When things go walking

FAOL Community Sound Off
1

Hi,
Well, back from fishing the Ngongataha Stream again. My wife Vanessa caught a recovering 1 kg, 41 cm, rainbow at the mouth of the Waiteti in the morning. I fished the Ngongataha for the rest of the day. River was high and muddy. Only had one strike the whole day.

And, returned to the find the car was broken into. Smashed the front passengers window and stole my fly tying kit out of the backseat. I had forgotten to take it out when I dropped Vanessa off where she had to give her talk. The funny thing is that that very morning we were in a fly shop and I said that there was nothing more I needed just then.

The police dusted my CD’s (apparently they didn’t like my taste in music as the CDs were all there, but on the floor). They were able to get some good prints, but of course, they may be mine or Vanessa’s. They have our prints for elimination. So now, rather than tying up replacment flies, I’m writing a list of all the stuff that was in the kit for insurance. The car insurance covers the window, etc, but not contents. We’re not sure if our contents insurance policy covers the content of the car; we’re looking into that.

I’m just glad that I had taken Vanessa’s rod and vest, etc, out out, and that I had all of my other stuff on me for the day.

Anyway, at least it was nice on the river for most of the day.

  • Jeff
2

We are starting to get that a lot of breakins over here also. I guess they are targeting fishers because the vehicles are usually parked for the day. Pretty sad situation.

Regards Mike

3

Three years ago, my entire car was stolen along with all of reels, vest,flies and other stuff(no rods). The car was found a couple of days later stripped. My Homeowners insurance policy covered my fishing gear. Give that a try.

4

CARE package time!!
I’d hate to have any of my tying “stuff” taken, but more than that I’d “hate” to “have” to shop for new stuff!

5

My household insurance covered me when someone broke into my truck and stole My Wal mart rods and reels. I had 3 of the $50.00 rod-reel-line-tippet outfits in the truck . You know, the cheapest combos you can buy. As well as the cheapo’s there were two more expensive outfits in there. They also stole an expensive camera and some binoculars which made it worthwhile to pay the deductable and put in a claim. I added the fishing stuff to the list. It was all covered in the insurance.

I was surprised to find that they left my Dragonfly and my Sage rods were left behind. I assume it was because the thieves were drawn to the brighter colors of the el cheapo wally world rods.

I used to have an MG Midget automobile with a Fabric top. Three times someone broke in by slicing the top so they could open the door to steal the absolutly nothing that I used to leave in the car. The stupid part is that you can just unzip an MG from the outside, you don’t have to cut a hole in it.

Crooks may be nasty , but they sure aren’t very smart.

I hope your Household insurance covers your loss.

6

Hi,
I bumped into a fellow FF club member who also works at one of the fishing stores. He knows how I can get a quote if I can list everything. Surprisingly, this wasn’t as hard to do as I first thought it would be. I guess I knew that kit pretty well. Anyway, the insurance company doesn’t open until 8:30, so I won’t know if they’ll cover it or not just yet.

When I was at the car, another fellow came back off the river. He was looking for me as he noticed the damage a few hours earlier, but I was up river and he was down. Anyway, he was broken into a few years ago at a different location. The guys were eventually caught. Turns out, they were from Auckland (about 2.5 hours away) and what they would do is just drive to all the fishing spots and raid all the cars. They were tied to a large number of breakins by finger prints. Hopefully, the prints they found on the CDs will be “in the system” and not one of my own.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be a wee bit shocked when I get the list “quoted”. I’m glad I didn’t go for the junglecock cape that was for sale recently!

Thanks for the CARE package offer Betty. If the insurance covers everything, then I can get it all back in one big go except for one or two hard to find bits. Even if not, it will be ok. It will take some time to replace stuff, but NZ is an isolated ecosystem and as such has pretty strict rules on importing animal products like furs and feathers, etc.

Also, Vanessa still has her kit, and after seeing me sitting at my chair watching TV, which is where I normally set up to tie (and apparently looking very pathetic), she offered to let me use her kit :slight_smile: So, all is good in the world again.

  • Jeff
7

Jeff, Sorry to hear you had trouble with the ratbags in Rotorua, I remember a couple of years ago the cops got a couple of locals from Rotorua and they were put away for a couple of years after pleading guilty to hundreds of break ins on cars at fishing spots. While they were staying at the big house the reported car break ins in the area dropped by about 90 percent.
Hope you get it all sorted, if there is anything you have trouble replacing let me know and if I have any of whatever it is you are welcome to some of mine.
All the best.
Mike.

8

Hi,

My Insurance does cover the replacement. I’m currently getting quotes (and have realised that my kit was about 3 to 4 times more expensive than I guessed!). Who ever thinks tying flies will save you money has either never done the maths, or is burried under a huge pile of flies somewhere! ha!

  • Jeff
9

[b]Hey Mike,

Thanks for the report on the thieves getting caught. Sometimes bad people really do get caught and find out that if they do the crime, ultimately they have to do the time. Bravo!

Your kind and very generous offer to share your personal items with Jeff, is one of the very reasons I appreciate outdoorsman and especially flyfishers, they have heart. One flyfisher reaching out to another who has been hurt to help lift him/her back up, that’s the sign and heart of a true “Brotherhood”!

Mike, I’m honored to call you Brother!

Kindest regards,

Terry

PS. Jeff, not to steal Mike’s thunder, but if there’s anything else that you still need after receiving help from Mike, please let me know, I’d be proud to also lend a helping hand if possible.

:smiley: [/b]

10

Jeff, the violation of your private space is a grievous thing. I am sorry this was done to you and your good lady. best wishes for every good thing in the future.

11

Hi Mike, Akalooker, and Betty, and, well, just everyone.

The people at Tisdalls (shop in the central city, near where I work) are putting together a quote on the list of things I had in my kit. Looking at bank records, credit card records, we can find purchases to back up the claim for about 1/2 of it probably (records only go back a few years).

Anyway, most of what I had can easily be replaced (I bought 95% of it here in Auckland). The only thing I can’t replace is a pine squirrel tail that came in a “starters kit” when I bought my first fly tying gear about 8 years ago! Yes, I still had about 1/3 of it left. I only tie one or two streamer patterns with it, and only used it when I had to replace them. Since I’ve not been fishing a lot of streamers lately, and when I do I’ve been trying out small versions of Atlantic Salmon hairwing patterns using gray and fox squirrel, this material has survived for quite some time. I think I found a shop in Turangi that sells it though, so next time I’m down that way I can get one.

Anyway, thanks for all the offers to help out. I’m pretty sure that I will be able to replace it all with one big “order” if the insurance covers the whole claim. If not, I’ll get what I can in one big go, then slowly build it back up by getting what I need as I need it. I really appreciate the offers, but things are under control. I just needed to tell people who would understand my pain, so to speak.

And Mike, yes I heard of those fellows. I was told that they were from Auckland, and would do “the rounds” on all the fishing spots between here and Rotorua. Fellow on the river told me this at my car, saying his was broken into at White’s Road by the Waihou. Anyway, could be these fellows have completed their sentences and are back at it. Sigh.

  • Jeff
12

Hi,
Just a bit of an update on this. The Insurance fellow came by today. I had brougt in my flies to show him, to point out all the different “bits of material” that I had, since I didn’t have receipts for all items. After chatting for a bit, and explaining why one would want to keep bits of feathers, and patches of hide, etc, he was more than satisfied with the validity of the claim. The main concern, of course, is that some people use a car break in as an oppertunity to take up a new hobby (hey, they broke into my car, I think I’ll take up golf and claim a set of clubs), and such. Anyway, he’ll put his report in, and I should hear back relatively soon (a week or so I hope). If they cover the whole thing, I should be able to get my local fly shop to just order in 95% of what I had and just get it in one big go.

Of course, there’s been no word as to the break in itself, so I’m suspecting that the prints the police found were either mine, my wife’s, or of someone “not in the system.” There are a couple of great fishing spots that, unfortunatley, get targeted by thieves. The one I was broken into had been safe, but I guess recently it’s been getting bad. It’s a shame that things get like that at times.

Anyway, on a brighter note, I did get out to my favorite nearby fishing stream (the Wairoa) and landed 4 small fish in the under 8 inches range. I was fishing a team of 3 flies, from bob to point 1) black gnat (winged wet version), 2) black & red dun (a soft hackle), and 3) a willow grub (a smooth bodied nymph pattern).

Three of the four landed were all taken on the black and red dun (which is one of Sly. Nemes modern softhackle patterns; body rear 1/2 red, front black, rib: flat siliver, hackle: dun partridge), the other was taken on the black gnat. I’ve generally done quite well in the Wairoa using softhackles, and dark flies tend to work well there as the river is often discoloured. This was no exception, as both taking flies were predominately black (my r&b dun had a very dark, almost black hackle, rather than a light dun version). Although the fish were all quite small, they were very lively and a lot of fun.

  • Jeff