Flies That Work

With so many fly patterns available to the angler these days its all become a little confusing! There are literally 100s and 100s of different patterns in many different sizes, weights and colours available to buy from tackle shops and online stores. If you are travelling to NZ to fly fish, looking to simplify your fly selection or even just starting out heres a few of my “go to flies” that I carry in my fly box every day both guiding and fishing personally. Every New Zealand fly fishing guide will have his or her favourite flies, many of which they will have spent hours perfecting both on and off the water. Many a winter evening is spent tying new patterns with the hope of creating a pattern that will fool the trickiest fish in the coming season. Basically, the fly choice through the spring-summer-autumn period is dictated by weather and subsequent water conditions. Seasonally the insect activity changes also… so having a good understanding of this is essential when deciding on what to bring with you on your NZ fly fishing adventure. Below are my “go to “ nymph patterns all of which I tie in varying sizes but mostly in sizes #10s - #18s both weighted with Tungsten beads and also unweighted. My terrestrial flies are in sizes #8-#14 and May fly patterns #12 - #18. Streamer patterns I tie mostly in sizes #4-10 weighted super heavy with tungsten beads/lead and some unweighted for fishing shallow lake edges, weed beds or back waters. I find these fly sizes cover pretty much all the situations on the water most of the time !

Chocolate Pudding Bomb #10-14. my work horse nymph and one that i carry plenty of in my guide fly box.

tungsten bead with a few wraps of lead for some extra weight. the Brown Stone Fly can be fished on its own or used to pull a nother lightly weighted nymph down deper if required sizes #8-12

wee beaded chocolate bomb nymph. works well fished under the guides parachute. sizes #14-18.

wee unweighted nymph SIZES #12-18. can be fished through a riffle on its own or tied off the back of the chocolate bomb nymph to get it deeeeeeep.

Unweighted Free Living Caddis #12-14. works well tied off the back of the Chocolate pudding Bomb nymph or fished on its own through the shallow riffles.

Below are a few dries that I tie and carry in my fly box. The Guide parachute and CDC Mayfly emerger I carry right from the beginning of the season (1st of October) with the foam cicada and Green Manuka being more seasonal and appearing in the months of November and December traditionally as the weather begins to warm up as we head into summer.

Low riding foam Green Bush cicada with large rubber LEGS SIZES #8-14 an excellent pattern from mid december through until march

low riding foam manuka beetle. these show up around mid november when things begin to warm up. trout love these wee guys and can get pretty focused on them some days ! Sizes #12-14.

floating foam willow grub. can be fished on its own or tied off behind the guides parachute if a sighter is required. these insects usually start to appear in mid december and trout become very fixated on these wee guys some days…frustratingly so at times ! sizes #16-18

Hi Viz guides parachute. great for suspending a nymph under, tying off a green beetle or willow grub also ! the absolute work horse through out the fishing season. works extremely well in smaller sizes as an emerger and accounts for plenty of fish on its own through out the course of the season.

This pattern has become my most trusted streamer bith in still waters and rivers. a fly that crusing lake edge fish cant resist ! aswell as many back water cruisers that are foraging for bullies, dagon fly nymphs and damsel fly larvae also. i tie it in sizes #4-12 both well weighted with tungsten beads and also very lightly weighted with brass beads which are just heavy enough to pull it under the surface tension and allow it flutter down slowly through the water column.

I hope these patterns are helpful and again are just what I have found to work for me, there are many variations you can tie and to be honest that’s half of the fun !

Cheers Paul