New Zealand Fly Fishing, Helicopter Fly Fishing, Stu's Superior Flies, Stu's Fly Shop, Xmas News.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

Another huge trophy brown trout from the Greenstone River - 9lb+ - that was fooled with a size 10 NZ Black Deadly Cicada on a 4wgt rod, landed in under 5 mins - the perfect Christmas gift :)

I hope you all have a great Christmas.

This looks like the last blog before Christmas, due to guiding and teaching work - in other words the silly season is nearly apron us all and it's time to do stuff.

Mark with his trout locator cap

If you are still trying to figure out what you would like for Christmas or to buy for a friend here are a few ideas!

1 - Stu's fly shop gift voucher

2 - Stu's Superior Fly Box with a selection of Stu's Superior Flies for any area you fish

3 - Guiding or fly casting gift voucher

Good hooks means you can put heaps of pressure on your rod, my client John nails another wary brown

4 - a unique sexy  Stu's Fly Shop t-shirt or Hoodie

5 - cool Stickman coffee mug - some thing that will get used every day and admired

6 - full retractor-indicator-pack - something that will get used every trip.

7 - a selection of Stu's Deadly NZ Cicadas and NZ Floating Willow Grubs as it hots up and before he runs out

 WHAT FLIES TO USE AND TIPS

last week - the brown beetles started to appear - go the bionic beetles

Cicadas have been seen in the casting area and are getting louder on the river banks. Already fish are taking cicadas off the top, mainly though it's been NZ Deadly Blow Flies size 12, brown and green beetles are on the menu big time as well. 

The back country rivers are alive with green beetles- go the bionic!

When I have been out guiding recently and we have been catching lots of fish trout on beetles, I will put a small indicator a few inches from the Bionic Beetles - to help clients or myself sometimes to detect takes. 

The other day guiding we had a big rainbow refuse, though carefully inspect 4 different dries which he had probably seen from many anglers before us, but when presented with a Bionic Green Metallic Beetle he had no hesitation - from then on that day nothing refused our indicator and beetle combo - even in fast water.

Stu's NZ Deadly Blowfly fools another very wary trophy brown trout.

HELICOPTER FLY FISHING TRIPS & LOCATOR BEACONS SAFETY

A few great days since the start of the season I have been had with some clients from NZ and overseas. We're having some great shellfishing days with stunning views.

Most of the rivers fished the majority of fish landed have been rainbow trout with the odd trophy brown and nearly every one in the backcountry has come up for a dry, plenty of fat healthy fish in gin clear water. 

The important safety talk with client and guides

When we are using a chopper for access to fishing / guiding we fly over the rivers a height scanning for other fishermen - once we know that the river is clear of anglers we drop in - fish upstream and at the end radio the chopper to pick us up. It's pretty awesome stuff. 

As well as the radio for safety I also carry a small first aid kit and a personal locator beacon on all my guiding days chopper or 4x4 guiding.

Are you just going to leave me here with clients! Awesome!

I recommend that if you are heading into the backcountry that you need to take a locator beacon with you for your own safety. 

These beacons have saved many lives - you always think it will never happen to you!! Be prepared.

GUIDING  NEWS

This year thanks to Ela helping me so much, my guiding has been even more relaxed than usual and huge trout, fun and laughs have been had by all of my clients. It's so good to have so many old clients returning.

Mark and Lady Di returned again for another 8 days of bent rods and sore cheek bones, from laughing.

Erik and Marie after 4 years of hard saving from Sweden returned and both nearly cried when they had to leave and I don't blame them - the fishing was awesome the week they were here.

More photos of the guiding and tales of the huge and small trout in my next newsletter in January.

A shame to hear that the Garston Pub - where allot of my clients will stay and eat - is changing.

Al - the chef who is a master in the kitchen - has had his lease cut short - the pub will still be open though - let's hope the new lease owners can manage to keep up Al's standards.

Though Naylors Cottage is still the number one favourite for most of my clients for accom and food only 5 min drive from the shop and Mataura River.

Oh - I still have a limited number of dates available for guiding  in the new year, but best contact me soon as they fill up quickly.

A year of huge Oreti trout for my clients - look at the size of this wild brown trouts head as we remove a Bionic Green Beetle from its size 14 hook

SHOP HOURS - The shop will be open over Christmas and New Year

CHECK US OUT

on Facebook and read nearly daily what has been happening at the shop, soon we will be streaming shop interviews with customers and local and visiting customers!! Now that's going to be fun. For special offers, great fishing info and prizes and the best shop fly news, it's best to SIGN UP TODAY and receive the Stu's monthly news that every month you will look forward to receiving in your mail.

NEW PRODUCT- STU'S NZ FLY CASTING/FISHING BOOTCAMP-  5 days - accom, equipment, etc. included

At the start of every day we do some Zumba Fly Casting! (joke),   analysing the day before on the laptop. Lady Di getting her stroke perfect.

Recently I have been busy with some returning clients who have enrolled in my Fly Fishing Bootcamps - more about this later. But as usual - it's based around becoming the best fly fisher and fly caster you could ever be and it runs over 5 days with accom included and at the end you will leave with great memories and new casting stream craft skills. 

Please enquire if you wish more information on becoming a great fly fisher and fly caster - click here

Yes - yet again Stu's Fly Shop: guiding, teaching, Superior Flies gets  another great mention in a world class German fly fishing magazine - world famous? well maybe just in Germany! But as normal I'm working on it.

 SIGNS

Yes behind the scenes all the building is done in house

Yes - most of you have been calling worried that someone has stolen the shop signs and we thank you for letting us know. Soon the new signs will be erected and i'm afraid there are some PC changes being made - but hey - it's still going to be one hell of a sexy huge sign and the shop will still be the cutest coolest fly shop in the world.

But its doors will only be able to stay open if you all shop with us - that bit is crucial for a small shop like this to survive. I thank you all.

MORE GREAT CUSTOMER COMMENTS

The new Deadly Blood Worm has been devastating rainbows stocks

Hi Stu, I dropped by your store approx one year ago.  Unfortunately I will not be in NZ this season (off to Chilean Patagonia instead, where dragonfly patterns are very effective and I fished successfully with your sinking dragonfly nymphs last season). I would like to place an order for allot more... Trevor, USA

G’day,

I little while back I purchased a selection of your flies, I couldn’t have been happier with them and they have certainly fished the pants of anything I buy around here (Melbourne).

Anyway I’m going to be in NZ late January for 10 days (concentrating on the bottom of the South) and except for a steep learning curve I’m not really sure what to expect but I’m very excited nonetheless.  

I’ve got something of an idea of the rivers I want to fish but as far as flies go im pretty clueless.

Mark my client with a wild NZ brown trout - what a sexy looking fish!

If the fishing is anything like what it is here Im guessing in late Jan terrestrials would be on the menu but besides that I don’t really know.

I was wondering if you would be able to suggest a selection of suitable flies for me to purchase?

My budget would ideally between $100-$150.

Thanks.

Josh

Have a great silly season on the river and with your families.

Cheers

Stu & Ela

The fly fishing advert, Huge NZ Trophy Brown trout, creative photography

Hello guys,

It's been all go at this end and for some reason my work load does not seem to get less, but time has been found to get out twice now for a wee fish. And some huge fish have been caught!

The weather has been great and the fishing hot as you will all know from the Christmas newsletter that has been just sent out today.

Sign up today for the newsletter if you have not already done, so that you do not miss out on the special FREE offers click here to sign up- it's easy

A huge trophy brown trout that I managed to fool - this is why only the best hooks are used on my flies, you just never know when the big one will show up! The fly that caught it

THE FLY LIFE - ADVERT - THE STORY

Fly Life is an awesome magazine, that i have supported from day one and have spent thousands of dollars advertising with, (which keeps magazines going)I still have all my copies from vol one!!its hard to believe how long they have been on the go.
 The editor and the rest of the guys have done some amazing work with the magazine and i take my hat off to them for having some humor , steeping out side the square and helping me with the design of this advert and putting it in print.
They all loved it  right from the start.


For over 4 years the vision of getting a special photo for an advert that would hopefully make many people smile would pop into my head.

Many attempts at getting one were made but just never managed to capture it properly.
 Whilst in the USA the other year - chasing my favourite wary fish the common Carp - the perfect location with a great back drop was found.  That day was spent trying to pull that shot off, but failed.
 Realising that the best light for the shot would be in the morning as soon the sun came up in the bay.
 A nice carp had been sighted the previous day maybe he would also be there in the morning.

The excitement was running through my veins, realising that the sky was blue and just maybe today would be the day I may have the chance to capture the moment.

Scuttling along the high banks, stumbling every now and then in the rush to get to the spot.

Shaking with excitement I fumbled away rigging up my 9wgt rod and tied on the new carp gimp fly that I have been working on for  many years. 
He was there and he had a brother or sister long side, they cruised along the white silicon sand hunting down any cray fish that made the terrible mistake of letting their presence known to the suction lips of death.

The next lot of fumbling around was setting up the tripod and the camera, all then while thinking should I try for the fish or set up the camera! Fish - camera - fish - fish - no camera! 

With everything in place, hopefully he would appear again.

Waiting in silence with my heart beating and my hands shaking made me realise why I fly fish.

 As the two carp approached the area, my heart was pounding as I knew these carp were very wary.
A careful cast out with a little plop well in front of them, soon had the GIMP sitting on the bottom hopefully in the correct spot. 
Just like sight fishing for trout or bonefish as soon as they were inches from the gimp I gave it that - come and eat me twitch - instantly the lips of death shot out from my friend and engulfed the Gimp. 

I could see in the clear water had a noticeable red mark on his side he was the same fish I had seen the previous day and my reel screamed as he made a bid for freedom.

Soon he was under control and chilling out in my net unharmed. I was looking round to make sure no other fishermen were around or rangers as they just might not get what was my plan ! As I dropped my shorts  :)

After a few attempts I finally got the shot and my friend was released unharmed, unknowingly about to be a star in his own right.
After a few years of holding onto my work it was decided. It was time to start to release some of my creative photographic work, with plenty more to follow.

The advert created a little bit of a storm as some said it was not PC enough for the magazine that printed it, others said it would harm my business, did I care! Many complemented me with my creative advert with some great emails of support.
 There are far more worse things in the world than some fun, but I could be wrong.
Personally I think that some people in the fly fishing game should loosen up a little and realise that they only live once and should learn to smile.
 Fly fishing and life should be fun - not all life or death?
After all if you use my Unique fish catching fly designs that are on the best Tiemco fly hooks - this could be you!
Thank you all the amazing support, please forward this to any of your friends that may need to smile today.
Cheers
Stu-" Inspired by Nature and Driven by Passion"