Fly Punk - Issue 2

Issue 2
January - March 2017

WELCOME
CONTENTS
No tweed, wicker baskets or trousers tucked
into socks. Just a free digital magazine
aimed at the fly fishing punk
Welcome to this, the second issue of Fly Punk.
Well that was a blast … your response to the first issue of Fly Punk was nothing short of astonishing! We
thought that it would take us a year or so to gradually build up a readership. But no, you were not having
any of that, we have had literally thousands of you reading the first issue. This is beyond our wildest
expectations, so a big thank you. We have now revised our plans and are aiming to get the word out even
further for this next issue. This is where we need your help, if we could trouble you to share this through
all of your social media networks it would be much appreciated. If we can increase the readership again,
we will start to publish it on a monthly basis.
So … what’s in this issue I hear you ask. Well, we have a couple of articles on Saltwater fly fishing
(Halibut on the fly anyone?), something from Africa, Canada, the Brotherhood of the Bend are back in
action and quite a bit from Australia & New Zealand. We have also included book and gear reviews to
whet your appetites.
It’s been pretty cold and murky here in the UK over the past month (great Grayling weather though!).
Imagine my surprise when I looked at the back of my car last week and found this:
8
Adam Royter ―
SOUTH ISLAND:
ON A
SHOESTRING
6
8
14
18
22
24
26
30
32
HALIBUT ON THE FLY ANYONE?
Jo Stephenson investigates the icy cold fjords of
Norway.
NEW ZEALAND - SOUTH ISLAND
Some sage advice from Adam Royter on fishing
the South Island on a budget.
DOUBLEHAULED
Gabriel Venditti lets us into his thoughts on fly
fishing and fly tying.
PUNK FLY TYING
Michal Zapal explains his search for fly tying
excellence
IN SEARCH OF SALT
From San Diego to the UK, Paul Sharman mixes it
with Mako Sharks & Tuna on his adventures.
TRAVEL WITH TARN
Tarn Mack-McEwen explains his love for fly fishing
as a teenager.
MUSKY DAY
More worship from the waters edge with the
brotherhood
ENTER THE MATRIX
Stan Freyheit takes us on a jounney of
Neo Nymphing.
WILTSHIRE GRAYLING
A life defined by fly fishing with Dave
Wiltshire.
"Some of us get a lucky break." - Jo Stephenson fishes in the
nicest of places.
It looks suspiciously like Jack’s handywork But it did give me an idea for some guerilla marketing! More
of that in the next issue.
36
ADVENTURE STARTS HERE
After a move to Canada, we go on the hunt for
Salmon with Jack Van Delft.
We are always looking for new angles to fly fishing. If you think you have a story to tell – something
that is innovative, out of the ordinary or just plain funny, please jot it down and send it in to us (email
address below). We are always looking for new articles and features – so long as it relates to fly fishing
and conforms to the “why we fish” ethos we would love to include it.
We decided to make this magazine a free publication to try and reach as wide an audience as possible.
If you don’t like it – please tell us why, if you do like it – please tell us (and your fishing friends) – we like
a pat on the back every now and then!
40
42
46
TROUT PORN
Our first Book Review. This is a real page-turner
from Mark Pizzimenti.
GEAR REVIEW - UPMQUA CHEST PACK
Want to fish light? We look at the Umpqua Rock
Creek ZS Chest Pack.
BEWARE OF THE CROCODILE
Chris Williams takes us on a trek in South Africa,
in search of Largescale Yellowfish.
6Jo Stephenson―
HALIBUT
ON THE FLY
ANYONE?
Editors
Jack Fieldhouse
Richard Fieldhouse
Proofing
Aaron Good
Designer
Jack Fieldhouse
Contributors
Stan Freyheit
Rich Hacker
Jared Lane
Tarn McEwen
Adam Royter
Paul Sharman
Jo Stephenson
Jack Van Delft
Gabriel Venditti
Chris Williams
Dave Wiltshire
Michal Zapal
2 | 2 ©fly-punk.com 2017
www.fly-punk.com

The age old question, "Why do I fish?"
It's my dad's fault he used to take us kids on
the boat when we were just able to walk
and we we'd go salmon fishing for hours.
But on a personal level I love the adventure.
The feeling I get when following a
river is indescribable, I'm always wondering
what's around the next bend. It's also
the quiet and the scenery that draws me in
gives me time for myself aswell as time to
focus on how to fool the next fish. When I'm
fishing I'm usually by myself but when I get
the chance to guide someone that's when
the fun begins. Watching a client hooking
up to a fish of a lifetime and seeing the
emotion on there face it's priceless.
Fishing is my happy place.
Jack Van Delft
@adventurestarts
4 | 4 www.fly-punk.com

― Jo Stephenson―
HALIBUT ON
THE
FLY ANYONE?
S
ome of us get a lucky break and
I have had quite a few over the
last 18 months. Applying and getting
through the qualifying process to
take part in BBCs The Big Fish, battling
my way to the semi-final, and then as if
that wasn’t enough an opportunity came
about to work in the Reisastua Salmon
lodge in northern Norway for the summer.
This was such an awesome thing
to be part of, it was extremely hard work
and long hours but it gave myself and my
husband the chance to experience salmon
fishing at its best whilst surrounded
by breath taking mountains and living in
a luxury lodge! In between my work at
the lodge and looking after the guest’s
I was able to investigate what fishing
Norway had to offer.
There is so much to experience in
Norway, wading into the gin clear
river and casting your fly to try your
chances against one of the monster
Atlantic salmon that reside in the cold
waters. Trekking through jaw dropping
valleys and national park to fish among
waterfalls and towering rock faces
feeling a tug on the fly that makes your
heart nearly jump out of your mouth!
There is also quiet forgotten lakes
surrounded by woods where specimen
perch swim and moose like to creep
down to feed on the vegetation.
But one of my most memorable
moments in Norway was when I
took a couple of days off freshwater
fishing and went to investigate the
icy cold waters of the fjords. One of
the lodge guides, Morton, took us out
on his boat to fish for the legendary
Norwegian cod, these fish were very
obliging taking both lure and fly and
proved very good fun! I was informed
that sometimes Halibut come into
the shallow areas of the fjord to feed
and sunbathe, we headed over the
area where these fish had been seen,
and sure enough we spotted two
nice sized Halibut cruising along.
That night I tied up a suitable fly on
a strong partridge 4/0 sea prince and
the next day tried my luck at targeting
a halibut in the shallows. After an
hour or so my persistence was
rewarded and I began a 35 minute
battle with the biggest fish I have
ever been attached to on fly. I was
using a Greys Salt 9# and Hardy
ultralight and they were definitely
put through their paces holding on
to the powerful flatfish. Once I had
tamed the beast and got him boat
side, we took him to the rocks for a
couple photographs and to measure
him (147cm), I then released him back
into the clear waters holding onto his
massive tail until the very last minute.
I was left with such an amazing feeling
of achievement and disbelief at
what had just happened. After we all
celebrated we sat silent trying to take
in the thing that had just happened.
It turned out to be the Norwegian fly
caught record, but it all seems like a
mad dream now!
Follow me on Instagram and
Facebook, and read my blog at www.
jostephensonfishing.com
"THERE IS
SO MUCH TO
EXPERIENCE
IN NORWAY"
6 | 6
www.fly-punk.com

NEW ZEALAND
FOR FIRST TIMERS
― Adam Royter ―
S
o, what do you want out of a trip to
New Zealand? Wait!!! I already know the
answer - a double figured fish, preferably
a brown trout, on a dry fly. A parachute Adam’s.
On 4lb tippet. In a back country stream. That’s
only 4 feet deep…
How did I do? Did I leave anything out?
This type of fishing really does exist in this
country. People do exactly what’s written
above every year in the South Island. Is it a
realistic request that everyone can for fill?
No! It’s simple not that easy to put all the
ducks in such a straight row.
So instead of coming here loaded with that
type of pipe dream, just get off the plane, put
your rod together and start fishing. You want
to have some fun? Well you’ve come to the
right place!
If you do catch that monster - good for you.
I’m sure I’ll hear about it…not!!
SOUTH ISLAND ON A STICK
New Zealand is a small country. You can
fit 2.6 of them into Texas. Broken into two
islands, the country is skinny and quite long
- it also has a mountain range running right
through the middle for the most part.
Tall snowy mountains give way to rivers and
lakes, so you can’t really go wrong regardless
of where you land. It’s a tiny place. You’ll
work it out!!
The two-main airport found in the South
Island are Christchurch and Queenstown
International. Christchurch will have you
landing on the east coast just north of half
way down the South Island. From there,
you’re better off hunting in the upper half of
the island - Nelson, West coast, Canterbury.
From Queenstown, you’ll land in the middle
of Central Otago. Dead set trout country.
This is your stop if you want to pull the chute
and fish Otago, Southland or Fiordland.
To be honest, it doesn't really matter where
you land; the trout fishing is good all over.
One word of advice - yes this is a small
country but don't make the mistake of
travelling too far. Pick a destination and fish
it. You can waste countless hours chasing
good weather and better fishing only to find
it’s not any better than what you had to start
with!
8 | 8
www.fly-punk.com

looks like this -
Dries -
• Tail & Hackle Dry
• Royal Wulf
• From Beetle
• Blow Fly
• DCD Emerge
Nymphs -
• Bead Head Pheasant Tail
• Hare & Copper
• Simons Ugly
• Green Stone Fly
• Damsel Fly Nymph
With these flies and the right
presentation, you should catch 90% of
the fishing that didn't see you coming!
If I could add just one more thing it would
be that smaller is better than bigger. So,
we are talking 14 - 16 and the normal.
Except for backcountry southland. The
stoneflies there will bite a hole in your
wading boots!
Getting Around
NZ is designed for travellers - it always
has been. So finding a place to stay is
as easy as finding a town or if you're of
the camping varity, you can pitch a tent
almost anywhere.
Kiwi people are a very friendly bunch
and in no time, you’ll probably be staying
in someone’s spare room if you’re that
way inclined. But other than that, there
is accommodation for Africa so don't
worry too much about your digs.
You can Rent-a-Bomb type car in heaps
of place if you only intend on using it for
A to B work. There really is no need to
get a flash car. And a 4x4 is totally out of
the question because you’re not allowed
to take them off road anyway!
Camper vans or RV’s are ‘ok’ but can be a
real pain in the ass to get around in. But
they have advantages such as no need
for accom!
Food is not cheap but beer is … that’s a
win in my book. Also, fuel might as well
be liquid gold it so expensive, so try
not to run around like an idiot. Do some
research and find a place to fish for the
whole time your here. Trust me. I’ve been
‘that idiot’ before and blown a lot of
cash…there might have been some beer
involved?!
Other Bits
FISHING LICENCE!!! You need one. You
can get them online before you go and
I highly recommend it. The Fish & Game
officers are very mobile and very good
at catching people without one. They
will fine you first time no question. Don't
think for one second you can get away
with it because you’ll end up spending
good beer money on a stupid fine. They
don’t F#%k around!
Seasons
The two months before Christmas are
notoriously windy but the fish are much
fresher and less pestered now - a good
casters paradise!
After Christmas, the wind settles and
the terrestrials kick into gear. Cicada’s
are one of the major food sources from
Feb to Apr. Keep in mind they’re a small
model - about a size 8 or 10.
Wash Up
Like with most fishing articles there’s
always someone better suited to pen it
out. I’m a travelling expat Australian now
living in Central Otago, New Zealand. I’ve
done my time here as a traveller since
1994. The bits and pieces above are only
what have worked for me.
Don’t over think it. Don't over dress it.
Don't over pack and don't strike too early.
Sometimes it’s the simple things in life
that define us. Like fly fishing.
Contact Details: https://www.instagram.
com/adamroyter
Be in one spot more and less
everywhere. It makes sense to learn
about the fish in a destination rather
than grasp at straws hoping to find
easy time. Time is what you don't have.
Use it wisely!
The Fish
To me, one of the most amazing
things about this place is that if it’s
freshwater and relatively clean, there
will be trout in it. From a road side
culvet to an ornamental lake in a park.
Rivers, lake, canals, dams, stream and
creeks. Trout, trout and more trout!
The two main players in this neck of
the woods are brown and rainbow trout
but you also can tangle with kokanee
sockeye, king salmon and a small
amount of brook trout.
The South Island is a renowned brown
trout fishery but don't let that stop you
from putting the brakes on a rampaging
rainbow. Yes, browns have a slightly
stronger hold on the south and the
reason is probably both geographic
and environmental. But don't be
surprised to see them swimming side
by side.
Gear
The water is clearer in more of the
waterways than most other places
you’re likely to fish in your life. Being
this the case, some simple tactics can
be employed to help you increase your
catch rates.
Learn to cast accurately. This is the
most important thing you can do. From
zero line to 40 feet with as minimal
number of false casts possible and it
needs to be on the money. If you can
do this every time, every cast - then
look out trout!
Next would be your leader. Keeping
your fly line away from the trout is
important so a standard of 14 feet for a
leader is not uncommon. A 10’ knotless
leaders in 3X with 4 foot of 5X tied to
the end is a good start.
People will also try to tell you that your
clothes need to be drab and earthy in
colour but to be honest, movement is
far more important than the colour of
your strides! What I’ve found is you
need to keep it broken up. Don't wear all
the same colour clothes. A red T-shirt,
blue cap, grey buff blah, blah, blah.
That sort of thing! Small and different
will break you up into the backdrop
rather than one big blob of something.
Insect repellent. You need it or you
will die. The end. Seriously though,
the sandflies (no-see-ems) are out of
this world in some places. Don’t go
anywhere without it.
Waders are not needed. As a matter of
fact, if you’re coming in the summer
time (and quite frankly why would
you come any other time) it’s easier,
more convenient and much more
comfortable to wear thermal pants and
shorts. Wading boots are still a good
idea though. Keeping in mind that felt
sole wading boots are illegal in NZ.
Plus, you’ll have the border security
up your bum on the way home if your
stuff is still wet. Which it is, because
you were fishing 3 hours before you got
on the plane!
Weather
The weather is a factor but you can
always find clear water somewhere.
Lakes for instance are a go to if it
pisses with rain. Because of the nature
of most of the rivers here, the high,
dirty water doesn’t last long. Twentyfour
to forty-eight hours and the river
will be mint again!
Expect wind! Learn to cast into it with
accuracy. The wind however does
offer some advantages with regards
to getting closer to the fish. You can
generally close the gap to 20 or so feet
with a stiff 25 knot northerly blowing.
Some of the best fishing you can have
is when the elements are against you.
Learn to deal with them and stay on the
game and on the water.
Flies
Flies are one of the most talked about
and considered elements of fly fishing.
Truth be told, your presentation is
much more important.
The basic 5 dry and 5 nymph combos
10 | 10
www.fly-punk.com

MATCH THE HATCH
"Match the hatch you say. Ok, which one do
you want me to match!"
- Chris Williams
12 | 12 www.fly-punk.com

DOUBLE
HAULED
T
oday (early December) I received an
email from Richard Fieldhouse asking
how I was coming along with my post
for issue 2 of Fly Punk.... Shit. While I had
fully planned on writing a piece for him, life
tends to get in the way, as it often does. Yet
there are times where it seems to get in the
way with a vengeance. I've barely had time
to write for my own blog, let alone writing pieces
for other publications. Even the recent
pieces I wrote for Doublehauled were exclusively
about steelheading at night because
― Gabriel Venditti―
it's one of the only times I have had free to do
some fishing lately. I'm not going to go through
the myriad of obstacles between me and
the water and thus, the act of writing about
my time on the water. I'm sure my struggles
to find the time are well within the mean range
for adult life in today's society. We're all
"in it" to some degree and by no means is it
always bad. While there are some stressful
things in my life that keep me from the water,
there are also some great things, like being a
father, husband, and uncle.
Honestly, my perspective as the average
schlub angler is why I started writing
about fly fishing in the first place. When
I first started fly fishing several years ago,
I was an avid reader as I am now. At the
time, I didn't have any friends or family
who fly fished so I learned the hard way
by gruelling fishless days on the rivers
and pouring over every "tips and tricks"
blog, video, or book I could get my hands
on. Granted, the scenery was beautiful
as I untangled my wind knots, but even
that serenity was eventually replaced
with frustration because not only was
I clearly doing something wrong, I was
also completely clueless as to what it
was that I was doing wrong. It seemed
to me that every tip and trick resource
that was available was for the moderately
experienced angler to get better as
opposed to the novice angler to become
moderately experienced. Unfortunately,
I'm not really a great teacher so writing
technical instructions isn't really in my
wheelhouse. Instead, I started writing
about my own personal experiences with
learning.
I was hesitant to even mention my writing
because I didn't want to seem like I was
plugging my blog or anything, but when
Richard asked me to write about what I
love about fly fishing, I found it incredibly
difficult to separate the act of fishing and
fly tying from the writing about them both.
It seems that at least in my experience, the
three things are completely intertwined.
There is something about that braid of
fly fishing that gives me an immensely
strong connection to the activity as a
whole. In a sense, the acts of fly fishing
and fly tying are somewhat symbiotic to
each other. The experiences I gain on the
river directly influence my creativity on
the vise and my experimentation on the
vise directly influences my approach and
adaptability on the water. Then finally, my
writing acts as a sort of curing agent (see
what I did there?!) to my experiences as a
whole. That's my opportunity to solidify
the meaning of those experiences while
simultaneously offering up the experience
of learning to others.
It's interesting because I first came into
fly fishing as a way of occupying my time
after knee surgery ended my 16 year
"career" in skateboarding. I was never
very good at skateboarding, but I was
proficient enough that it was something
I obsessed about and for such a long
time. To this day my "skater's eye" has
me slowing down my car as I drive past a
potential skate spot that I will ultimately
never get to skate. With that obsession
over skateboarding came a fraternal bond
with other skateboarders. There was a
tangible skateboarding subculture which
permeated so much of my day to day
life. So when my knee went bye-bye, so
too went the skateboarding and I was left
trying to fill the void it left behind.
I had always been fascinated by fly fishing
but had never had the opportunity to try
it. I grew up in a family that fished a lot
but the tactics were limited to bait and
spin fishing. Fly fishing always seemed to
be some highly romanticized approach to
getting a fish on the line that was, I'm sure,
in no small part aided by certain feature
films that were released in my youth.
So when I found myself clamouring for
something to occupy my time and mind,
fly fishing seemed like something I'd want
to try. After those first few months of my
all out assault on riparian tree branches,
I finally started to meet other people on
the river or on local fly fishing facebook
groups. I was shocked to find the same
level of obsession and community as I
had experienced in skateboarding, both
the good and the bad.
The more I interacted with others, the
more I learned. I fell into a fly fishing world
that mirrored the skateboarding world
in so many different ways. Instead of
talking about Daewon Song's latest skate
video footage, I was talking about Hooke's
newest video. Instead of checking in with
friends to hear who just landed a trick on
film, I was getting reports from friends
about where they caught fish and what
the water was like. Instead of stopping
the car to check out a potential skate
spot, I was pulling off the road anytime I
saw a bridge to see if there was a creek
14 | 14
www.fly-punk.com

Indicator Laces
underneath it. I was fully engaged and
there was no turning back.
There is something else though that
connects the two activities. The videos,
blogs, and social activity that swirl
around both endeavours are essentially
nothing more than prattle. They are a byproduct
of the genuine. They are how we
reflect on what is, in both cases, a real
and authentic experience. Both activities
require intense self reflection. With every
trick and every cast, you examine what
you did wrong or what you did right. What
didn't work? What can I do differently
with my body to get that extra rotation on
the board or place the fly in just the right
spot so that it drifts straight to a waiting
fish? How can I change my approach
for the next trick or the next cast? In
both activities, you start with a piece of
gear that early on feels so clumsy and
unwieldy, but through repetitive use and
manipulation becomes almost as familiar
as one of your own limbs. This process of
ingraining eventually allows you to make
those minuscule adjustments required in
these two highly technical exploits.
And therein, I believe, lays the heart of
what I love about fly fishing. Obviously,
the beautiful surroundings and wildlife
are great perks, but it's that exercise
of perpetual adaptation that I find so
engaging and satisfying. It's the act
of seeking harmony between my body,
the movement of water, and the primal
instincts of an ancient creature whose
tendencies we can only infer from
observation. Finding that harmony
can be a clunky process, like tuning a
guitar while being tone deaf and without
having an electronic tuner. But the more
you practice it, the better you get at it.
However, unlike the man-made guitar,
there is no standardization with fly
fishing. There is no fly fishing equivalent
of a tuned low E string always ringing
as a G on the third fret. Instead, you're
constantly at the mercy of your own
physical limitations, the imperceptibly
small variations of flow in moving water,
and the often frustrating inconsistency
of the fish you're trying to catch. That
constant state of having the deck stacked
against you only makes it that much
more rewarding when you manage to find
success. It's easy to see why fishing of
any kind lends itself to people postulating
the idea of luck or being blessed with a
good day. In reality, we can only use our
past experiences and a certain degree of
willingness to experiment to improve our
odds in the situation we happen to find
ourselves in. All we can do is improve
ourselves; both in skill and character.
Contact Details: http://doublehauled.com
Vision Urban Wading Boots
16 | 16
How to blend in to your surroundings when
fishing in the town. Take a look at the here:
http://www.urbantrout.net/urban-fishinggear-review-vision-urban-wading-boots/
www.fly-punk.com

LIVE 4 FLY
FISHING
― Michal Zapal ―
M
y adventure with fishing started
in the 80’s when, under
my Grandfather’s watchful
eye, I took my first steps by the river of
Wisła (Vistula), trying to outsmart barbels,
chubs, breams and wels catfish.
As the time passed by, my passion and
interests slowly turned into something
else – I changed spinning and float rods
to fly fishing set and started to chase
after trout and graylings using my first
home-made flies.
I spent hundreds of hours on fishing
escapades and, by this, had a
chance to carefully observe aquatic
environment, which, along with having
tied thousands of flies, has given
me the knowledge to start tie flies
professionally. From 4 years, I have
been tying flies for anglers from all
over the world. Yearly I tie thousands
of flies, and it still gives me pleasure.
And that’s why I decided to create my
own brand of flies, materials and other
fishing stuff – „Live 4 Fly Fishing”, to
connect pleasure and passion with
work. Except traditional patterns, I
also make a lot of patterns created
by myself. Maybe I will expose myself
to traditionalists now, but for the
production of my flies I use synthetic
materials very often. I try to combine
everything what is good in tradition
with modern look for fly tying.
Today’s access to the materials
allows for almost unlimited creation
of new designs, duplication old ones
and combining them. And this ability
to create by combining and mixing of
styles gives me the most joy in my
tying. Very often, deliberately, I go
beyond the traditional fly tying, but I
have to say that I appreciate tyers who
perform classic, beautiful patterns
of flies, which are undoubtedly the
foundations of the interpretation and
creating their own bait.
To all Fly Punk’s tyers I wish a lot
creativity, patience and perseverance
by the vice.
Contact Details: https://www.
facebook.com/live4flyfishing
18 | 18
www.fly-punk.com

VIDEO INTERLUDE ...
CHALKSTREAM
FLY
Leo Cinicolo and Chris Cooper have a passion for fly fishing which drives them to produce videos
of the highest quality that will engage and excite any audience. After spending years clinging to a
surfboard, Chris traded his wet suit for waders, and hasn't been out of the river since. If there's water
around, Chris will be in it. Leo does it all, from stalking trout with a split-cane rod to chasing after
salmon.
When the trout season closes, grayling provide great fly fishing sport. This stretch of the River Test
is perfect for autumn grayling. Fishing available through Simon Cooper at Fishing Breaks, www.
fishingbreaks.co.uk.
Music: “Dead Cat in the Parking Lot” by Birocratic (http://www.birocratic.com)
See more from Leo & Chris here: http://www.chalkstreamfly.co.uk
20 | 20 www.fly-punk.com

FISHING
FOR KICKS
― Paul Sharman ―
T
hrill seekers, adrenaline
junkies, intrepid explorers
and those of you just
looking to try something a little
bit different (or a lot), step right
up. The worlds of destination
and adventure fishing are sectors
of our sport that offer up
a whole new gamut of exciting
possibilities to expand your
skills, increase your species list
and to perhaps tick a few items
off that bucket list of yours.
This can just as easily be at
home as overseas by the way
so budget restrictions notwithstanding;
there will always
be options available to you to
mix your game up a little.
Having been raised on a
typical staid English fly
fishing diet of stillwater
trout fishing it was a career
move 17 years ago now to
‘America’s Finest City’ of San
Diego in southern California
that awoke my fishing senses
to a whole new raft of exciting
opportunities. Suddenly I
was up to my waist in the
Pacific surf one minute
and then float-tubing urban
rivers the next. Befriending
the local anglers was key
and led to tangles with highflying
mako sharks and
hard-pulling tuna offshore to
blasting across the desert
to kayak the Colorado river
backwaters looking for carp
and largemouth bass. I drank
deep at that particular well for
my 8 years there and it gave
me the chance to experience
so much and is also where
I began to regularly write
and photograph for fishing
magazines.
Without really realising it I had
become hooked on seeking
out more new experiences
and adventures. Moving back
to the UK in 2007 I continued
travelling overseas whenever
I could manage it to fish new
waters and to write about
and photograph them for
print mags but also the wave
of online magazines that
had started to grow. What
I have learned over time is
that wherever you go these
days you will probably not
be too far from some sort of
potential fishing adventure.
This is as equally true at
home in the UK – just look
at the rise in popularity of
seeking out species like carp,
pike, mullet and bass with the
fly rod, not to mention tope
and blue sharks if you have
access to a boat. There is a
wealth of information online
these days about all these
species and guides who fish
for most of them so there is
no excuse not get stuck in
and have a go at any that take
your fancy.
Overseas fishing trips can
often be the real highlight we
look forward to all year. Of
course it is great if you are
able to afford a dedicated
trip somewhere but it seems
to be there is more and
more scope for mixing some
exciting fishing in with a
traditional family holiday
pretty much anywhere if you
do a bit of research. I was
just reading the other day
about one of our members on
the flyfishing.co.uk website
that I manage who had been
to the Seychelles and found
some great do-it-yourself
fly fishing for bonefish and
even permit near their selfcatering
accommodation.
Another member takes their
family to Spain and fishes for
the local mullet species and
bass down the beaches and
harbours, usually before the
family are even up and about.
Be adventurous, be curious,
be daring and who knows,
you may be successful.
At the top of end of the scale
you have the all-in fishing
trip. The pack all your fishing
gear first and then find room
for your tighty-whities kind
of trip. Destination fishing
is a thrill, there’s no denying
it, and there are plenty of
destination angling firms all
well-placed to take you on
the adventure fishing trip of
your dreams. Just be sure
what you want out of it before
you choose. For some, mixing
in with others on a group trip
can be fun, whilst for others it
might just be that a one-onone
guide trip is the fix they
seek. No matter what your
particular poison, be aware
that this is likely the start of
a very slippery and expensive
slope into fishing for kicks
and unlike that dream fish
on the end of your line, there
is no escape once you are
hooked.
Contact Details: https://
paulsharmanoutdoors.com
22 | 22
www.fly-punk.com

WHY DO I
FISH?
― Tarn Mack-McEwen―
T
here are millions of aspects that make up
fly fishing and different people find joy out
of these different aspects. For me there are
many things that get me excited about fly fishing
but there's a few things that consistently show
me why fly fishing is my chosen hobby/sport/lifestyle.
I'm a teenage boy (16) living in New Zealand,
which is already a beautiful country. But if it
wasn't for fly fishing I wouldn't have been to
half of the amazing places that I've been to
today. From watching schools of tuna busting
baitfish on the surface on a dead calm summers
evening miles off the New Zealand coast to
tramping up a remote beech forest backcountry
river in search of large brown trout. It's these
places that for me really enhance the overall
experience of a day's fishing and keep your
hunger for exploring around that next corner
which often leads to the next adventure. Don't
get me wrong I still get great enjoyment from
fishing roadside streams but it's those remote
picturesque locations that truly allow all of
life's stresses melt away.
It's taken me a little while to realize but one of the best things
about fly fishing is the opportunity to meet new people. Meeting
new people who share the same passion is always exciting
whether they are young, old, experienced or completely new to
the sport, there is always a uniqueness about every fisherman
where not one is the same. This is what makes it so exciting.
Luckily I've had the pleasure of meeting many long time friends
through fishing whom I've shared many great adventures with
and plan to share a lot more in the future. Fishing with other
people and sharing the experience is so much more rewarding.
that can never be mastered. There is always room to improve on
skills you already know and there's always plenty more new skills
to learn. However learning is a lot harder without teachers. Life
is too short to go keeping secrets so pass it on and help the next
generation gain a lifetime of entertainment and in turn they'll
become future guardians of the waterways.
So there you go, that's what makes fly fishing so enjoyable for
me. Now get out on the water and go figure out what makes you
happy and most importantly have fun.
Contact Details: https://www.instagram.com/tarn_m_m
My last favourite aspect is the opportunity to be constantly
learning. Every experience brings loads of new knowledge which
in turn improves your overall angling ability. Fly fishing is a sport
24 | 24
www.fly-punk.com

―Jared Lane & Rich Hacker―
MORE FROM THE
BROTHERHOOD
Jared tells us about an epic
session for musky, he and Rich
experieced in 2016
T
he day started like any other; riddled with anticipation,
fear of defeat, and breakfast beers. The night's cool air
still hung heavy over the river as we launched the boat, in
pursuit of musky.
We were starting the journey against a deficit. Weary and
sore from casting against outrageous winds the day prior,
and not much besides a handful of big bass to show for
it. Today, we needed the wind, and the odds, to be in our
favour. The casts had been placed and it was time to settle
up with the toothy beasts.
I opened the boat box and made my selection deliberately.
The fly had produced for me multiple times on this water,
and I knew it would be the best option for the morning. The
man on the bow had his doubts, and his druthers about
casting my selection. Like any good boat mate however, he
heeded the captain's call, and prepared for battle.
The first few casts were made to make acquaintance with
the cumbersome fly, and the fourth cast was placed with
precision to the base of a log. Strip, strip, BOOOM! Nerves
and an over eager eat left the line limp. It is not often you
are greeted by a musky on your fourth cast of the day. The
odds were in our favour.
I rowed into position on the other side of the tree, and the
hunter again landed a dialed in cast right on target. Strip,
strip, striBOOM! Another savagely slashing eat, and the line
screamed tight. Rich was tied into his first musky on the fly.
It was a battle and celebration I will never forget. The slime
flying, the high fives, coursing adrenaline, success.
Sharing moments like that are what it's all about. Seeing the
awe, wonder, and adrenaline from an outside perspective, is
just as rewarding as having the eat for yourself. Five casts
in and the fish of a lifetime?! I've had legions of amazing
moments on the water this year, in incredible fisheries, but
when I look back, this is the most memorable.
Contact: https://www.instagram.com/brotherhoodofthebend
26 | 26
www.fly-punk.com

Beautiful Buzzers
- Michal Zapal
28 | 28 www.fly-punk.com

NEO NYMPHING
-- THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE BEGINS --
― Stanislas Freyheit―
N
ew trends are always hated by purists. It’s the same old
story in all sports and arts. But it’s even worse in the fly
fishing world, because we all know that there’s a lot of
solid traditions in the fly fishing art. However, in France, we had to
adapt nymphing to the drop of fish quantities in our rivers due to
a mix of causes like pollution, cormorants invasion or excessive
predation from anglers.
Let’s get it simple: When it comes to fish underwater, if a river
is packed with non educated fish, you just have to cast a wet
fly in a pool, and sooner or later, a fish will rush on your fly
and you’ll have a knock on the rod to warn you that it’s time to
strike. This is the easiest case on earth; I have been fishing in
places like this in Alaska or Mongolia. There are no technical
choices to do to catch fish in such conditions. Years ago,
people from Czech Republic gave birth to the famous Czech
nymphing method. This Czech nymphing method allows you
to get rid of any kind of indicator on your fly fishing line by
fishing the streams with your leader in a loose, but controlled
tension. This invention changed the world of nymphing
because it allowed an impressive gain of sensitivity, because
the weight of an indicator was removed from the drifting
line. When I started fly fishing in the 2000’s, I learnt Czech
nymphing from French competitors. I added a 20 cm bicolour
line in my leader to be able to perform Czech nymphing drift,
and switch to dry fly when fish were rising. But year passing
by, we had to drop down hook from size 12 to 18, and point
lines from 0.16 to 0.10 mm to catch the biggest fish of the
river. From my short experience of nymphing, I have been
witnessing the intelligence of the fish growing on the French
rivers. Today, on the most difficult rivers to fish like the Loue
or the Albarine, it is useless to fish on points over 0.10 mm,
and to use hooks bigger than size n°18.
French anglers had to adapt to these new behaviours, and to
find a way to perform more precise drifts with such thin lines
and small flies. It was hard to go smaller on the point line and
on the fly size. Then the problem was in the rest of the leader.
The fly fishing line is used to cast dry flies and small nymphs.
But when it comes to sensitivity with “under the rod “ drifts,
the fly line is just a burden in your rings, leading to a loss of
sensitivity.
And this is my own definition of neo-nymphing : the use of
nylon in the rings when practising Czech nymphing. This
evolution brings a far better sensitivity than having the fly
line in the rings, and allows you to perform more precie drifts
and to feel more bites.
But keep in mind that the line used is so thin ( 0.17 mm ), that
it has to be highly coloured to be seen over the water. That’s
why we use a length of 5 meters of bicolour line to practice
Czech nymphing in France. I always keep this 5 meters bicolor
indicator rolled on a pad. Then if I want to switch methods, I
just have to roll back this indicator on the pad, and fish dry fly
for example.
So if you want to catch more fish, and if you are not afraid to
break fly fishing clichés, be a neo-nympher!
Contact Details: http://trout-grayling-flies.com
30 | 30
www.fly-punk.com

ALIFE
DEFINED
BY
GRAYLING
―Dave Wiltshire―
Dave talks us through
his lifelong passion for
gralying fishing.
Its not just the fishing
that Dave enjoys but
the anticipation when
tying flies and the thrill
of catching a fish on
something you've created
yourself.
B
ack in; my wading boots are
next to the fire having spent
the day compacting the river
side frost. And there’s that sense of
satisfaction that you’ve spent a few
hours at the river, hunting that majestic
of all fish, the Grayling. I gave
up a long time ago trying to justify to
my non-angling friends why we do it.
Perhaps I should say why ‘I’ do it, because
I’m sure that those that make
the effort to fly fish, and target their
quarry in often extreme conditions,
do it for many different reasons. I am
lucky enough to fish alongside some
of the very finest fly anglers in the
country, yet seldom is there any justification
sought for why we fish within
our conversations. An unspoken
understanding exists that requires no
questions to be asked or justification
demanded.
As a young boy starting in my
fishing journey, I would spend my
weekends choosing stick floats,
making pole rigs, preparing bait
and organising every item into its
chosen place. It was as much the
preparation away from the water as
much as the time spent fishing that
was important. And that has never
stopped; except that now it’s the
tying of flies and the knotting of
leaders. Escapism. Indeed, I spent
last New Year’s Day tying salmon
flies for the spring months. Grayling
bugs left the vice mid-August in
preparation for the colder months
and no doubt this February I’ll be
tying Blue Winged Olive Spinners
in readiness for those hot August
Summer evenings. Always forward
planning; day-dreaming.
The largest of fish, the most exotic
of venues. It matters very little. A
sipping rise from a wild trout on
a small stream, the quartering of
a grayling over clean gravel can
mean a great deal. Thankfully,
fishing doesn’t appeal to the
masses. Thankfully it appeals to
those I love to share the experience
with. We have a wider responsibility
however to share and encourage
youngsters to engage, not only in
a sport, but an interest that will
look after our rivers and give them
the life-long passion we have been
lucky enough to experience.
Contact: https://www.facebook.
com/dave.wiltshire.7
32 | 32
www.fly-punk.com

VIDEO INTERLUDE ...
TRANSIT
TROUT
Our favourite graffiti artist Adam Dust O'Connor paints a summer brownie on a van!
Fancy something similar on yours?
Music: "Fiesta" by The Pogues (Google Play • iTunes)
You can see more of the Dusto's work at:
Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dusto
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/iamdusto
YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLtQlh9h6Vbzd1zzrSOpGA
34 | 34 www.fly-punk.com

couldn’t take it anymore. I looked back
into my journal from last year and saw that
I had fished several smaller creeks on the
east coast of Vancouver Island when the
water was higher than usual. I decided
that morning that I would take a chance
and fish a river I hadn’t fished since last
season. With all this rain, all I could think
about was how far the coho’s had pushed
upstream. I hadn’t hiked that far up this
river last year because the coho’s were
down near the river mouth last year. With
sling packed and a smile on my face I was
off. As I was hiking I pasted my favourite
holes with nothing in site which meant I
would be hiking a few kilometres before I
see some fish stacked up. From that point
on the bush got thick, I mean “dense” is a
better descriptive word. It looks like there
hasn’t been a human or animal there for
many years. The bush on both sides of
the river was either hip high ferns or my
most hated devils club thorns 5 feet of the
worst of the worst thorns. When I had the
chance, I walked the edge of the rivers on
boulders to broken shale. The hike was
beautiful passing over log jam after long
jam of old growth trees that had fallen
centuries ago. You can only imagine the
storms and floods that would have come
through this river in the past would have
been an incredible sight.
Once I reached the first deep run I settled
down and rigged up my two-handed rod.
Starting off with my trusty micro intruder,
a favourite of mine for these small rivers.
Second swing in and bang I was onto a
solid fish. I didn’t know straight away what
I had hooked into but it fought well. After
a good long fight, I got him in and it was a
truly beautiful buck rainbow with markings
I will never forget. After a quick photo, he
was off and back into his hole. What a
great start to the day. From then on, the
river changed shape it went from log jams
with long riffles to stepping up to pools
and running to the next pool. I started as
usual swinging from the top of the pool
down and after a couple of casts I hooked
up to a feisty Coho nothing big but boy he
was scrappy. Running me up and down
the pool and with some aerial acrobatics
to keep me focussed. After landing that
Coho I couldn’t wipe the smile of my face.
After release I kept swinging the pool and
came up with a few more small rainbows.
Time to move on and discover what else
is upstream. I had to cross the river a
few times and water depth was getting
close to that point where it’s, make it or
break it but I pushed on because this day
was all about discovering new water and
nothing was going to stop me. Around the
bend, I found the holy grail of all pools/
runs. It was a sweeping right hand cover
with a rocky corner turning downstream
to a deep pool of at least 6 feet rounding
the corner and pushing up against a
shale cliff then flowing into a nice slow
tail out. Picture perfect. Well once again
starting at the head of the run I cast out
and swung the fly. As the fly was almost
parallel with the bank I started to strip
and what I saw follow behind my fly was
a huge Coho chasing it down. My chest
started pounding and all I could think of
was, Grab it!!! At the last second when
the fly was getting to shallow it turned
away and swam back into his pool. I was
pumped went back in for another swing
and this time he wasn’t so lucky he came
out I stripped a little faster and bang he
grabbed it. First thing he did was run me
back into the pool and had his head down
like an angry brown trout. Twisting and
turning and carrying on like his life was
going to end. After a tremendous fight
of dogging it out and head shakes to
boot I got him up against the bank and
after a big thank you released him back
into the river to go about his business.
There’s something about catching Coho
salmon in the rivers their non-resident
fish that have fattening up in the ocean
for their last big hurray to pro-create and
keep this fishery alive. Small rivers can
produce some large salmon get out there
and discover what’s in your backyard.
Vancouver Island is an amazing place
with rivers, lakes and ocean to fish. I love
this place.
Contact Details: https://www.instagram.
com/adventurestarts
THE FIRST
YEAR
ABROAD
― Jack Van Delft ―
W
ell just over a year ago, we decided
to pack up all our belonging and sell
our house and everything we owned
and move the family over to Vancouver
Island, Canada from Byron Bay, Australia
in search of new beginnings. I chose the
island for two reasons my sister and her
family and the countless opportunities for
fishing. From lake fishing to ocean fishing
and everything in between. Landing in August
meant I would be able to settle into
some early pink salmon returning to the rivers
as well some sea-run cutthroat action
starting to show up along the coast lines
and river mouths. Leaving Australia I had
the idea that I would engulf myself in as
many different types of fly fishing as I could
as well as meeting as many fly fisherman
with the same idea. One year on the salmon
are returning the pinks have come and gone
the coho’s and chum are in full swing. We’ve
waited all summer for the rains to come to
kick start the salmon but it came late and
now we can’t seem to get rid of it. I’ve been
hiding away in small coastal creeks to get
away from the flooding waters and have
been happily rewarded with large coho’s and
chinook that can hardly fit in the water system
there returning to.
One day in mid-October I can relive one of
the most memorable fishing days. It was
wet and damp we had received three days
of rain and finally the weather had broken.
The water level had dropped but was still
a tannin colour and by the second day I
36 | 36
www.fly-punk.com

A Hardy Trout
- Adam Royter
38 | 38 www.fly-punk.com

TROUT PORN
― Richard Fieldhouse―
IN SEARCH OF AREA 51
I
’m sure you have watched videos of celebrated
anglers pulling huge fish out of tiny rivers
and stillwaters. I’m also sure, that you’ve
thought to yourself “I wonder where that is?” especially
when the angler tries to hide their exact
location. This book is the story of 2 guys who
thought just that, and their journey to find that
secret spot (codenamed A51).
Trout Porn is a non-fiction account of Mark
Pizzimenti (and his buddy Warren) and their
fishing journeys around Colorado rivers,
threaded throughout is their search of the
secret Area 51 tailwater. Their journey takes
them to (and in) the rivers Taylor, Platte,
Arkansas & Frying Pan.
I like to read (especially about fly fishing), and
I always relish starting a new book. This was
no exception; I was planning to read it over
the Christmas week and at 170 odd pages,
thought that I could fit it in with other family
commitments. As it turned out I read this book
in one sitting, I was gripped from the end of
the first chapter (the only time I put it down
was to refresh the beer in my glass).
On opening the book, I read the first page with
anticipation. It captured the exact feelings
which I can relate to on the art of fly fishing;
just have a read of the first paragraph of the
book:
“Angling by the fly isn’t about solitude,
peace, serenity. Less so is it the artistry
of the cast or the tying of the bugs or
the flip of a mend on the drift. Such
things serve the craft. Once you spot
the trout in the shimmer of the run
everything else fades into a quantum of
focus, and in the Q there is no ticking
of time, no sense of place, no virtuosity
with the line. And that is angling”
That, to me, sums up my feelings when I’m on
my favourite stretch of river. I was hooked.
Our first book
review is a fly fishing
mystery by Mark
Pizzimenti. He tells
us its all true! If
so it was an epic
year covering the
Colorado rivers in
search of Area 51
and its 30"+ Hogs
Throughout the book Mark describes their
escapades with great candour and comedy,
something I can relate to - reminding me of
some of my own trips. I won’t spoil any of them
here, but copious amounts of Whisky and the
odd wading disaster are included.
If you like the idea of reading about someone
else’s trout fishing (and in the off season here
in the UK that’s about all we can do), then this
is the book for you.
Once you have read the book, you will have
one question: Where can I see the video that
is at the source of their quest? I emailed Mark
and asked him, here’s the link: https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=EsptKueaWnY
Grab yourself a copy of the book, you
won’t be disappointed - available in
both hardback and digital formats from
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
Trout-Porn-Colorado-Fishing-Mystery/
dp/0966663594/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_
encoding=UTF8&qid=1483447137&sr=8-1
40 | 40
www.fly-punk.com

GEAR REVIEW:
UMPQUA CHEST PACK
W
e all have our favourites.
Some prefer the traditional
waistcoat, some the
waist pack and some the chest
pack (I’ve even seem some use a
plastic carrier bag). My personal
preference is for the chest-pack,
most of the fishing I do is in rivers,
where the levels can vary drastically.
I need something which sits
high on my chest, is easily accessible
and has as little as possible
to get in the way when casting. I
have tried numerous chest-packs
in my time, from Simms to William
Joseph and I have always found
that I have a problem with the way
the pack sits on my neck. They all
seem to put undue pressure on the
back of my neck, giving me neck
and back ache after a few hours
(my posture when fishing doesn’t
help either!). So the search was
on for something which spreads
the weight over my shoulders rather
than my neck. I did a similar
search a few years ago and settled
on the Umpqua Overlook Chest
Pack, I’ve been really impressed
with the quality and thought that
went into the design of this, so
when I heard about the new Rock
Creek ZS Chest Pack (ZS stands
for Zero Sweep), I took the plunge
and bought one.
Essentially it's very similar to the
Overlook 500 but much smaller
(just enough room for the days
flies, tippet and essentials). The
“Zero Sweep” mentioned in the
“ZS” makes reference to the design.
The pack is designed to have
no protruding buckles or snags,
even when loaded with all your
gear; everything is covered up (a
really neat touch – and something
you don’t really appreciate until
you are on the water). You can tell
these have been designed with
great attention to detail, to give
you an example:
•Retractors are attached inside on
high-wear hypalon tabs and then
threaded out of side ports where
tools are housed for snag-free access.
•Hemostat/Forceps are attached
under the front panel, there’s even
a special tab to clip them to.
•They even designed their own
buckle, because nothing on the
market could provide the function
they needed without being a
snag-hazard.
I’ve now been using this chest
pack for the last 6 months and
have been really impressed with it.
I like the way it sits high on your
chest, so you can be very ambitious
when you're wading (and not
worry about your gear getting a
soaking). Yes, the design is great
and the attention to detail magnificent,
but for me, it’s the way it sits
on my chest and back when I wear
it that impresses me. It has easily
extended the amount of time I can
spend on the water without compromising
my ability to concentrate
on my fishing. It is the one thing
I have bought in the last few years
which has really improved my fishing!
I bought the bundle where
you get the Chest Pack & Overlook
ZS Back Pack, I’ve not had chance
to use the backpack yet, but
it looks to be of a similar quality
to the Chest Pack, also from the
looks of it, it will spread the weight
over the whole of your shoulders
and back.
So, those are the good points,
what about the bad points. It took
me a while to think of any to be honest,
here’s a few (and I am being
really picky here):
•I would have preferred to have
fly patch on the front which is not
made of so dense a material. I only
use barbless flies, and found that
they would fall out easily. This was
easily rectified as the fly patch is
Velcro backed and it was easy to
swap it with one I made myself a
few years ago.
•I would also like to have a version
in Olive Green, just for those days
when a bit of stealth is required!
Here’s what Umpqua say about the
Chest Pack:
“This mighty little chest pack
keeps things simple without compromising
functionality or comfort.
Comfort is the most common failure
of chest packs resulting from
the simple, loop neck strap that
always ends up digging in. Our
four-point back panel (connects
over both shoulders and sides) provides
all-day comfort and allows
for d-ring net attachment. Our new
Zero Sweep design is particularly
useful in this pack because
its streamlined/imbedded functionality
take up less space. Two
Zero Sweep retractor stations, a
Zero Sweep tool sheath and Zero
Sweep foam fly patch and a cord
tippet holder round out this mighty
little pack.”
― RICHARD FIELDHOUSE ―
FEATURES
• Zero Sweep
- Two internal retractor Hypalon attachment tabs
- Nipper stations/ports
- Tool sheath
- Foam fly patch station (patch included)
- Snag-free shoulder sizing buckle
• Four-point back-panel with net D-ring
• Main compartment – holds two large fly boxes
• Two front overlay pockets – flat leader storage
• Two side stretch-mesh pockets – accessories
• Cord tippet holder – holds up to 8 tippet spools
• Internal key clip and organization
• Closed-foot sliders
• YKK zippers
• Volume - 200 cubic inches (3 Liters)
• Fabric - Body fabric - 420 denier nylon - High wear locations – Ballistic Cordura®
42 | 42
www.fly-punk.com

VIDEO INTERLUDE ...
BROTHERS ON
THE FLY
After a lot of thinking, "Brothers on the Fly" decided to release the full "Welcome to
Iceland" Film for free, despite having invested a lot of money and time in the project
themselves - We're really glad they did. Take a look at this, we're sure you will enjot it.
Coming from a country where Catch and Release is still officially prohibited (Germany),
two brothers went to Iceland to find out about the state of conservation in a country
where fish and free flowing rivers are still abundant, and they came across interesting
people along the way.
A shorter version was featured on the RISE Fly Fishing Film Festival 2016!
Thanks to:
mountainkhakis.com
Stroft Fishing Lines (stroft.de)
campericeland.com
icelandfishingguide.com
arcticangling.is
Imago Fly Fishing
You can see more of the brothers work at: http://www.brothersonthefly.com
44 | 44 www.fly-punk.com

― Chris WilliAms―
FISHING ON
THE EDGE
T
his is all true by the way, no fisherman's
story...!
Only an hour's drive north of
Johannesburg's OR Tambo International
takes you to the southern part of
the Bushveld where there are some
delightful small tributaries of the
Crocodile River which in turn is a
tributary of the 'great grey-green, greasy
Limpopo River, all set about by fevertrees'
as Rudyard Kipling described it.
Despite Kipling's snot-like description
of the mighty main river, the little bushy
tributary I was going to fish was clear
and only about two or three rod lengths
wide and up to about thigh/waist deep
maximum depth. Being our summertime
here the daytime temperatures go up to
about 35 degrees with clouds building
up during the day and the usual late
afternoon thunderstorm which clears
away the accumulated humidity.
My target was the Largescale Yellowfish,
a strong indigenous Southern African
cyprinoid prevalent in the north-east
of the region. The fish looks like a
cross between the European barbel
and common carp. It fights at least as
hard as each of its Euro cousins. The
yellowfish group comprise several
species each of which are endemic
to their own areas within Southern
Africa. As to fishing for them, they are
generally insectivorous and in summer
daytime Hydro psyche larva and mayfly
nymph imitations are reliable fished
upstream Czech nymph style. In the
evenings, we get the caddis emergers
and adult caddis/Baetis mayfly hatches
which can be spectacular when fishing
emergers and dries especially skittering
caddis imitations.
Anyway, my fishing mate and ace
photographer, Andrew, came up with me
and we met our friend Mario who had
lived all his life on a farm by the stream
we were going to fish. I set up a bog
standard set-up with my 10' 3 weight
ESN rod, 5lb tippet and a size 14 Czech
tan nymph and size 16 PTN.
I may have forgotten to tell you I had got
stung by some angry bees that morning
which left my face puffy and red.
Nothing to do with any overindulgence
the previous night just for a change. I
was looking forward to a relaxing and
quiet afternoon hopefully fishing in the
shade of the acacia trees whilst my bee
stings subsided.
I started off fly-fishing upstream from
the sill of a longish pool. All calm
and serenity as it should be. Apart
from some multi-coloured malachite
kingfisher perched on a nearby acacia
branch who glared at me like I had
stolen his fishing beat. I then trekked a
hundred yards or so further upstream
to test the head of the pool which was
framed by a rocky rants (cliff) on either
side. I found a convenient ledge to sit
on whilst I serenely lobbed my little
nymph rig upstream. Lazy old sod!
Everything was right with the world.
Mario suddenly screamed out 'DON'T
MOVE’! 'What seemed like a minute,
passed' to paraphrase a Monty Python
sketch. Eventually I saw a thin bright
green snake about 3 or 4-foot-long
sashaying towards me. I shat myself.
My basic herpetology told me this could
be a green mamba, one of Africa's most
lethal snakes. Luckily, I kept so still it
went past me into a gap in the cliff rock a
couple of yards from me. I shivered and
carried on attempting to fish keeping
more of an eye on the rocks than on
the river. Eventually Mario and Andrew
reckoned let's call it a day. I dared to
move for the first time in an hour. It
was still steaming hot and we were all
very thirsty. So, as we wended our way
a bit further upstream towards the farm
house we came across the skeleton of
a freshly-killed buck. 'Oh!' exclaimed
Mario calmly, 'that was probably the kill
the leopard made last night and which
the pack of hyenas finished eating this
morning just as you arrived!' I again
wondered what the hell had I done
wrong this week to deserve bee stings,
snakes, leopards and hyenas all in one
day? And incidentally bugger all fish.
Just before the homestead was a donga
(shallow dry eroded river bed) with a
signpost on the other side facing away
from us. I walked across the donga only
to read the sign.
'Beware of The Crocodile' it said.
Contact Details: http://www.fosaf.org.za/
46 | 46
www.fly-punk.com