Wet Fly Fishing for Brown Trout in New Zealand

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 21, 24 November 1906, Page 34

Wet Fly Fishing for Brown Trout in New Zealand

By

G. D. HAMILTON,

Author of Trout Fishing and Sport in Maoriland,” ete™ etc.

■ST Th ET fly fishing is fairly well un--11/ derstood by most of those B/l/ with a few years’ experience, < » but tl> e point that is generally mistaken is that a great variety of flies is needed, and to follow by close imitation the variety of flies that appear on the water at different seasons of the year. This, in practice, will be found to lie not only unnecessary but as causing great loss of time in fishing by the constant changing of flyin search of the taking one, besides the inconvenience of carrying about an accumulation of unnecessary flies. These are more or less subject by- long keeping to be deteriorated by the action of ninths, drying of the tying wax, and in the case of flies tied on gut, by the weakening of the gut by time—gut cannot, be too fresh. It would be a great mistake, however, to assume that any sort, colour. or size of fly would give satisfactory results. Three colours are sufficient—dun brown, black, red—the prominent colours of natural water flies, but these and the size of fly require to be carefully adapted to the condition of the water, whether low ami clear, fairly full, or well tinged by rain water. Also, the size of fly used should be adapted to the state of the water and weather and to the time Of day. Thus when the water is clear and low and the weather bright, black flies of moderate or small size will generally be found most killing. With these, as a second or third fly, the dun colour is generally satisfactory. When the water is fairly tinted the dun coloured flies are generally most suitable, and .w.ith these may be used, as a second or third fly, a black, particularly if there ?'.e bright gleams of sun now and then. The red flies are only suitable when the water is discoloured, when from their colour they are more easily seen by the trout, and may l>e used with a dun as a second or third fly. Keeping in view the state of the water, the force of the wind requires to be considered. If there is only a slight air the smaller flies will be suitable, if a strong breeze or half gale, the larger sizes and heavier gut will l>e desirable, and this grading of size to the state of the wind is particularly necessary in fishing lakes, which in calm weather are almost smooth, while in astrong wind they may lie in waves. In the failing light of evening, either on river or lake, a rather larger fly may be used than would be judicious in full light. To get the winged flies of the three colours named they may be made, the black, with wings of grouse feather, with a turn of black hackle under the shoulder, two or three strands of the hackle for tail, and body of dark brow n Silk; the dun, with wings of woodcock feather, a turn of brown partridge hackle under the shoulder, two or three strands of the hackle for tail, and body of hare’s ear —this fly is best tied (not ribbed) with yellow silk; the red. with wings of ’mottled teal feather, a turn of red hackle’ under the shoulder, two or three strands of the hackle for tail, and body of bright yellow floss silk. In addition to these, for use chiefly when the trout are becoming less eager from better feeding •'* the season Advances, are two spider flies without wings— dun and black. The dun is made from the brown hackle of the partridge, about oile eighth to one quarter of an inch' longer than the hook in proportion to the si?e of fly, and with two or three atraixls of the hackle for tail, l>ody of hare’s ear. This fly is best tied (not ribbed} with yellow silk. The black is made from a black hackle about one eighth 16 one quarte'r of an inch longer than the book in proportion to size of fly, and •ilh two or thrpp strands of the hackle

for tail, body of dark hare’s ear. This fly may be tied (not ribbed) with brown silk. These spiders are intended in every ease to be used as end flies, where they are frequently taken under water without any visible rise by large trout. The tails on all the flies help to obscure the bend of the hook. Four sizes of hooks are generally sufficient for ordinary use. 1 give Limerick hook sizes to guide as they- are well known, but do not recommend the hooks for dressing flies on as they are defective in shape. The hooks are of sizes equivalent to Limerick Nos. 13, 11, 9, ,8. For these sizes I would advise the "Hamilton’’ hooks, manufactured for the writer byMessrs Hardy Bros, fishing tackle manufacturers, Alnwick, England, and for larger sizes those of Messrs Hardy’s own pattern which are very- superior in shape to any other large sizes on the market. The “Hamilton” hooks are made both "down-eyed” and with tapered shanks. The advantage claimed is that in flies of a given size these hooks penetrate deeper and take a larger hold than other makes of hooks of the same size, and so fe.wer trout are lost after hooking- than is the ease with the ordinary shapes. Careful experiments, made by the writer, extending over a long series of years and under exactly identical conditions, gave thirteen per cent more trout .landed after, hooking than with the ordinary shapes of hooks in use. This means that thirteen per cent less of fish were lost while being played. The greatest advantage is when small flies are being used, and perhaps the most generally- useful sizes of the “Hamilton” hooks are Nos. 11 and 9.

I Captain Hamilton has no pecuniary interest in the sale of these books.—Ed. ••Graphic.”]

(To be continued.)