NZ Killer Trout, Loops, Hobbits, Trout Diaries Blog, NZ Dry Fly Action, NZ Nymph Action, Fly Fishing Films, Needle Knot Tool

WOW ! THE BLOG - 39.000 !!

It's been great to have the blog over the past few years as a way of letting you know a little about what's going on and free information.

In the short time it's been going, the first blog - with great skill! -was deleted and lost all that great content which was a shame.

The great thing is there was a record of view figures and if I were to add them both together, it is a little over 39.000 views which is amazing for a wee shop in middle earth surrounded by hobbits and large killer brown trout!

Stu's New Deadly Blood worm fools another sexy trout

The blog does take quite a bit of work doing it and that's why over the past year I do not have the time to update it as regularly as I wished. 

The newsletter which is sent out monthly, will always be the number one for FREE information, fun free stuff, & the best photos.

 Hope you all enjoyed last weeks Monthly news letter, next months will make you drool and smile!

THE HUB OF STU'S FLY SHOP

If you want the best news, sign up and enjoy the monthly Stu's News - IT'S FREE and easy - just click here.

Stu's Deadly NZ Cicada - the best Cicada you will ever use - Hi-VIZ!

HARDY FLY RODS  UK OR CHINA

The iconic House of Hardy is up for sale! The company as far as I know is split into 3 different parts and they are all for sale.

This is huge for the tackle industry ! Why ?  

The main contender to buy it may be out of China. If that happens, the Chinese will then have a major foot in the door. 

What will happen with Hardy name? The quality? The price?  There is allot that could go belly up? Or things could get better for the Hardy brand? 

All the other major brands in the industry will be watching this one. But then what if China does not buy? Who will?

some of the sexy new Stu's Fly Shop unique merch.

THE FISHING AT THE MOMENT - THE GUIDING AT THE MOMENT

As you all know I don't get munch chance to fish myself - so I'll let you know instead how the guiding has been going.

The guiding has been fantastic. With more and more of my clients staying local and we are always on the water and at a good spot before others arrive from Queenstown and lodges etc.

The challenge this past few weeks of back to back guiding in this weather pattern has been finding clear water.

Sometimes we have had to travel up to an hour to find good spots though most of the time we have managed to stay locally.

Tom one of my  returning clients basically just want to fish a dry fly from brown trout as thats his favorite style of fly fishing which can make things as he knows a little tricky. 

A few times, I had to explain that this may be a wee problem with the water levels etc. Tom understood and off we went every day.

As soon as I found a trout in clear shallow water.

On went the Hi-Viz Foam Elk Hair Caddis size 14 and up came trout to engulf it and fun we all had.
 A few times in the not so clear water I did manage to persuade Tom to cast nymph rig - adjustable indicator, NZ Mayfly Bomb with a Deadly Blood Worm size 18 dropper and each time this was presented to a trout, there was no resistance to the taking the very small Deadly Blood Worm.

On average 11 trout were tricked into eating our fly offerings each  day and 5 trout were landed each day the biggest around five pound, the average was 2 and a half pound.

They were all in top condition. Oh! The smallest was around 4 inches long and it was the smallest NZ trout my client had ever caught, we ended up taking heaps of photos of that one, now where is that wide angle lens :)

Check out the new Stu's Deadly Dragonfly / Mud Eye design - years of research and development

LOOPS - LEADER TO FLY LINE CONNECTION! STU'S THOUGHTS

For years I have hated the welded loop on fly lines and loops in general, I also do not like bulky knots on the leader to fly line connection. 

The list is endless on my reasons why energy transfer, less knots, leader all the way in when playing a fish, etc. 

You will catch more fish if you cut them off and use a needle knot tool, and use a needle knot, finish the knot off with a little uv glue over the knot, for an even more pro finish.

I have been using the system for years and it never failed me.

Yes, loops are easy for changing leaders etc, but it's more rubbish you do not really need when you are casting or fishing!!

NEW - top quality Flexfit caps

Another unique product - this will become your favorite fishing cap! Great fitting caps!



 SMUGGLERS - SPEEDOS!

Loved your Flylife magazine advert, by the way. After traveling throughout Australia for more than 20 months, we had more than our fare share of far too tight budgie smugglers - although they seem to become less common - and beer feed bulging guts.

So it came as quite a relief to see such a well defined and somewhat attractive backside. And regarding the feelings of the fish, well, we thought it to be common knowledge that carp are suckers for anything wormlike, regardless of its size.
 Stu, you definitely were our pin up of the season. 
Keep the great work up, please.

Cheers,

Béatrice & Viktor- Switzerland

RISE FLY FISHING FILM FESTIVAL

The selections for the RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival Europe that is run by Nick from Gin Clear Media, based here in NZ.

Has announced more dates and films it will be showcasing on the night. The films as usual selected are all looking great.

Working with Nick and his crew the past few months makes me realize the work that goes into making even 3 mins of one of these films - gone are the days of making just a fishing film, they have to be so well done to compete in the market place. 

NEW - Stu's Deadly Hopper / Cricket - Easy to see floats like a cork and on the best TMC wide gape hook! I finished off this design two years ago in the USA.

Many of the small fly fishing film makers have pulled out through the years, they though it would be easy and plenty money to be made. 

The truth is there is very little profit in selling DVD's unless you have a well made unique product and the cost of the good equipment the main guys are using is considerable.

Do not let this put you off giving not a go why? 

Many years ago I managed to get stuck on a remote island for many days and had no choice to fish while waiting for the air plane to get fixed. While sort of stranded, I had the chance to fish with an fun american fly fisher.

It turned out he was a major Hollywood movie director and reckoned he could have not so good camera work and equipment sometimes.

But if he had good guys involved in the editing suite it would be all good. Good editing is the key - that was his point.

So if you are thinking of making a film or have a great idea - go for it and have fun doing so. If it does not make the cut for say the fly fishing film festival, it will still be great for You Tube. We all love fish porn and the more the better.

Check out the dates for the shows - click here.

HOW COOL IS THIS EXCLUSIVE NEW ZEALAND, STU'S FLY SHOP BUFF!!! LIMITED STOCK !

TROUT DIARIES  BOOK - DEREK'S BLOG

Here is a good interesting new blog that I have been meaning to recommend to you all :)

Check it out and his older blogs. Yes ! From what I understand Derek has been busy with his creative thoughts and new book has been finished and maybe out in May. I look forward to another great interesting book.

Click here to read.

Remember - if you are reading this and do not support Stu's Fly Shop - you are a mean bugger and I hope every fish busts you off this season and next :)

You can easily fix this wee curse and click here and start supporting the passion, it's that easy. What other shop actually cares about you! :)

Thank you for your feedback and great support.
Cheers,
Stu & Ela and also my Mum and Dad -
 who have not been imported as cheap labour this year as I can not afford them, so sorry dad will not be in the shop this year as he drinks too much whisky and not the cheap kind :)

Willow Grubs, Cicadas, Fly Fishing Guides,Nymph Rigs,Mataura fly fishing,Damsel Flies

January and the start of another exciting year.

I have just sent out the January newsletter to all of you and I hope you enjoy it.

It has again a great special offer for readers in it, fun, fishing info and some great photos of HUGE trout that have been caught,all on my Superior Flies - wow!

It's an honor to know these fish have been getting caught on my fly designs.

Only the best strongest light wire hooks are used! 90 % of flies sold in most shops are on cheap hooks! And the flies cost the same? Be safe this summer!

If you want to get even more great news and information from the coolest fly shop in the world - please sign up today. It's quick and easy to do and most of all it's FREE.

This used to be just one sign - the orgasmic has gone :(

GUIDING

Well - this year has been very busy with many return clients arriving back for some more good times. Long may it continue.
Mark and Di were back for a week of great fishing at the start of November. Mark left on a high by catching a huge trophy brown trout something we had been working on for a few seasons now. It's great for client and guide when a plan eventually comes together. One of the problems guiding them both is that I end up with sore jaws from laughing with them both even though we are very serious when we are out there.

The fishing has been on fire and it was great to see in the last few weeks the trout freely rising to dry flies. Small deadly blow flies were working great but the pick of the bunch and the most productive fly would have had to be my deadly hi-viz ant.
Although there is no ants around at the moment there is plenty of dead saw flies floating down most river systems - that's the flies that hatch from the willow grubs.

Willow Grubs also started last week on the upper Mataura and other Southland rivers.

 Sheer Power - a strong NZ wild brown will make your heart race 

Normally the grub action will start in the upper sections of the willow lined rivers, though this year my Gore customers on the lower Mataura were using and catching many trout well down past Gore for the past three weeks.

That small grub fly on the smallest strongest tmc hook never seems to stop amazing me. Still strange after all the years my design has been available that some people have not even tried it and give up at the sight of willow grubbing trout.

Within a week of the grubs starting to fall the phone was red hot with all the local and New Zealand / Australia top guides after dozens of them.

LOST CLIENTS

The other day Ela was in the shop as I was out busy guiding. Soon she had three fishermen asking her if they could borrow the phone to call the guide and see if he could come and pick them up. The guide had lost them and they were not too happy, after a few calls and 40mins the guide arrived and I don't think that would have been a pleasant drive back for him back to the city. This has happened in the past that I have had to help clients that have been left behind by a guide. This should never happen and if you do you homework when hiring a guide it will never happen!

DAMSEL FLIES

A range of Deadly Daddy/Damsel/Dragonflies!!!

The hot spell we just had  was great. The top selling and most productive still water / backwater fly was the hi-viz deadly Daddy fly- which room the underneath also looks like a damsel fly. Many lake edge fly fishers have been having great results using them. So get some of these in your box soon as I do not have many left in stock.

The deadly Daddy/Damsel Nails fish!

DISAPPOINTED 

The other day two people came into the shop again to burn Ela's ears off about a guide jumping right in front of them on a semi remote small river that has a road beside it. They were not far from him and he saw them as they waved in dismay letting him know that they were working upstream, the guide was yelling back F### ##F and waving his fist.

Just before the rains the beetles were out, and so was my beetle guiding box.

Their is no need for this as their is plenty of water around. The guys were there first and in NZ if they are moving upstream you fish behind them or go else where, it's sad to hear that this attitude was taken when he obviously stop and read the note on their car and could see them, before going in front. Lucky they were nice guys and did not go up to his car and client, as one of them was a black belt.

HAPPY FISHERMEN/ WOMEN

The hot spell over the Christmas break had everybody with time on their hands a chance to go fishing and out they all were. Most people were lucky enough to catch at least one fish - guided and unguided.
The stories of the big ones that got away were many and a few were lost due to broken hooks, flies that seem to be always bought from the same online stores. 

Stu's Deadly HI-VIZ Nz Blowfly- notice the large gape hook.

The spinning guys and girls using bubble floats with a Deadly NZ Blowfly tied off it were also doing well along the edges of most lakes. Rapala lures as always seem top work with the pro- spinning guys in every water way.

Summer ? 4/01/13 first light- Snow on all the mountain ranges, cold and high rivers

WEATHER

It's been raining heavy for a few days now ! and it's not looking good for most people that want to fish rivers until they clear again in quite a few days - rain depending.

Some rivers I'm hearing from travelling fishermen are nearly over the main bridges. It is these floods that help clear the rivers out, but in some cases can help clear the trout out, as the flow is so strong.
Checking the forecast, there seems plenty of rain on the way over the next 7 days.

 River check- for clients - this was first light this morning 4/01/2013 brown and high the upper Mataura

NYMPHS

Once the rivers descend it will be nymph time again, then once they clear completely the trout will be more readily to rise for dries again.
A nz mayfly bomb and a size 18 king pogo with a small indicator above it will no doubt be my go to fish catching rig with clients this week.

Guiding - with special permission on a remote southland river which many people have never fished, due to access

LOWER MATAURA

Recently the lower Mataura was on fire in the riffles and under the willow trees, the fish were all lined up.

But today two groups of anglers have come into the shop, looking for water to fish as when you stay down the bottom of a long river system.

It will take even longer for the water to clear so best keep that in mind when planning any trips, but if you get it right and the weather is all good, it can be fishing on your doorstep from your accom.

Armed with a some new waterproof rain jackets from the store, I have now sent them all, into an area which at least has some clear fishable lakes and I'm sure they will have fun, even in the rain.

A large attractor black deadly nz cicada fly with a small hot nz midge under it works well in the rain. 

Try striping some deadly minnows back over weed beds for some good fishing and it also keeps you warm. When fishing deadly minnows I will nearly always tie them directly to the leader.

Deadly Minnow nails another

SUPPORT THE HARD WORK AND PASSION - POP IN FOR A BROWSE OR SHOP WITH US ONLINE. - every little bit of your business helps keep the passion and dreams alive.

Thank You.

One big single sign - some of of us have to work every day, looking forward to a break in winter - Xmas at the shop.

Cheers

Stu & Ela