Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi,
Awhile back I posted a thread on a style of New Zealand lures, the Pukeko flies. Generally, New Zealand lure are often tied quite large, in the size 4 range is common. Since I tend to fish smaller streams, I don't usually fish such large flies. So, I tied the previous Pukeko's down to a size 10, and they look just as deadly.
So, I decided to tie a few smaller versions of another style of lure that is very popular here. And again, these look quite good tied in the smaller size as well. This style of fly is called a "Hackle Fly" by Hughie McDowell (a New Zealand author of fly tying books). Others call them "Fuzzy Wuzzies", because one's tied with black tails and black hackes were called the Fuzzy Wuzzy series. The name is used by some to refer to any fly of this basic construction.
The flies are fairly simple. Tie in a tail of squirrel tail that is about hook shank length. Dub on half a body in a nice ball shape; for the larger sizes the body is cheneil, I've used wool for the size 10 one's shown below. Tie in by the tip a hackle feather, wrap a few turns as if you were building the collar hackle of a wet fly. Tie the fibers back so they slope back at about 45 degrees. Now, dub the front half of the body (usually the same colour as the rear) and then build a 2nd collar hackle at the front, which is also tied in sloping back over the body. The hackle fibres should be longer in the front section then the rear. The heads on these are often large as well.
Perhaps the most popular of this style of lure is the "Red Setter". The tail is grey squirrel tail hair, the body is bright orange, and the hackles are ginger or light brown. I didn't have any orange wool, so I've used red wool (for a Red Red Setter I guess; There's also a version with the rear half orange and the front half green, called an Irish Setter)
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...etter_sz10.jpg
To avoid taking up too much band width, I'll just post links to some other examples:
These two are a yellow Fuzzy Wuzzy (the tail here is black possum belly fur)
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... y_sz10.jpg
and a purple Fuzzy Wuzzy:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... y_sz10.jpg
Again, it's the black tails and hackles that make these true "Fuzzy Wuzzy" patterns.
This one is just a light olive hackle fly, or perhaps they should be called a "bi-hackled fly"?
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... e_sz10.jpg
And this is called a "brown bomer" I believe:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g142/ ... r_sz10.jpg
These flies, tied larger, are very popular lake flies, although they are fished in rivers as well. Apparently, the Red Setter was tied as an immitation of the koura, the Maori name for the freshwater crayfish.
For those teaching fly tying, or for those learning, these are good flies to start with. The patterns include a number of techniques, but they are not too demanding. There are a few proportions to learn, some techniques like dubbing control, and getting the hackles to slope back correctly, but over all not too over the top for someone just learning to tie up some flies.
I've not tried these yet, so I have no idea how they will do when fished as a standard wee wet, but looking at them makes me think these should do as well as any. They seem to me to be somewhere between the idea of a standard collared wet fly and a palmered wet fly.
- Jeff
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
I like these flies Jeff, The Red Setter was a popular fly on the big English reservoirs in the 60s and 70s.
It is not seen so much now, the still-water scene on the southern reservoirs is very trend conscious.
Everybody has to to have the latest miracle fly, which is usually a copy or slight variation of a fly that has
been around for years, with a new and catchy name. :lol:
I'll have to tie up some of these.
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi Donald,
I was reading in a book by Keith Draper that the Fuzzy Wuzzy was originally tied with the hackle palmered (this was back in the 20s or 30s I think). That would make the original dressing very close to a Wooly Bugger. The double hackle style of these helps, I think, to protect the hackels from getting bitten through as the stem is tied and burried under the body material.
Some nice patterns are made by using two feathers of different colours. A "Rotodyeran" is a gray tail, green body, and the hackles are a bright yellow feather with a grizzle feather in front (to deaden the colour of the bright yellow). This is one of Hughie MacDowell's patterns, which was so called because the original version he tied sat in his hat, fishless, for a few years. Then, one day, a friend and he were fishing in Rotorua, and his friend borrowed it. The dye from the yellow feathers had run a bit giving the fly both its name and an interesting look. His friend got into the fish right away, and all Hughie could do was watch. I've tied a few of these and I like the look of them. I've not had luck with them yet though, but they've not sat in my hat long enough.
I suspect that these ones, which I've tied smaller than usual, will be good river flies as well. I know people do fish the larger ones in rivers sometimes, but these size 10s will be better suited to my 3 and 5 weights.
- Jeff
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Jeff,
Very nice flies. There will be some versiions in my fly box soon. Thanks, Mate.
REE
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi Jeff,
I hope you don't mind, I have copied the above text and pictures to a WordPad Document, and I intend to convert to a PDF file.
I have already done this with some of Mike Connor's postings here and elsewhere. I am building up a little collection of flies + info for my
own use. I shall slightly edit the text etc., and will send you a copy if you want.
You'll have probably figured out already that I am a fly fishing history obsessive :lol:
I find the variations fascinating and I can see a connection with H. C. Cutcliffe's West Country flies.
I think they were also taken for crayfish.
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Jon Nichols of New Zealand sent me a few patterns a while back which I put up on my Web site. Attached is a link to one of the four sets of flies I photoed, and at the top of the link are links to the other photos in the series. Some of it is redundant, but may be of interest to those reading this thread.
http://www.fishingwithflies.com/Lure...landPartIV.htm
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi REE,
Thanks. These are some more wet flies to add to the box! Fish them like a wooly bugger.
- Jeff
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi Donald,
Not a problem. I'll double check on the info, and try and get names and dates for you. I see Peter's site indicates the original palmered version of the Fuzzy Wuzzy was from the 40s, so not quite as far back as I had suggested! Also, I'll dig up Hugh's story on the Rotodyeran for you.
Hughie's book on New Zealand Fly Tying has a number of stories about flies, which I really enjoy. Kieth Draper's books have these as well, so I'll try and pass that information on to you as well.
- Jeff
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Hi PeterF,
Those are good representations with the standard Chenille body. That's a nice collection of NZ lures you've got there.
Also, the brown squirrel tail is more standard on the Red Setter. I think with Grey it is called an "Orange Dapple Dog"?
- Jeff
Re: Another New Zealand style of lure
Jeff,
Is there a book outlet you know of that carries books by Hughie and Kieth that do an international sales trade? Can't find them here.
REE