What’s hot and What’s not?
Test runs of whatever we manage to get hold of….
The Source – New Zealand
Passionate fly fisherman come film-maker Nick Reygaert takes us on a journey through New Zealand’s South Island. In a sequel to The Source Tasmania, top of the range high-definition equipment in addition to back-breaking techniques to score great footage, ensures that the viewer gets to experience the best of what NZ has to offer.
There’s no shortage of NZ fishing footage out there, but The Source adds an element of superb quality and some of the seemingly untouched locations display a determination for accessing far away places with big bloody trout!
The clarity of the water is mind-boggling. It seems that you could dip your finest crystal wine glass in the water and still not see it. Add to this the underwater footage, the scenery and more so, the way in which the scenery is captured and you have a recipe for the ultimate DVD. Did I mention BIG trout?
If, like me, you are yet to visit this world-renowned fishing destination, then do yourself a favour a lay down some loose change on this little baby and be safe in the knowledge that you’ve scored yourself a fist-full of pure satisfaction that you’re likely to watch over and over again.
Grab it here
Fly Cards – Daniel Hackett
Fly tying – What a way to spend your down time when you’re not actually fishing. You create some flies (some of which are stand-alone pieces of art) tie them to your leader, present them to your chosen target which is usually fish, and more often than not they proceed to open their mouth and inhale, with an expectation of an easy meal. Wrong, that’s an ‘epic fool’ Mr Fish.
I recently got my furry mits on a set of Fly Cards, by Daniel Hackett of In Season Fly Fishing. This tying resource is described as ‘a series of Australian fly tying patterns’ but upon closer inspecion, some of the proven patterns would be just at home in New Zealand if not the rest of the world.
The presentation is superb and the photography is top notch. There is a photo of a completed pattern at the top, all the ingredients required in the middle and followed by a second photo showing one of the more difficult stages of the nominated pattern. On the back of each card is an easily digestable 4-6 step process and a brief history of each pattern, which is always very interesting, especially for flies that appear in all local Tasmanian fly boxes like the Possum Emerger and Shaving Brush.
The cards are about twice the length of an iPhone and just 7cm wide, making for a handy reference guide that can pretty much be stashed anywhere you like. Great when you need to grab a few cold beers, your tying gear and race around to your mates place just in time for the footy. They are held together by a ‘screw’ in the bottom left corner, allowing you to easily flip through the patterns which are in alphabetical order. It also seems you can purchase future additions, undo the screw and whack in some more fish-slaying recipes.
In a wise move from these guys, the cards come in a matte finish so you don’t burn your retina when you sit them under the tying light, perfect.
With the RRP sitting at $34.95 these are a healthy addtion to ones resource library. Stick one in your top pocket.
Heads or Tails
From the salty shores of Western Australia comes a fast-paced, pumping Permit DVD with great footage and plenty of action. Be sure to check out the Permit taking dry flies! A sensational film with some real characters making up the team. A sick soundtrack too, with some home-grown artists like COG. Check out the trailer here
