Hi Bass_Bug,

Yes, Matuku's originated in New Zealand. Matuku is the Maori name for a bittern, the feathers of which were use to tie a fly years ago (called a Matuku, and tied with the wing lashed to the hook shank). They were so popular that the matuku was being shot to extinction, so they were made a protected species (as was the kiwi, whose feathers were also being used for flies in a similar way). Since they were very popular and succesful flies, substitues were looked for. Hackles were used and are now the most common, but some have also used flank feathers from hen pheasants and other game birds. So, originally a Matuku was a specific fly pattern, named after the bird the feather came from, but now it refers to a general style of pattern (a feather wing streamer with the wing lashed to the shank). Also, the name changed to Matuka when it crossed the equator, while the proper spelling is Matuku to keep with the origins.

One of my personal favorites is a "copper Dorathy". Basically, a Matuku tied with grizzle hackle wings and collar is a "Dorathy", and the copper indicates the body is copper tinsel. The tail is blue hackle fibres and it's ribbed with copper wire. This is my own variation, the more common Dorathy's you'll find in the shops would be a yellow Dorathy, a silver Dorathy, and green Dorathy's seem to be popular recently (they all tend to have silver ribs and red tails). A silver bodied, silver ribbed, matuku tied with badger wings and collar is a "Jack's Sprat", and I think it's a great looking minnow immitation.

And yes, the "Rabbit Matuku", or just called a Rabbit fly, is also very very popular here. They've been popular in NZ since the 30s, so I think they pre-date "zonkers". Ferrel cat skins are also used for strips (ferrel cats are a big pest on the native birds here; New Zealand has no natural mamals predators, so all the native birds are quite easy pickings for cats, dogs, ferrets, etc). Anyway, they are usually tied with chenille bodies, red hackle fibre tails, and hackle throats. Yellow Rabbits and Red Rabbits (colour of the chenille body) are both very popular day and night patterns, respectively.

- Jeff