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| Bjoern from Switzerfland - another happy client with a cracking wee troot! (that's scottish) mind you never mind the troot, check the sexy cap out! |
LIVING & WORKING ON THE MATAURA RIVER
Hello! It has been a busy April with lots of great stuff going on and creative work getting done.
The guiding has been just awesome this April with some returning clients arriving back - yet again - this season for an April fix. None of them were disappointed and the trout were behaving and in top condition.
Most mornings the nymphs were working and come mid afternoon the majority of trout were taken on dries.
The last newsletter for a while has just been finished and will be sent out early next week to all of you that are signed up. If you have not signed up and wish to receive one of the best little newsletters around, please click here - it's easy and quick to do. CLICK HERE.
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| I'm not sure what is going on here with my two clients - they tell me there is a fish between the legs on a bid for freedom before a photo can be taken. |
LAST ORDERS
Yes - it's that time of the season again. The shop is about to close for winter and re-open in early Sept. So best to make any orders now before it's too late, the physical shop is pretty much nearly closed (due to no customers/winter) but the online shop is open until around May, 20th - which is not long so best get your flies and gear soon.
I can not thank you all enough this season for again your great support.
Client comment
Fishing with Stu has been amazing. He makes your fishing dreams come true.I dream of shapes in deep pools, I dream of red spots,I dream of returning to Stus world famous fly shop and services.
Pier- NZ
GUIDING / Casting Lessons / NZ Fly Fishing School - FOR NEXT SEASON
Dates are filling up for next season. Please contact me asap to secure any dates - Oct & Nov are nearly full with only a few dates left.
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| NZ TUNGSTEN MAY FLY DOES IT AGAIN - CLICK HERE |
After a day guiding two lovely gents from a big Sydney fishing club, I got up early at 4 am the next morning and quickly typed this wee story before I forgot. It got printed in the clubs newsletter with Butterfingers 1 & 2 not knowing until they read it. It brought a few smiles to the club members and I hope it does the same for anyone else reading it.
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| APRIL COLORS! |
The guiding had been flat stick for the past two months after the annual ten days of guiding with Gerry. My fly box needed a few must-have flies replaced for the following days of guiding, especially my floating Willow Grub design.
There was none left in the shop after huge demand for the design during the summer months so I had no choice but to get in front vise late on a Friday night and tie up a few dozen. As I knew the weather might just hold out and the wee grubs would still be dropping from the willow trees and just maybe I had clients that will want to join the Grub Club.
A funky wee black van pulled up beside my Landcruiser early on sat morning and as I walked across to meet my two clients for the day my guiding brain kicked in.
1 - The cool funky black van- they must be a couple of young dudes
2 - The size of the small van - they must be very friendly with each other if they are sleeping in it as it's so small.
3 - I wonder how experienced they are?
4 - I wonder if they have fished in the South Island before and especially this area - Southland. Known to Humble the best!
5 - Can they cast good and accurate enough to fool these wary browns?
This and 10,000 other thoughts of what the day will bring raced through my guiding mind.
Then the I heard the creak of the doors opening!
Chink! The sound of glass hit the gravel beneath the door and a wrinkled sun bleached fishing hand reached down and rescued the half drunk bottle of a liter of whiskey, a freddo frog chocolate foil blew also out the from the drivers side which was also quickly retrieved by sun bleached hand.
The creak of bones and the sighs of relief to get out the van drowned out the local singing bird population. Then two neatly dressed fly fishing fashion police stood in front of me with their hands out stretched with huge smiles of "we are going fishing" across their faces - "Yes, you have got us two for the day Stu."
"Hi, I'm Butterfingers one!" "I'm Butterfingers two! "Oh no" I thought to myself and introduced myself as Stu!
Great! Two very passionate fly fishers for the day and after a little guide interrogation as we loaded up my truck, deciding they could cast and since they were going to be in the area for over a week I quickly decided what would be best for my two new friends.
The day would be best spent with me knocking off a few of their cob webs and getting them ready for the days of fun that lay ahead for them both when they would both be out slaying the Southland wary brown trout.
A short drive was all that was needed to a spot on the Mataura that had not been fished for over a week. The upper Mataura is known for being the most humbling river in the world by many experienced fishermen.
It is a great place for me to work with clients on the skills that would be needed for success here in NZ. The visuals are great and even if fish are not caught you can normally at least see some trout and get your blood boiling.
A normal day guiding an experienced client say on the upper Mataura would be six chances in the day, that's six fish eaten your fly, then you had better convert the chances . If you do not get it 100% all right it will not happen.
Over the past 11 years guiding the upper Mataura one of the 30 river system's I guide on in my area. The most trout that have been fooled on the upper whilst guiding have been seventeen in one day. This has normally been when the river has been rising, the fish all come out from the banks, drop their guard, the water is not so clear, and start to feed.
Today the river was low, clear and the sun was hopefully going to come out later to aid our trout spotting. We arrived at the selected spot and straight away we could see trout feeding. It looked like a few trout would make it to the net today!
B1 and B2 quickly spooked the first few trout and after a few casts managed to start relaxing without the need of a wee nip of Talisker.
Though now thinking back on this fateful day they both put me through, it may of helped relax them both.
The next pool we had five nice fish over three pounds each sitting just beneath the foam line sipping their breakfast. Seeing these large trout B1 and B2 started to get very twitchy and excited.
A UTE pulled up and the local land owner came over to have a chat with us and decided to stay and watch these two professionals from Lake side fishing club in action.
Both were oblivious to the farmer as they were both transfixed by the noses of the browns breaking the surface amongst the willow leaves floating down the feed lane.
Within 20 mins 3 of the large browns were fooled by a small foam Deadly NZ Blowfly and none were landed. Slack in the system, too slow and too soon were the reasons for no hook ups. We mentioned to them both to try and help them, if they got any more chances over the day.
Hamish - the farmer had a wee chuckle to himself and patted me on the back and whispered in my ear: "looks like you have a hard day ahead with these two pro's."
The rest of the day was spent losing fly after fly and fish after fish, the day was on fire and all the fish were out feeding and hardly a minute went past when we were not casting to sighted fish.
As the day went on my jaws were begging to ache as we joked and laughed the day away despite me tearing my hair out. Nearing the end of the day, realizing that why had I even bothered to bring my landing net with me as it was extra weight to carry. At lunch time it was also mentioned that maybe I will have to go back to the shop and re-stock on flies and put the net back in the car!
If only the guys had of told me that they both specialize in LDR (long distance release) and SDR (short distance release). The net should have been left at home.
I should have also left the lunches back home as well as every now and then I would see willow tree branches moving as they both seemed to be grazing like giant pandas on the tasty willow tree leaves, or we're they just retrieving their flies?
In total fifteen wary browns had been fooled and none landed by B1 and B2 and they will now have to wait another year to join the grub club. 34 flies were lost to trees, grass and fish and it looks like tonight I'm back in front of the vice.
The Lord can only be thanked that they never brought their other good club member Butterfingers 3 with them.
Though if he is as much fun and passionate as B1 and B2 about fly fishing in a nice strange fly fishing way - I'm looking forward to it :)
Stu Tripney - "Inspired by nature & driven by passion"
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| This is the fish between the legs - worth the effort of having your friend near your rear end (first photo) to stop it escaping! Another happy client with the first fish of the day.
Check out the Superior range of Saltwater Flies - Click here
Thank you all for your awesome support - remember you do not get the passion from the big shops, they just want your dosh!
Cheers,
Stu
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