Hi,
I’ve just finished reading a book by Keith Draper called “Mr. 100 percent”. The book is about Fred Fletcher, who ran a lodge in Taupo back in the 30s and 40s. The title comes from Fred’s reply to people suggesting he write a book about his life at the lodge, “It would be 50% truth and 50% bull”, or something to that effect. Fred Fletcher died in the late 60s, just before the book came out. Keith Draper, also now deceased, was New Zealand’s fly chronicler and has put out a number of books on fly patterns, and their histories, which I find fascinating reads in and of themselves.
Anyway, Mr. 100 percent is a good read, with some interesting anecdotes and tales about local characters of a time gone past. I doubt it can be found outside of New Zealand, but I thought I would share this story with you.
Fred sold flies from his lodge, as would be expected. His son tied many of the flies for sale from the lodge, but he did buy some from the suppliers. One time he bought an order of a pattern called “Maori Chief”, but it didn’t catch on. Fred was lamenting that he probably was going to lose money on them as they weren’t selling.
One night, out fishing the rip where the river entered the lake, Fred was the only one having any luck. When asked what fly he was using, he yelled out “They’re only taking a Maori Chief.”
A few days later his wife told him “It’s the strangest thing Fred, but all those old Maori Chief flys have sold in the past few days.”
“Oh really?” was his reply.
In fact, he admits in the book, he was using his usual fly, a Parson’s Glory, but he figured he had to make a living!
Anyway, I was interested in this story, so going to one of Keith’s pattern books I looked up a Maori Chief and here’s what it looks like:
Tail: tips of red hackle
Rib : gold wire or tinsel
Body: red wool
Wing: bunch of pheasant tail fibres
Hackle: red
- Jeff
