Sandy River Spey Clave 2013, Fly Fishing Adventure In New Zealand, Tube Fly Hooks

*	Search	Catalog	Trips & Schools	Bargains
Our Waters		Order Info	Newsletter	Events

Topics
Spey Clave 2013
Fly Fishing New Zealand
Tube Fly Hooks

Sandy River Spey Clave 2013

New Presentations & Programs, New Tackle For You To Try, Free Casting Lessons !!!

Fly Fishing Adventure In New Zealand
By: Jon Covich

I have had a lucky 2013 so far. First, a trip to Chile in January to fish at Cohaique River Lodge. And then in February, I was invited to Cedar Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island to photograph the lodge and its fishing. Let’s just hope that this kind of luck continues throughout the rest of the year!
I have traveled to New Zealand on five previous trips, although not since 2000. And I have really had a great variety of adventures there.
I’ve done the touristy stuff, but have also hiked in to many backcountry huts to fish, have been dropped in to rivers by helicopter to explore, and have even driven my very pregnant wife and elderly mother and mother in law around both islands in a rented motor home. Now that was an adventure!
Cedar Lodge has been owned by Dick Fraser and his wife Robin for over 30 years. Situated near the banks of the Makarora River, the lodge is about 90 minutes drive from the Queenstown airport.

Rooms are very comfortable, the meals are superb, and the hosts themselves are extremely accommodating and entertaining. Dick Fraser is one of those guys that can hold court with any group, and tell story after story about fishing adventures, eccentric clients, and practical jokes. He also has the widest assortment of lurid limericks that I have ever heard!

The most unique aspect of Cedar Lodge is that it owns and operates its own helicopter, which is used every day to place clients in nearby rivers. There are 5-6 top quality fly fishing rivers all with a 15 minute helicopter ride. Having a helicopter each day at the disposal of the lodge and clients is unheard of in New Zealand. Other lodges do use helicopters, but only on occasion, and usually for an extra cost. As an angler, it is a huge advantage because you can be easily placed where others are not fishing, and it can be done quickly, saving you travel time. And even better, riding in a helicopter is like going on the best ride at Disneyland, and you get to do it twice a day, every day.

Most of you have heard what makes the fishing in New Zealand special, but I am going to go in to a little more detail. Although you are dropped by helicopter each day, you do get your exercise. Because fish populations are nut huge, anglers hike upstream searching each likely pool for fish. When they are spotted, you go in to the full NZ stalk, sneaking up on the fish from downstream, pulling line off the reel in just the right amount to reach the fish, and then placing a quick, but delicate cast just in to view of that fish. It’s not easy. But, it is entirely visual, exciting, and ultimately challenging.

The good news is that most fish you encounter are between 4 and 7 pounds. And they will slowly rise to your dry fly if all is done correctly and luck is on your side. anglers will walk upstream and sight fish during their day, and then be picked up by helicopter for the short trip back to the lodge making your hike a one way trip.

Let’s talk a bit about products used on this trip. First, be aware that I am a rep, so I am only going to talk about products that I sell! That being understood, here are some of my notes:

BUFF: Wow did I underestimate this product. I brought a Buff with me, only thinking of it to keep the sun off my neck. I guess I had forgotten about the dreaded NZ sandfly, which comes out when it is calm but cloudy. They are vicious! They bite, and then those bites turn in to red bumps that can itch enough to put you in a padded room.

(I counted……there were 25 sand flies on or around my head!)

Thus, the importance of long sleeved shirts, long pants, and a BUFF pulled up over your neck and face when the bugs were out.
WINSTON: I did an article recently about my trip to Chile, and talked about how good the new BlllSX was for that fishing. The requirements for a rod in NZ are very different, needing a rod that will cast delicately and accurately, almost always with a floating line. For this fishing, the Winston BlllX was the perfect tool.

A 9’ 6 weight was the right rod, and this Winston has enough power to place a big dry fly where you want it, but the right amount of flex and feel to make that happen quickly but delicately.

FISHPOND: I mentioned earlier that my main job was to photograph Cedar Lodge and the nearby fishing. Because of this, I was lugging around more than 20 pounds of camera gear. But I was also fishing. With all the gear, I had to really think about minimizing my tackle. You know, this is always a good thing. We all tend to bring too much with us. I ended up using the new Fishpond Westwater Chest Pack. I took off the neck straps, and used the loops on the back to wear it on my belt.

Inside were two fly boxes, two spools of tippet, an extra leader, floatant, nippers and a hemostat. In the end, it was really all that I should have been carrying. Better yet, with Fishpond’s new waterproof fabric and resistant zipper, this pack kept contents dry in rain and the occasional dunk in the river.

SPIRIT RIVER: The Cicadas were out and around on many of the rivers we fished. And, the fish were looking for them. I was very successful with Arnold’s Improved Unabomber from Spirit River. This fly has been great for me in other locations as a general attractor, but these fished loved it for the Cicada.

This was really one of the best fishing trips I have ever experienced. If you are interested in doing the same thing, please contact Cedar Lodge at
www.cedarlodge.net or www.flywatertravel.com
or contact Jon Covich directly: jcovich@mindspring.com

Tube Fly Hooks

Daiichi X452	Daiichi X510	Daiichi 2451
Gamakatsu Drop Shot	Gamakatsu SL11-3H	Gamakatsu SC15
Owner Fly Liner	Owner SSW Straight Eye	TMC 105
Naturally the hooks on this page are used for more than tube flies, but they are our favorites for tube fly trailers. The selection of the hook can change the looks and performance of a tube fly.

X452 Daiichi X-Point Saltwater Hook O'Saughnessy Bend, straight eye, forged, X-Point, bright saltwater resistant finish. Popular saltwater hook. Also popular for tube flies, shad flies and regular steelhead/salmon flies. This may be the finest straight eye all purpose wet fly hook available at any price. Incredibly sharp, incredibly strong. Mark's favorite saltwater and steelhead tube fly hook.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
DX45208	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	8	15 for $8.50
DX45206	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	6	15 for $8.50
DX45204	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	4	15 for $8.50
DX45202	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	2	12 for $8.50
DX4521/0	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	1/0	10 for $9.00
DX4522/0	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	2/0	10 for $10.00
DX4523/0	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	3/0	10 for $11.00
DX4524/0	Daiichi X-Point All Purpose Fly Hook	4/0	10 for $12.00

X510 Daiichi X-Point Steelhead Hook Wide gape, 3X-short shank, 3X-heavy wire, straight eye, forged, X-Point. Popular tube fly, stinger fly, glo bug hook.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
X510-4	Daiichi X-Point Steelhead Hook	4	25 for $7.95

Daiichi 2451 Hooks These hooks have found favor with anglers who desire a slightly longer shank and more conventional sizes. O'Shaughnessy bend, straight eye, forged, heavy wire, black
Item	Description	Price	To Top
DA2451-1	15 pack Daiichi Model 2451 Hooks Size 1	$3.50
DA2451-2	15 pack Daiichi Model 2451 Hooks Size 2	$3.50
DA2451-4	18 pack Daiichi Model 2451 Hooks Size 4	$3.50

Drop Shot, Nickel Silver Black The sticky sharpness of Gamakatsu® hooks is the result of a patented mechanical needle-honing process developed to make the sharpest hooks possible. And a unique tempering process and high-carbon steel construction ensures superior strength and durability. This a deadly steelhead/salmon hook when used in conjunction with stinger flies an tube flies. A favorite of Travis Johnson.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
50410-25	Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hooks, 25-pack, Nickel Silver Black	1	$14.95
50409-25	Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hooks, 25-pack, Nickel Silver Black	2	$14.95
50408-25	Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hooks, 25-pack, Nickel Silver Black	4	$14.95

Gamakatsu SL11-3H 3X Strong, Tin Plated Saltwater Series Fly Hooks. Premium super-strong hooks for bonefish, tarpon , permit, dorado, striped bass, as well as heavy duty tube fly trailers for salmon, steelhead and saltwater.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
13506-15	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 15 pack	8	$6.25
13507-15	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 15 pack	6	$6.25
13508-12	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 12 pack	4	$6.25
13509-12	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 12 pack	2	$6.95
13510-12	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 12 pack	1	$6.95
13511-12	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 12 pack	1/0	$8.35
13512-10	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 10 pack	2/0	$8.35
13513-10	Gamakatsu SL11-3H Hooks, 10 pack	3/0	$8.35

Gamakatsu SC15 Wide Gap Saltwater Series Fly Hook, Tin Plated Saltwater Series Fly Hooks. Premium super-strong hooks for bonefish, small tarpon , permit, dorado, striped bass, as well as heavy duty tube fly trailer hook for salmon, steelhead and saltwater.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
82507-15	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 15 Pack	6	$4.85
82508-12	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 12 Pack	4	$4.85
82509-12	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 12 Pack	2	$4.85
82510-12	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 12 Pack	1	$4.85
82511-12	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 12 Pack	1/0	$5.55
82512-10	Gamakatsu SC15, Wide Gap, Tin Plated Hooks, 10 Pack	2/0	$5.55

Owner Hooks Co. Ltd was established in 1974 and their mission policy was “Perfection In Hooks”, a motto the company still strives for today. CUTTING POINT® HOOKS - Owner's revolutionary triple-edge design is what put the Owner name and its product line on the map. The unique, patented hook design is led by a needle sharp point, and as the hook begins to penetrate, the resistance actually decreases as the three edges cut their way through for an instant, positive hook-set. The machining process that renders this unique point requires extra steps and thus extra expense. Owner hooks are expensive, but give extra advantages, so they are worth it to many experienced

anglers. While other hook manufacturers claim their hooks to be sharp, or sharpest, Owner CUTTING POINT® hooks are the only hooks designed specifically with instant penetration as the primary design feature.

Owner Fly Liner Hooks No expense has been spared. These hooks are very finely crafted. Designed as a saltwater hook for fishing live bait, this aggressive design features the Owner Cutting Edge Point. The black chrome finish provides a very smooth, abrasion-free finish for the leader connection to the eye. They are reasonably easy to sharpen after contact with a river bottom. Short shank, Standard gap, no off-set, cutting edge point, very sharp, micro barb, forged, ball eye, black chrome finish.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
5106-101	Owner Fly Liner Hooks, Pack-7	1	$6.50
5106-91	Owner Fly Liner Hooks, Pack-8	2	$6.50
5106-71	Owner Fly Liner Hooks, Pack-8	4	$6.50
5106-51	Owner Fly Liner Hooks, Pack-9	6	$6.50

Owner SSW Straight Eye Cutting Point SSW style hooks are now available with a straight eye. The original SSW has an up-turned eye that is designed to be snelled on the shank of the hook, but the straight eye allows for direct knot tying. This allows for more efficient in-line hook-sets. Features include Cutting Point® for superior penetration, black chrome finish, and offset point for sticking power.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
5180-111	Owner SSW Straight Eye Hooks, 8-Pack	1/0	$5.50
5180-101	Owner SSW Straight Eye Hooks, 9-Pack	1	$5.50
5180-091	Owner SSW Straight Eye Hooks, 10-Pack	2	$5.50
5180-071	Owner SSW Straight Eye Hooks, 10-Pack	4	$5.50

TMC 105 Hooks These very sharp hooks were designed for egg flies. They have proven themselves for tube fly hooks. Straight eye, reversed bend, 2X strong, 5X short bronze.
Item	Description	Price	To Top
TMC-105	25 pk TMC size 4 Model 105 Hooks	$6.15

Fish long & prosper,
Mark, Patty & Crew

The Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR

1(800) 266-3971

P.O. Box 368 - 67296 East Hwy 26
Welches, Oregon 97067, USA
Voice: (503) 622-4607 or 1(800) 266-3971 FAX: (503) 622-5490
flyfish@flyfishusa.com
© 1981-2012 The Fly Fishing Shop
We have been in business since April 21, 1981.
To Top