they went on a date to the parasite museum in Tokyo. Why wouldn't you!

Recently Miho has started designing and making fly fishing t-shirts and neck scarfs with a touch of traditional Japanese brush work. Her designs include animals respected and loved by nature loving people throughout Japan. All of her work is hand dyed and hand painted making each piece a true artwork.

She spends many hours getting the right colours for her scarfs and like a true artist isn't happy until it is just how she wants it.

Thanks Miho for the lovely things you have made me.

A Return to Japan

2010-07-31T20:43:00.015+12:00

A hot spring hotel foot spa.

An actual print of the caught fish with measurement and weight details.

Fish Boy.

Sugar and sour oranges.

At the temple.

Ishii brother's barbecue heaven.

Return to Dusk.

Old friend's.

At the Osu Temple.

I spent almost 3 weeks in Japan revisiting some old haunts and catching up with friends. I met a bunch of my old fly fishing buddies in Nagoya. Two friends have teamed up, (Tomo, previously involved in boat building and Shinichi owner of T-Craft) to continue to make high quality wooden nets and fly boxes for Shinichi's company. Once again I visited Kato's fly store "Dusk" and bought my usual stock of Daichi hooks. It was great to see everyone was in good form and still enjoying their fishing.

The weather was tediously hot and so humid, an extreme change to the 7 degrees and snow topped montains I left at my home. Travelling down to Kyushu brought some welcomed relief as the temperatures we much more comfortable. I couldn't find a fly shop down in these parts, but visited a few big saltwater fishing stores.

Torrential rain signified the end of the rainy season and the end of my trip. I had to rush to the airport as trains, planes and expressways were shut down due to the flooding.

Boat Show 2010

2010-03-07T11:31:00.012+13:00

Slow fishing

Lukey with the streamer box

The boys

Yesterday's fishing was very slow with autumn's coolness creeping into the air and the anglng pressure of the past season making things pretty tough. The boat show that we stumbled across and some sweet harmonica on the lake shore with the boys made it a great day, eventhough we went fishless.

Summer Flies - Cicadas on potatoes.

2010-03-07T10:58:00.013+13:00

Brownie

Torpedo..

Hog!

Cicada's on potatoes.

Hoppers with shimizaki wing.

This trout felt like a rock when I rock when I hooked it. It literally didn't move. But when it finally decided to make a move it went upstream through some of the heaviest water you can imagine. My 5 weight was tip to butt. My saviour was 3x tippet.

Dobsonfly adult

Xmas 2009

2010-03-07T10:36:00.008+13:00

Brownie

Lunch... that bierstick looks good, aye pooch!

Fish on!

Dad navigating the dam shore while the pooch watches on.

Swirls, boils and tails...rainbows working the weedbeds.

My first trout on a double-handed rod!

4 Seasons in One Day

2010-01-07T15:21:00.007+13:00

.......!

Old Man Nor'wester blowing like a b.....d!

Yes Akihiro, brown trout do jump!

My friend Akihiro has been visiting New Zealand in the worst possible fishing conditions with storm after storm lashing the mountains. He now knows what a Nor' west wind feels like rocketing down stream, head-on into your face. Thankfully though, he caught a few nice trout. It was a steep learning curve, hooking and landing heavy trout requires a lot of knowledge and skill. Akihiro raised his fishing skills to meet the challenge. The rain again is rattling on the tin roof as we sit inside and think of the next place to go........ 1 afternoons fishing left!

Wonderful Wets

2009-12-20T15:44:00.003+13:00

I remember days of old, swiping Karl's wet flies (which he had inherited from an old timer) when we fished on the lake together. I've tied him a batch of his favourite moleflies for xmas and have been playing around with some new designs inspired by English patterns. These will be tested in the week to come as we both head off on a xmas fishing mission to chase lake fish.

The Golden Pheasant tail wing is bright with a natural speckle. These should work well!

Mike Tyson

2009-12-20T15:30:00.003+13:00

In the gold corner - 70cm of pumped brown trout!

Where's my dubbing wax?

2009-12-20T15:19:00.003+13:00

The summer holidays have arrived and I've been busy stocking up my boxes ... it's best to have just the materials you need on the bench!

Marc Petitjean

2009-12-20T14:43:00.006+13:00

Marc's Parachute

Explaining the magic head

Leech with the magic head

Marc, Peter and Karly...3 good boys!

Marc Petitjean has been travelling around New Zealand catching trout and promoting his CDC tying techniques. Marc entertained his audience with stories about the history of CDC tying in Europe and with some amazing tying techniques. A range of Marcs products will now be available through 4 stores in Christchurch. (This is a pretty big deal for the 8 or so fly tiers in NZ!) Marc's background in engineering helped him to design some amazing tools, including his new bobbin which is threaded externally.

Marc caught some nice fish in New Zealand and only used 2 flies, both CDC of course. A CDC nymph and emerger style dryfly with deerhair. His patterns are sparsley tied and are quick to tie. As he said, "I'd rather be fishing flies, than tying flies!"

It was a real pleasure to meet a guy who is so passionate about tying and developing new ideas.

A-may-zing

2009-12-06T12:54:00.006+13:00

A warm afternoon, birds gather, dancing over the river catching mayflies. A small trail of mayfly wings scatter the rocks where the birds briefly stop to feed. Some mayflies escape, drying their wings before take-off and chancing their luck.

Electric Fishing

2009-11-28T15:01:00.009+13:00

Dobson fly Lavae and Pupae.

A young Brown trout.

Electric fishing in action.

A nice snack for a hungry trout.

Fish and Game Officer explains Electric Fishing.

Today there was an event at a local stream held by Fish and Game. They are the organisation that manages New Zealand's freshwater fishing and water fowl resources. Two small brown trout and a few bullies were zapped and netted. There were a few mayflies about and this Dobson fly lavae, which I have never seen before. The event attracted about 15 people.

Bending the Bamboo 2nd Time.

2009-11-09T22:24:00.009+13:00

Lukey...

Lukes exciting find...

A fine day...

Opened the door this morning... just had to get on the river!

Decided this morning to get the Bamboo out again. I love the gentle presentation I'm getting. Pushing the rod quite hard too and getting a good long line. It comes to life with a fish on and I can still put heaps of pressure on when landing. I just need to get the leader length and weight right.

Extra Grip without the Glove.

2009-11-07T13:34:00.007+13:00

Here's a funny gadget I came across to give you that extra grip when conditions get tough. Just push it on, align it and press in the spike, then enter the next dimension.

Shimazaki Wing.

2009-11-07T13:10:00.003+13:00

I added a little foam float and dubbed a loop of hare fur around the wings, Shimazaki wing does the rest. I'm keen to try this pattern again this season. Last season I used CDC instead of hare for the hackle, but I prefer the random effect you get from dubbing on a dry.

Hook: TMC #16 5212

Tail: Cock de leon fibres

Body: Stripped peacock (Use a piece of flat rubber and an eraser, trap the quill between the two, will strip quill in seconds.)

Dub: Chocolate hare fur

Wingcase: Chocolate brown razor foam

Wings: Shimazaki

A postcard from the past.

2009-11-07T12:55:00.003+13:00

Hand painted postcard. Lake of Yumato of Nikko. Looks like an 8 weight rod!

Essentially Green.

2009-11-02T19:33:00.009+13:00

Essentially Green..

Beached.

Green Dragon.

Kea - Mountain parrot.

Trying out a landing..

Tommy aged 11 years caught his first fish on the fly. Earlier that morning I let him land one of mine to get the feeling of how it all feels. Then after lunch he disappeared out of sight around into a beautiful bay with a gorgeous drop off. With every cast a little more line went out, laying it on the water each time with a splash. A technique I've seen employed by old timers night fishing, but in this case, a beginners attempt to get a little more distance.

Then he appeared fish in hand and a grin across his face that said it all. A great day for a young boy an old fibreglass rod and a trout.

Simply Magic! After the excitment died down he was off back to the same spot to try his luck again!

He's been hounding me ever since for the fly which he gave me to look after and an old vise, so he can start to tie some more bullies.

May contain traces of nuts.

2009-10-18T00:52:00.005+13:00

Once in a blue moon one goes in the pot. Jack and I enjoyed a meal of trout. Cream, white wine, red pepper and mushrooms just to name a few of the ingredients. Washed down with a good wine.

The 50 Metre River Sprint.

2009-10-07T21:17:00.018+13:00

training complete.

released...

landed and unhooked...

across and down...

across the river...

out the other side...

through the tree...

under the tree...

still going...

further down...

down-stream...

Hook-up...

Today I did some training for the up and coming, down-stream Olympic river sprint.

What are they eating? Anything!

2009-10-07T20:55:00.009+13:00

Quite a smorgasbord.

Jack with a hen.

Pete with a jack!

Two lovely trout today, sunny skies and good humour. Life couldn't be better....

Not Quite Spring

2009-10-07T09:10:00.005+13:00

A cold blast of weather brought fresh snow to the mountain tops. The wind chill is freezing and winter is trying to return. Once the cloud burns off, the sun tries its best to warm up the day. My fishing skills are still a bit cold too, missing another good fish yesterday! My indicator seems to dive under much quicker than I ever remember.

It's great to be out and getting some sun on the face.

Cane Rod

2009-10-04T17:15:00.006+13:00

I bought this 4 piece cane rod off a guide. It was made by a Japanese guy from Osaka. This morning I set out to catch a fish on it. I haven't really fished a cane rod before, so it took a while to get into the rhythm. My leader was about 15ft and when the first fish took I missed him completely. The fish grabbed the nymph right infront of my eyes as he swung up and out of the deep run. I had so much line on the water all I could do was to watch as he shook his head, spitting the fly out.

The lesson was learnt. Cane rods move slower and leaders need to be a lot shorter in a small sprightly stream. Eventually getting the feel of the rod, I spotted a nice fish, which willingly took me twice. I missed the first take and after a change of fly and a minutes rest he jumped on a small mayfly nymph. It was exciting to feel the rod working and taking up the strain for the first time. It reminded me of the glass rod I had started out on all those years ago. Definitely a lot more feeling through the rod.

I missed one other fish today, just swirly water and as the rod moves a little slower I guess I need to pay a bit more attention when setting the hook. Maybe set a little faster.

I thoroughly enjoyed using my new cane rod.

There's a Moose in the Hoose.

2009-10-03T00:42:00.005+13:00

Tie a clump of deerhair in then work the butts under with a few raps of thread. Stack it each time get the tips and taper of the hair on top.

After tying in the ears and eyes tie in a large clump on the top and bottom, followed by a final spin around the front near the eye.

Trim them up...be careful not to cut your ears off!

I came up with the idea to put foam ears on these guys. Which means they ride lower in the water, but are unsinkable even when the deer hair gets water-logged. I tried it yesterday and it swims well. The intruder loop I put on was a little long, I got a few tangles on the tippet, so next time I'll just tie the hook on a single line and make sure it's close to the back of the fly. All you need is shortish leader and away you go. The only fish I tried it on didn't even move. Ha!

Oh well always handy even if you never use it!

Opening Day - 1st of October.

2009-10-02T18:07:00.005+13:00

I guess you're off down-stream!

Same fish as below, very chunky.

The second fish of the day, great condition for early season. the results of a very mild winter and a healthy diet.

Another magic brownie to end the day.

The morning was overcast and cold, but the promise of a fine day lay behind the early morning fog. The sun did eventually come out, but was a bit patchy. When the sun hit the water it was time to move up a little faster and spot the likely places.

I used a peacock quill bodied mayfly nymph. #16 TMC 5263. It was great to be out on the river again, casting, walking and catching trout. This was my second fish of the morning. 5.5lbs.

The Magnum.

2009-09-14T21:25:00.004+12:00

I call this one the magnum. A green stoney on a TMC 200R #4.

My Happy Place

2009-09-12T23:40:00.004+12:00

Perfect, my tying table and a new book! Some nice tying from a collection of Japanese tying artists.

Went out on the river today saw 10 or so trout, the biggest would have been pushing 7lb. Most feeding well. Less than one month until opening day. Turned over a few rocks and sampled the insects today too. Surprising I found a lot of small, but chunky river fish. Cock-a-bullies!

Check this big mayfly nymph. Very dark, with the pronounced wing-pads. These are a very common nymph thoughout New Zealand and one the trout love.

Leather Artist with a Passion for Quality.

2009-09-08T20:17:00.006+12:00

My good friend Jack is highly skilled in the manufacture and design of quality leather goods. All goods are traditionally made, hand stitched and made to order. He prides himself on the quality of his work and has studied the masters to reach an uncommon level of mastery. I believe his goods are second to none. These goods are practical and will last a lifetime. For more information please email me on petersmodernlife@hotmail.com. Jack is currently working on a new line of fly boxes, which I will show on this site. Nothing leaves his studio unless it is perfectly finished. Amazing detail...not a bad job at all!

Wood and Wool Day

2009-09-05T19:15:00.014+12:00

A busy Saturday outdoors, collecting more wood for net making and helped shear a couple of sheep. The wood we are cutting is Photina. This is common in Asia including Japan. It's usually an ornamental shrub with evergreen leaves, that change to a red colour. It's a member of the rosewood and apple tree family. This one was about 15m high. A huge specimen. The wood is very hard and heavy. Probably take a year or two to dry these slabs.

Working today with my mate John, a local outdoors man. John's 85hp Stihl cahinsaw worked hard to cut this. His saw has one power, full - throttle.

To follow up the wood cutting we caught his sheep and sheared them using his generator and clippers. The wood was hard to cut and the sheep were hard to catch. They are sure-footed and dodge your attempts to tackle them.

A good result, a huge stack of 3 inch slabs and some clean shawn sheep.

A great day!

Cherry Wood

2009-09-01T22:16:00.005+12:00

I've decided to make my own wooden landing net. I found a great japanese site that shows the steps. I have started to collect some materials for the job. A friend offered me this old cherry tree that had blown over in the wind. After chainsawing it into managable pieces, I went to another friends place and milled it with him on his chainsaw mill. The smell was so rich and fruity. I got a few good slabs, including 2 x 2metre pieces.

Just another year to wait for it to dry I guess.

Price rises in New Zealand Public Transport System -

2009-07-24T20:32:00.005+12:00

The price of a ticket from Nelson to Invercargill is now $2.50. Locals can't believe the price hike in the current economic climate.

Mayfly Emergers

2009-07-10T23:45:00.004+12:00

Here's a new pattern I'm looking forward to trying next season. I've used a piece of foam wrap for the wingcase. It floats well and is easy to see. These are size 16. These little beauties will still nicely in the surface and won't need any floatant. Well that's the idea. The top photo is my second attempt. #18 this pattern represents the swimming mayfly emerger. The adult has speckled brown wings, so I chose a soft speckled hen feather for the emerging wing with a touch of CDC.

A Leap For Freedom!

2009-07-09T22:18:00.006+12:00

Here's a great shot that my father took last season. He loves his new digital camera.

Fishy Materials - Get Your Nails Out

2009-07-09T16:39:00.005+12:00

When I lived in Japan I visited the 100 yen shop a few times. It's full of junk produced in China, most of which is plastic. I usually kept an eye out (as you do) for anything that would be useful for fly tying. I found these stick on nails that have a scale pattern and shine of a fish. I wanted to show the salt water guy from Hokaido who writes his blog in English. These were 100 yen per pack. If you fold them in half around the body of the minnow, they have an adhesive backing which will stick. Then I tied over the top in a cross pattern, then varnish. The black dots on the pearl stickers can be removed easily with some solvent, like nail polish. Just paint it on then wipe it off....(sounds like the karate kid!!) Oh well, good luck finding this material!

More Flies

2009-07-09T12:37:00.004+12:00

I discovered a neat way to do stonefly and other nymph heads. I used some 80lb nylon and melted it, flattened the stem with pliers then tied in antennae either side. I'm pleased with the result. When you melt the nylon just press it on the side of the lighter to flatten it.

Yamame

2009-06-21T10:24:00.003+12:00

I found this beautiful ceramic plate for sale on an auction. It was described as a being an interesting Japanese painting on paper. When it arrived I unwrapped it and to my surprise it was made of ceramic with glass glazing with rich watery blues and silver colours. It reminds me of the Yamame I caught in Japan.

More Creepy Crawlies

2009-06-14T00:02:00.002+12:00

The local streams are just full of these some as long as your pinky finger. These are a size 6 Tiemco 2302. This is a good hook size to imitate the slightly larger dobsonfly lavae. They are fun to tie and I'm looking forward to trying them early season.

Stonefly Nymph

2009-06-13T16:28:00.005+12:00

Winter is here again and it's time to think of something new to tie, with some new materials. I'm trying to get a bit more realistic to fool those difficult trout. New Zealand has a big green stonefly. A real mouthful for a hungry trout.

Delicious Damsel Flies

2009-05-21T22:55:00.007+12:00

Dad trying to figure out which fish to go for, while Ashley spots another rise!

Underwater breathing apparatus no longer required above water.

My auto-focus hand held camera ...wow technology! And it's waterproof....

A brilliant day! A brilliantly coloured brownie!

Crane Flies

2009-05-17T13:03:00.003+12:00

This was just an impressionist type tie, I was looking for lots of movement and speckling.

Crane Fly

Hook: Long shank with a bit of a curve.

Body: Golden pheasant tail wrapped likea pheasant tail nymph.

Wing: CDC natural

Legs: Golden pheasant tail butts tied back trimmed and scrunched.

Hackle: Cock-de-Leon bown speckled.

South Island Skies II

2009-05-17T11:08:00.008+12:00

This pond holds browns and rainbows. More ripple please!

Dad looking for the car keys.

This will bring the cicadas out...

Here it comes....it's gonna be a good day.

Rainbow Country

2009-05-17T10:37:00.004+12:00

Woke up this morning to this rainbow.....the colour intensity was unreal. It shone for an hour.

Fishing in Japan II

2009-05-16T19:59:00.015+12:00

The Koi dancing in the gentle breeze high above the river.

The message is clear in any language!

Mr Nakano and Mr Kato with Hiro. Always supporting me in Japan.
Three fine fellows.

Onegiri or rice ball. An essential lunch item!

Mr. IIshi Jnr looks for the next step.

Mr Kato and his tackle shop Dusk. Nagoya.

Rolly deep in thought. Mr Nakano leads the rugby loving, Iishi brothers to the next challenge.

Rock-Paper-Scissors. Who's first on the pool...? Hiroshi Okada watches the action!

I was looking through some of my old photos....I found some great memories, familiar faces, amazing friends, great nature...that's Japan.

Salmon - "King of the River."

2009-05-16T19:47:00.008+12:00

Into the evening...the serenity!

Preparing a few steaks for the BBQ. Sashimi anyone?

Salmon scales with a light metallic blue dusting.

The proud angler. Hooked in the river and landed on the beach.

Some anglers catch and release. Others enjoy to put it on the table. There's a balance. But really would you? A little wasabi and mayonaise dressing...mmm yum!

It's a Small World After All.

2009-05-16T19:42:00.003+12:00

I thought this was interesting....one photo was taken in Japan, the other New Zealand!

Still Charging at 98!!

2009-05-16T19:38:00.006+12:00

A local farmer checking out the latest in fly fishing fashion!

River Access made easy. Toyota?

Waiting for a hungry Amago. Bait fishing is a waiting game in any country.

While I was fishing the famous Itoushiro River in Japan I met this old bait fisher. He still takes a feed in this catch and release area....well who's gonna argue!

What a way to waste time!

2009-04-26T11:48:00.003+12:00

South Island Skies

2009-04-25T14:34:00.003+12:00

There's nothing like home for great skies.

Lost!

2009-04-25T13:15:00.004+12:00

This fishing trip turned into a 7 hour bush-bash through the forest, following deer and wild pig tracks. We never found the river, but could see the valley from the top of a 1000m rock outcrop. 1 water bottle between 3 people, no creeks and stung by a wasp. O'brother! There were a few positives including exercise, mushrooms and we found an easier way out than climbing down the verticle hill, we climbed up in the morning. Here are a few amazing mushrooms and toadstools. Oh, and the wasp sting has finally finished aching.

3kg Brown Trout Today

2009-04-19T20:10:00.009+12:00

Today was a 2 fish day. It was tough fishing, because of late season educated fish and bad light conditions. I enjoyed fishing this river for the first time though and being out with my fishing buddy. The top fish was 6lbs and extremely good condition. Caught on a down-stream drift after spotting him in the tail of the pool! The second two photos and movie are of the 7lb fish I caught. It was a little out of condition, but hey, still a nice fish with lovely colouring.

The rod I am using is a 3 piece, #5weight Lochmor, bought in the Tackle Shop "Dusk" in Nagoya, Japan. Owner/operator Mr. Takashi Kato. It's a sweet little rod with power for longer casts and is delicate enough for short, accurate presentations. Fly - #16 mayfly and #8 stonefly nymph.

Top Dog!

2009-04-17T10:33:00.002+12:00

Wellington-NZ Capital City-Easter Vacation

2009-04-17T09:11:00.010+12:00

Leaving the North Island

The top of the South Island

Eating Out - Yum!

Hot Rod Exhibition

Wildlife-Geckos

Te Papa Museum

Modern Buildings

Central City Old Buildings

Fly Fishing in Japan

2009-04-07T17:05:00.006+12:00

I was lucky to be able to enjoy fly fishing in Japan. I learnt a lot about fishing and tying while I was there. A day on the river was as thrilling as any I have experienced. My friends were passionate about their sport and equally about their native fish. The speckled Iwana and the grey-blue banded and red spotted Amago. Fishing is often done with a group of friends, stopping for a group luncheon and a cup of tea. When 6pm comes it's time to pack up the rods and head for the restaurant for a huge bowl of local cuisine. Hatches occur thoughout the year with the favourites being, yellow stoneflies, giant caddis and small mayflies. Pocket water fishing is done repetitively as most of these fish hide beside rocks and like the bubbly water. The rivers were fresh and clean often the banks are modified with rock walls.

It was a fantastic experience. Of course the favourite style of fishing for most is the dry fly. My friends took an interest in my nymph collection and fishing style. I met many refined fishers with skills beyond my own. A great way to relax after a busy week in the city.

A Fine Trout!

2009-04-06T17:38:00.003+12:00

Sunday on the river

2009-04-05T18:39:00.002+12:00

This river is 10 minutes walk from my house. I don't usually fish here, but wanted to stretch my legs today and enjoy a still autumn day.

Up Lifting!

2009-04-05T09:08:00.003+12:00

Gyro-movie

2009-04-05T08:43:00.002+12:00

Bee Hives

2009-04-04T21:17:00.002+13:00

Yum! New Zealand honey!!!!

Blue Water - Cool Breeze.

2009-04-04T20:33:00.004+13:00

Today I spent the day exploring a new section of river that I have never fished before. The hour drive through fog was slow, but the sun cleared the fog by about 10:30am. After parking the car we organised our equipment, it was then I realised I had left my reel at home. It's the first time in years that I have forgotten to take my reel. So we had to fish with one rod.

The day never warmed up, the cool wind was off set by the strong sun and the trout ( 8 of them ) fed well on small nymphs. The day was about exploring a new river and getting out with my fishing buddy before cold autumn temperatures finally hit. As with any new stream it takes a while to spot the first fish, the colour of the fish vary from river to river. We spotted the first fish feeding well on the edge of the pool.

I hooked 3 fish, landing only one, which was a bit disappointing. My fishing buddy let me fish to all the fish that were spotted. He had been fishing all week and had caught quite a few fish, so wanted me to catch a few. One fish I was fishing to was feeding quite well, but as I started fishing the sound of a small plane could be heard upstream. It was flying down the river at about 400m. As the shadow of the planes wings passed over the fish, it suddenly swam off into deeper water, spooked by the plane. The 3 fish were all hooked on #16 mayfly nymphs.

It was my first time to try out my new fishing backpack. The backpack is made by William Joseph. It's a great pack, light, comfortable, and practical. You can see my backpack in the photos. It's a great addition to anyones fishing kit and will become one of my favourite fishing items.

Jet-boating up the Lake.

2009-03-29T13:12:00.019+13:00

Yesterday morning we shot up the lake to try and catch a couple of trout. My friend and his kids took their jet-boat. It seats about 8 people and is powered by 350 HP Chevrolet engine. This boat has so much power and can easily do 100 km/ph across the water. We arrived at the top of the lake and after a few minutes I thought I spotted a huge trout, cruising over the weedbeds. But after a closer look, discovered it was a big eel checking out the boat. The boys tried to catch him but he was too clever for them.

The edge of the lake drops from 1 metre to 20 metres deep in 3 metres distance. The water is crystal clear and so deep you cannot see the bottom.We all started fishing around the boat. The children through out a variety of flies and metal lures. I used a type 3 sinking line and a green wooley bugger. (My favourite lake prospecting combination.)

Nothing much was happening and the sandflies (biting flies) were getting excited about their new lunch dates. I decided to move further along the shore towards a small bay. When I arrived I saw a fish cruising through the bay. It was a hungry rainbow trout. It took my streamer, pulling the line out of my hand as it took aggressively. Later that morning I caught a brown trout on the same fly, at 4 lbs it was slightly bigger than the first fish. Both of them were kept for the children.

The boys enjoyed exploring the lake edge playing with Toi-toi flowers and deciding how to divide up the fish. On the way home, we stopped and fished at a couple of stream mouths, failing to catch any more trout, but enjoying the weather and the power of the boat.

It was good to get out and enjoy the last of the sunny weather as autumn quickly approaches.

Gyro-copters

2009-03-14T19:22:00.010+13:00

This weekend at our local airfield the gyro-copter club were enjoying a sunny day to show off their flying machines. Ranging from $30 000 to $100 000 NZ dollars these are definitely the cheapest and closest thing you'll get to a helicopter. The main difference is that the main rotor blades are not powered by a motor during flight. The main blades are powered up just before take off so that they are spinning while taxing along the runway. They can be landed on a short strip of 10 metres, but need a longish taxing distance during take off. If you have a good breeze this shortens the distance needed.

A smoothish runway is best and grass is preferred because sand and fine stones can be flicked into the propeller causing damage. These machines can bank, turn and maneuver like a helicopter, they can be landed quite steeply but do require some taxing room. Most of these are powered by Subaru car engines. Some of them are fuel injected and turbo charged. In some cases the seat is actually the fuel tank. They fuel can last up to 2 or more hours flying.

Some have small nose cones, while others brave the elements sitting out in front with no protection from the elements. One pilot flew done from Wanganui in his, across Cook Straight, stopping once for fuel. His machine is the Rolls Royce of Gyro-copters. Its the orange twin seater you can see. This model costs $100 000NZ dollars. One pilot said, "You need a head full of saw-dust to go up in one of these!"

As a fishing vehicle it has its limitations. One pilot regularly uses his for mustering sheep on his farm. Another said deer shooting would be possible if you had a hand gun! These are a fun way to fly and most people buy them for the sheer thrill of flying. Some of the pilots also fly other types of aircraft.

Grilled Eel

2009-03-13T18:00:00.005+13:00

On my travels to Japan I discovered what can be done to turn eels into a taste sensation. Nagoya is famous for Hitsumabushi. It's a grilled eel on top of a bed of rice, that is accompanied by a small pot of tea, Nori (seaweed) and fresh Wasabi (Horse Raddish). It is considered quite a delicacy in Japan. The eel can be eaten as is or mixed with the Nori and Wasabi. The final part of the meal is eaten with the soup mixed in. The best part of this wonderful meal in my mind is the grilled eel. Its coated in a special sweet sauce and grilled over charcoal. The sauce compliments the unique flavour of the eel. I took up the challenge of trying to cook the same recipe at home here in NZ.
I'm pleased to say it turned out well. The only thing I would do differently next time is to remove all of the skin.

The recipe for the sauce is as follows;
Mirin - Japanese famous sauce which containing Sake and Sugar
More Sake and Sugar
Stock boiled from the eels head if you want to go there.
Soy Sauce last
Heat Sake and sugar first with the eel head or small piece of meat, then add soy sauce and sugar.
This thickens up and becomes quite thick like honey.

Once you have prepared the sauce, just place the eel on bamboo sticks and grill. Dip the eel regularly into the sauce and keep turning over the heat. The sauce caramelises on the eel.
This is so delicious, but remember to remove all of the eels skin. The skin is awful to eat.

Of course the best bait for eels is a big old trout head!! When they grab it, they just don't want to let go, you don't even need a hook.

Early Season Monster

2009-02-14T08:42:00.003+13:00

I've been wanting to post this photo for a while now. This chunky trout was caught by my fishing buddy, when he was out fishing by himself. He told me that it was held up over a very light patch on the stream bed. Apparently it was a bit of a handful to land and looking at its tail and general over-weight condition I can understand why. For me, this is the best fish I have seen this season. The tail is solid! I just wonder if it is sea-run?

Shades of Brown

2009-02-12T21:32:00.007+13:00

My last fishing was in a fairly large free stone river near home. I stopped at the pool near the road that everyone fishes to be met by a number of fussy and fairly clever looking brown trout. I guess this pool had 5-6 fish cruising around. I tried them with a few flies, but they didn't take. They appeared to be feeding and some were cruising the pool. No luck there. Further up the river I was lucky enough to find a small window where guides probably don't fish so heavily as there were no foot prints there. I landed 3 nice fish, all browns and all sporting very different colours. The strangest was the brown at the bottom which had spots right up the tail. You don't see that very often. I caught one fish on a woven body dry and the others on bead-head mayflies.

After releasing them I continued up stream only to find the usual trail foot prints and fish sitting lifeless in the shallows. None of them even interested in my presence or my flies.

Recently on the rivers around here I noticed some pretty big mayfly shucks. As you can see in the photo, some of these swimming mayflies are pretty huge. They must be able to swim at a fare speed. And when you've caught those big browns downstream at he end of your drift, I just wonder if it isn't chasing your fly like it chases those mayflies.

The stream side was alive with cicadas and a variety of other terrestrials. It was a good afternoon fishing.

Poppy

2009-01-09T12:02:00.003+13:00

A month ago these lovely flowers bloomed outside my house. My neighbour planted them and then moved out, leaving behind a fantastic surprise in the garden. The garden outside my place is pretty wild and lacks the attention it needs. (Too busy fishing). The highlight would have to be the 10ft tall fennel plant by my doorstep. The segmented stalks and lush green feathery tops remind me of bamboo in Japan. Every time I walk in the door, I get a burst of that aniseed smell wafting through with me. It also provides some pleasant, well-needed shade.

Early Season Get Together

2009-01-09T11:46:00.002+13:00

Just thought I'd show the rest of the world the degenerates that I fish with. As you can see, lost hopes and early season dissapointments are abound on our faces. It wasn't the fishing... it was the guide. Walking up the river on the wrong side meant bush bashing over a bluff in wet jungle and nearly being sweeped away when crossing a (what looked like waist deep) chest deep tail-out of a monster pool in a slightly full river. Oh well we dryed out and caught 2 fish. It wasn't all that bad. It was good to see my fishing buddies after a long winter. Thanks for coming over guys!

Summer Dry Fly Fishing.

2009-01-09T09:56:00.008+13:00

Last week I experienced some excellent river fishing. The fish were in prime condition and had obviously fattened up on some good food. In the morning the river was freshing slightly and by mid-afternoon was almost clear. The chirping of cicadas could be heard in the tall grass and the fish were keen to hit the dryfly. Most fish were caught on a caddis dryfly, but as the day wore on we became a little more adventurous. A #6 hopper pattern was successful as well as you can see in the photo. We left the river by 2.30pm with a number of fish caught and released. I fantastic half days fishing- "just like the old days". We decided to leave the rest of the river for another lucky fisher to enjoy. I hope the fish are biting just as well, above where we fished. It was my first time to try "Stroft" nylon tippet. Overall it performed well, however I lost the best fish of the day when the line broke at the knot to the fly. Fine tippet seems to lose the strength at the knot after a lot of pressure. I decided after that to use a heavier tippet. My fishing buddy likes to get on with the job of landing the fish and applies up-stream pressure if the fish is heading down-stream, to guide his fish back upstream. It's very effective and a skill I would like to employ more often. I let the fish run using side-strain to guide them but when they go down-stream I usually get the grand tour of 2 pools if I'm really lucky!

This was a memorable day and one that I finally remembered to pack my video camera. I'd like to put some footage onto this site in the future.

My fishing friends in Japan must be well snowed in by now and dreaming of summer again as theysit infront of your vices tying CDC parachute flies for the season ahead. I hope you have some good winter fishing together in the Tengrugawa. I want to fish there again with you guys oneday.

The Red Planet

2009-01-09T09:45:00.002+13:00

I thought this might interest some of my readers. These rocks can be found in the NZ high-country. These rocks are covered in a tiny red plant. A little bit like the red weed in the movie War of the Worlds. I believe this plant is either a lichen or algae. Anyway it makes quite an impact on the otherwise fairly drab colours of the river flats.

Back Country Browns

2008-12-29T16:56:00.005+13:00

My 2 friends have just finished 3 days of fishing in NZ. It was there first time to fish here and it was a very steep learning curve. With only a few days vacation my friends needed to get their basic skills into action straight away. Strong fish, heavy water and slippery rocks were a big challenge for these 2 rookies. After some focused instruction, 3x tippet and some home tied flies finally they landed some good fish. This experience taught me a lot about the skills that are needed to be successful when fishing in NZ. Accurate casting, fly selection and tippet/knot quality are essential. Then the biggest skill of all, spotting the fish. Most anglers will miss those ghosty shadows hugging the rocks and walk past them. On a river that gets a lot of pressure these are the fish you are most likely to catch.

I am happy to say that this trip was a really nice experience for my friends and they were able to catch a few good fish. They were happy to stop fishing after 2-3 fish and relaxed, soaking up the atmosphere at every opportunity. After a tough walk with heavy packs these 2 were rewarded with some lucky events in a river with few fish.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip home. Please come back one day.

Thanks to Mr. Kato for the fly box and the Ishii Bro's for the hooks.

Mother Nature and the Art of Camoflauge.

2008-12-21T11:33:00.003+13:00

After fishing I am sometimes surprised to find a small friend, who has hitched a ride home to my house. This fellow was on my hat and to me represents the best camo of all. At first I thought it was a stick, but something caught my eye. The shape was too perfect. After a few photos I released it back onto a Red Beech tree outside my house. I wonder what the adult looks like??

Kiwi-Nabe.

2008-12-21T11:21:00.003+13:00

In the city now days you can easily find imported Japanese food. So I still like to enjoy the flavours that tantalized my taste buds when I lived in Japan. Here is my version of the Nabe. It's quite hard to get thinly sliced beef here. It's usually sold in large sized pieces. Vegetables are plentiful, but good Tofu is hard to find. Oh well this particular Nabe was really tasty. Yum!