Month: October 2006

Fugly Foam Floating Flies.

Sexy Loops have just put up an article of mine on foam flies. I am a convert. Using these flies is much more fun than being grown up.

Just a Quick Content Warning: Anyone of a purist dry-fly persuasion or of a delicate disposition should proceed under caution.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing flies, fly tying

Sneaky Buggers Catch More Trout

“Trout aren’t stupid. They might be brainless and lack creativity (a lot like the creators of Gilligan’s Island), but they’re survivors. And they didn’t get that way by offering themselves up as a meal for every predator that wanders by. Which – if you stop to watch most fly fishers on the water – begs the obvious question. Why don’t more fly fishers act like predators?”

This piece on the Trout Underground offers good advice on getting close to a trout, in a fly-fishing way of course.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing how-to

Booby Fly Variants


I promised some time ago to put up a photo of Booby fly variants on the Booby fly article, and finally I found my round-to-it, and it is up there, and as a special bonus it is here as well.

Top is a Rabbit Booby, next a Mink Booby.
The third from the top is a Sparkle Booby, good daytime fly and on moonlit nights.
The Viva Variant Booby is good at night and during the day – yes I know the rule, dark flies for the dark bright flies for the light – rules are for the obedience of fools, merely guides for the wise.
The Little Black Number is good at night and in the day – read the rule above.
The bottom fly, a Blob Booby works well at night and daytime too.

There are tying and fishing instructions for all variants in the original article.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing flies, fly tying

The Words Get in the Way

It was interesting, the reports in US web-sites about a Kiwi angler who “snagged” a 700lb tuna. Great fish and all, but the reports show just how different Amglish has become. The reports I am sure were meant to indicate the angler had caught the fish, but in English snagged means to foul-hook a fish, by accident or worse.

The list of the differences between English and Amglish are many, but some can lead to great embarassment – like when I asked a Secretary of a company I was visiting in the US for a rubber. Fortunately help was at hand to explain I wanted an eraser.

I can still remember my reaction when a female US client of mine asked me to hand her, her fanny pack. In English ‘fanny’ is not the backside, and only females have one.

Still I suppose that all these differences only serve to enrich the language, because if English is nothing else it is constantly evolving. But there is one word that Amglish has invented that has no place in anybodies language, and that is ‘gotten’, it is ugly, it is inelegant, and the originator should be shot at dawn ?

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing humour, Life & Stuff

The Trout I Did Not Want To Have to Catch

He was my oldest friend. From age 10 we have fished, dived, and generally had a hell of a good time, with lots of “frivolity”. It was his Birthday just on a month a ago, and I rang him to see what he wanted for his birthday.

He replied that he wanted the gift of my company, and if at all possible a trout for dinner and a bit of frivolity. I could not refuse, especially as this birthday would be his last.

So I took off for Taupo the afternoon before the party, filled with performance anxiety. Providing fish to order is usually the kiss of death. Not this night. On only the 3rd or 4th cast I hooked up on the wonderful fish you see here. I duly landed it, killed it, gilled and gutted it, and packed it in ice in a chilly-bin, and back I drove the 3.5 hours back to Auckland.

I arrived before the other guests, laid the trout on a very big square of aluminium foil, splashed on the liberal dose of white wine, lots of pepper and salt, plenty of chopped corriander and mint. Then I pulled up the sides of the foil, and formed a ‘tent’ over the fish by wrapping the edges of the foil over themselves, several times. Then I popped it on the barbecue to allow the trout to slowly steam. Just as my friend had ordered it cooked.

The trout went down a treat, so did plenty of wine, and there was lots of frivolity – just what my friend ordered.

I did not want to catch that fish, I did not want to face the reality that he and I would never fish together again. And we won’t – he died last week. But, the rivers are still flowing.

Posted by Tony Bishop in Articles and stories on fishing in general