When I had only started tying flies, I was determined to only use flies that I tied myself; it was a self imposed penelty to try and improve my tying ability. My flies were always much messier looking than the ones in the shop, but if I had to only use my own, then I would just have to get better at it until I caught fish like my friends did. It's called "incentive to improve", so I told myself.

Anyway, I went fishing with a bunch of friends to a lake a few hours out of town. We arrived after dark, and I set up my rod with a pheasant tail nymph. It was all crooked, and the wingcase sloped over to one side, but I was determined to just use my own. One fellow was from Germany, and he had never fished before in his life; never fished in any way shape or form (not bait, not spinner, not salt - nothing). So, another friend was going to show him how to cast. I passed my rod over and said "show him with this and I'll set up the other rods".

So, I set up all the rods and Wes is casting the nymph out to show Daniel the basics. Wes explains it is "Cast, wait for it to sink, very slow retrieve, and repeat." Then Wes goes to show Daniel, and casts it out about 20 feet, counts to 10 or so for it to sink, then says "ok, now slow retreive" and with the first slight twitch, "Bang", he's on.

I, of course, am totally unaware of this, and am still setting up the other rods. When I finish up the rods, I look up, and Wes is comming back carrying a 7 lbs brown trout! I realised then and there, flies do not have to be perfect to catch fish.

The first fish I caught myself, however, was a more modest 1/2 lbs or so rainbow, caught on a size 12 Greenwell's glory wet fly. And, that has been a very productive pattern for me ever since on the Rangitiki.

- Jeff