Fly Fishing
01 April 2017
Recommended Fishing Equipment
Just because summer is over there is no need to hang up the fly rod and pack away the waders!
Fly Rods, Reels and Lines
The all-round rod of choice amongst New Zealand anglers for spring, summer and autumn (Fall) fishing is 9 foot in 6 or 5 weight. Any angler that couples this with a quality reel with a good drag system and a matching weight forward floating line is going to be well equipped for most fishing conditions encountered here. Like clothing, the fly line must be dull in colour with dark green or dark grey preferred. White, orange, lime green or any other fluorescent/pastel coloured fly line tends not to suit New Zealand’s clear water conditions and can leave the angler at a serious disadvantage.
Ask any guide for the best rod and you are guaranteed to get a different answer. At Poronui we have Sage rods and reels available for our guests to use.
Leaders and Tippets
An assortment of tapered leaders from 9 to 12 feet, sizes 3X through 5X with matching tippet material suit our North Island conditions.
Flies
Many North American and English patterns work very well in New Zealand, particularly dry flies, in sizes 10 – 16:
Royal Wulff Parachute Adams
Humpy (yellow and green), Elk Hair Caddis
Twilight Beauty (like a Dark Cahill).
Local favourites are:
Kakahi Queen (Adams), Black Gnat Blowfly (must be
Cicada (like a green Joes Hopper) fluorescent blue)
Most nymphs need to be dark, hairy and heavy! That might sound crude but this is what works. A roughly tied Hair and Copper with a lot of weight (it has to audibly plop when it hits the water) and maybe a little flashabou as an attractor is a very good general pattern.
Other favourites in sizes 8 – 16:
Bead head Pheasant Tail
Half Back Stonefly
Caddis
Your guide will have his favourites squirrelled away in his fly box. Like guides, most anglers will have in their fly box a collection of flies tied specially for them by friends and mentors. Amuse your guide by giving them a go!
The secret may well be in the presentation.
As Grant Petherick, our Head Guide said:
“We have just ‘enjoyed’ one of the coolest springs / summers I can remember. This has set the rivers up perfectly for late season fly fishing. The open season at Poronui goes through June 30 so in the current conditions good late season fishing is looking likely”
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