Cornwallis

I have been spending quite a bit of time on the Manukau harbour as i am now closer to here than the Waitemata and I have been finding it difficult to find areas not so muddy. I have found that to get the cleaner water you really must be past Cornwallis. there is some good looking water here but once again needs a bit of time.
I headed out last week on the high thinking i would head round the rocks but found they were a bit too high to navigate so with no other option headed onto the wharf to see what's happening. after some talk with a guy there I headed back to the car to get my rod with the idea of jigging my fly. I cast a couple of times out with no success as I found I was not getting the depth required so added a bit of bait. yes I know sacrilege as this is not really fly-fishing. the bait disappeared pretty quick but what was left was a number of fish busting all over each other to get my fly. why this should be I am not sure but the first one I hooked fell off soon after but the second took off for the end of the wharf and three quick wraps of the pole I was stuck. one of the guys had a look and confirmed the fish was still on. now what! the same guy declared he would go for a swim to try and catch or untangle the fish but after about 1/2hr to 1hr the fish finally broke off. I went back to fishing but couldn't wake another and i tried other techniques and flies to no success.
as the light started to fade a couple of guys came down to fish off the end and within minutes one of them was on a brought in a 50cm trevally. it goes to show there are a lot of fish around here and what may be needed is a kayak

After this I have some ideas about adding some extra weight to jig my fly closer to the bottom or looking at what other areas around here that may be more suited to fly-fishing. after seeing the bay at low and full I think half tide may be best although when the fish came on it was right on high. not sure if there was something in this or just dumb luck.

Waiheke Re-Visited

I headed off to Waiheke again last weekend on different tide so i wasn't sure how the fishing was going to be compared to last time. The first spot i didn't spend much time in but the main point I did. At first it was quite slow but as the tide changed and started coming back in I managed two snapper with one being legal. I moved my round the ledges but came back to the first one. I switched flies to an interceptor and immediately got another 2 in quick succession then all went quiet. There were quite a few work ups going on but just out of casting reach. By one o'clock it was almost time to go but decided to head round the bend a bit. there was nothing at first but i could see the water was deeper so i put on a larger heavier fly and got a small snapper then just as i was about to finish for the day something solid came on and started screaming off. my reel has problems with start-up and usually end up in a birds nest so i kept my fingers around the line to control the drag. this worked well but i was soon in the backing and getting worried. I held on tight and managed to get in some line before it peeled off again. i reeled in again and this time got some decent amount of line back on the reel. By now I was getting confident that i had it in the bag. I saw the fish take a leap and there was no denying it was a kahawai of a decent size and when i got home and weighed it, it was 5lb.

The day was certainly a learning experience and i learnt a bit more on using heaver weights and larger sizes. i was using a size 1/0. my flies have been getting larger every year. To think my first flies i caught fish on were size 4 clousers.

I have been experimenting with the weight of the dumbells i use on my flies and I have found if i am fishing the inner harbour lighter flies with smaller dumbells work best if not just because they hit the water lighter but in open side of sea with deeper water larger dumbells to get down deep are better.

Here is a rough guide to my fly size to dumbel ratio
inner harbour. clousers in size 2 with small to med dumbells and size 1 to 1/0 interceptors with small to med dumbells
open sea with deeper water size 2 clousers with med beads and 1/0 interceptors with med to large dumbells.

having the same fly with a couple of different weights give the options for different water.

Refining your new spot

After a few seasons of saltwater fishing i soon came to the realisation that to find fish in a new spot you often had to visit it numerous times and at different tides to get to know the layout and how it fishes. often i had almost given up on a new spot until i found the secret or had good success the first time and not so much after. getting consistent results means fishing it in different times of the tide as well as wind direction etc. i now have a couple of good spots that when all else fails i can fall back on.

wind plays a major part in the water quality you are fishing and i find that at low tide with an onshore wind will churn the water to a sludgy brown if you are in a muddy harbour. I have had this happen in both the waitemata harbour and the Manukau. if the water is too muddy the fish will just not see your fly.

Tide is the other major factor with low tides giving access to weed edges and channels but high tides to the guts and structure you saw when the tide was low.
I have quite often found i prefer the outgoing tide as it always seems clearer to me but this will tend to be dependent on the spot your fishing.

Recently i have been trying to find a new Manukau spot and this has proved quite difficult as its not called the big muddy for nothing. last night i tried Laingholm as i had seen some fingers of structure that went into the harbour but most of the water round it was shallow and murky. i got to the point but the channel was out of my reach.

much to say there is plenty of research and walking just to find the location let alone the tide and weather.

Waiheke Island

I had the option of going to my usual spots or going somewhere different and since i had to pick up my son from the island i decided that's where i would head. on arriving i walked round the beach at Matiatia. as i sat on beach to construct my rod i saw a tail flapping around in the shallow that would have been snapper but by the time i got my rod together i had no idea where it was and after a dozen casts i moved off.

I headed up the walkway and at the first point i saw a pod of fish so scrambled down the rocks to fish for them thinking it was kahawai only to realise after a few casts they were mullet. next time i will take a net.

i moved round to another point and had a lot of mullet cruising past and a few kingfish but couldn't bring up any snapper. I decided to head out to the island point where there were also plenty of mullet cruising and the odd kingfish. then out of the depths a kingfish came up and smashed my fly. i managed to hold the fish in front of me and felt like i was in control before the fish went for its first blistering run. my reel went into free spin and line came out so fast it wrapped itself around the reel and the fish was gone.

I then got yaking to an Asian lad and while i was busy talking tried to take a step only there was a jagged rock right by my foot and i went arse over and scraped up my leg and hands on the rocks. I also managed to slice both my big toes so i think  i need some better shoes.

By now a ray had turned up followed by a couple of big kingfish one being well over 1 metre. I plonked a big clouser and let it sit near the surface as the kings came over and had a sniff before moving on. this happened a few times before moving on.

It was some pretty hart stopping stuff and now i am keen to get some of my gear sorted for fishing for kingfish. including a new rod and reel set and some line for my 10 weight rod. next time i go there i am king hunting.

although with the kids i dont get out much and i cant wait till they are old enough to take with me.

Baitfish Construction

New Directions in Baitfish Construction

By Andrew Chicone

The Cannibal series of flies are 3 to 5 inch translucent imitations meant to emulate small baitfish that dart in and out of the shallow surf. Three different variations, designed for specific conditions, have evolved over time – The Sanibel (clear water), The Captiva (green/turquoise conditions), and The Caloosahatchee (stained or brackish water). Each are tied in a manner that is comparable to Enrico Puglisi's Peanut Butter Bunker or Jonny King's Kinky Muddler. The sparse, yet full body appearance, proper trimming, and careful color mix produces a very realistic profile that is a dead ringer for baitfish.

The three variations in the Cannibal series - The Sanibel for clear water, The Captiva for green/turquoise conditions, and The Caloosahatchee for stained or brackish water.

The flies consist primarily of Saltwater Yak Hair. While occasionally difficult to find, this material has a lot going for it – length, translucence, non-absorption of water, wiry texture, durability, and its ability to become supple when wet.

The key to getting consistent uniformity is to count out fibers you are going to use. This may sound a bit extreme, but if you try to work with too much it becomes very difficult to manipulate and tie down, leaving large bumps on the hook shank. Counting out the fibers not only insures that you don’t have some flies tied heavy and some sparse, but assures that you will end up with the right color blend.

For the vast majority of my baitfish patterns, the ratio of color to white is about 25/75. In order to tie the materials in smoothly without bunches and gaps, the colored materials need to be blended with the white. If you were to cut a baitfish into four lengthwise pieces the ratio of color to white is about the same.

A typical baitfish that the Cannibal series imitates

I start with a base color - white or a cream color, which will end up being 70% or more of the fly. I then select two to three accent colors. These colors are typically found on the back or sides of the baitfish. If you are looking at a baitfish or a picture of bait and you squint your eyes slightly, you will lose focus on the detail of the fish, and only be able to see colors. That is how I like to think about what accent colors to choose. Whatever color I see the most of first, for that split second, is what my first accent color is. It is usually a light shade of tan, gray, or blue green. Considering the color of the water the pattern will be fished in helps to narrow it down. The second accent color is usually the darkest color found on the highest part of the baitfish’s back; blue, black, dark green or other glimpses of color found throughout the baitfish. The colors blend naturally from light to dark, from belly to back, camouflaging the fish from predators above and below.

Captiva Cannibal Material List

For Green/Turquoise Water

Hook 2/0 Gamakatsu SC - 15
Thread 4 lb. Mono
Eyes 8mm Clear Doll Eyes with Post

Belly

2 - 80 strand bundles of White Saltwater Yak Hair
Pearl Wing N' Flash

Back

50 Strands of White Saltwater Yak Hair
15 Strands of Gray Saltwater Yak Hair
10 Strands of Tan Saltwater Yak Hair
5 Strands of Turquoise Saltwater Yak Hair
Silver Wing N' Flash

●●●

The next step is to measure the quantities exactly so you can reproduce the blend if you run out of materials half way through, or simply want to create a number of uniform flies. I do not blend in my flash. I start by counting out strands and creating a series of piles for each of my shades.

Base layer: 80 strands of white Yak Hair
Accent Layer: 50 strands of white, 20 strands of the light color and 20 strands of the darker color.

As a rule of thumb I never go over 30 strands of color. In this particular case I’ve got an 80/20 mix of white to color.

You’ll note that in each of these patterns I’m using a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook. There are two reasons. First, the strength and design of this particular hook is very appealing, and second, its weight moves the fly down through the water column quickly.

Click through the slideshow to see how to tie the Sanibel Cannibal

Start your mono thread at the point of the hook, 8-10 wraps is enough to secure it.

Tie in a few strands of Wing N' Flash, make sure it sticks out 4-5" past the bend of the hook. Advance your mono in front of all of your previous wraps.

Cut a 4 1/2" piece of the white (belly color) material. I like to measure it using the first line on my palm, so all my flies are a more uniform length and shape.

Taper each of the ends until it is between 7 1/2" to 8" in length.

Tie in the tapered piece at the middle with eight turns, wrapping backward.

Fold back the forward facing half, and tie it down on top of the rear facing half. Secure by wrapping forward with eight wraps. I do this to position my mono for tying down the folded back half of the material, so I do not have to make a big jump with the mono over the hook bend.

Cut another piece of white saltwater Yak hair to approximately 3 1/2" long.

Taper both ends until it reaches 6 1/2" - 7" in length.

On the side of the hook closest to you, tie in the piece below the other materials and angled slightly downward. Secure with eight turns of the mono, stacking your wraps behind the previous wraps and pushing them forward.

Fold the forward facing half under the hook shank and back on top of itself. Secure it with eight forward wraps on the far side of the hook. Both sides of the fly should be symmetrical. Laying the hair at the downward angle instead of straight back will start to build the profile of the fly.

Cut a 4 1/2" piece from the color blended bundle.

Taper each of the ends until it is between 7 1/2" and 8".

Tie in the tapered piece on top of the hook shank and in front of the other materials at its middle point. Secure the bundle with eight turns, wrapping backwards.

Fold back the forward facing half, and tie it down on top of the rear facing half. Secure by wrapping forward with eight wraps.

On the underside of the hook shank, in front of the previously applied materials, add a pinch of Pearl Wing N' Flash. It does not need to be longer than 1-2" because this area will be trimmed after the fly is complete.

Next cut a 3" section of the White Yak hair and divide it into two bundles, one for each side of the hook.

Taper each piece until it is roughly 6".

Tie in the first piece on the near side of the hook so that it is slightly longer toward the tail of the fly. This piece is used to fill the material gap and hide exposed hook.

Fold the forward facing half of the bundle back on itself and angle it in a downward direction to cover the gap of the hook.

Repeat on the other side of the hook.

This is where you should be.

Cut another piece of color blended Yak hair, this one 3 1/2" long.

Taper both ends until it reaches 6 1/2" to 7".

On the top of the hook in front of the other materials, tie in the section at its middle, securing it with eight turns, stacking your wraps behind the previous wraps and pushing them forward.

Fold the forward facing half back, but this time instead of securing it directly on top of itself, position the material in a V shape, to create shoulders, or width. Each half of the back colored material should be angling slightly wider than the first tail piece.

Add another 1"-2" pinch of Pearl Wing N' Flash to the belly of the fly and advance your mono slightly.

Cut a 2 1/2" piece of white Yak hair and taper is slightly.

Tie it in on the underside of the fly so that the forward facing half is slightly shorter.

Fold the forward facing half back directly onto itself and secure it with eight turns. Turn the fly over in the vise and user your thumb nail to disperse the material evenly around the bottom and sides of the hook. This will help cover up any spots where the hook is exposed.

Cut a 3" section of the color blended Yak hair.

Taper the clump to 6".

Apply this piece in the same V fashion as the previously applied back piece.

Whip finish 2-3 times and coat the nose of the fly with UV Acrylic.

Take the fly out of the vise and with a dog brush, comb out any tangles and blend all the colors. Comb each side of the fly to create a wide, flat, leaf shape.

Put the fly back in the vise and glue on the dome eyes, slightly in front of the hook point. Make sure they are aligned when viewed from the top.

Turn the fly toward you and double check that the eyes are aligned from a forward facing view. This is very important because if the eyes are out of alignment, the fly will have a tendency to spin when stripped.

New Flytying Websites and techniques

I came across this website the other day and they had some really god info on trying saltwater flies. the link takes you to the newsletters which has some great stuff and if you sign up you get some great tips come through your mail. I have also added another link which is to a fly developed by guy who does this website and the technique is broken down into a very detailed step by step.

http://www.saltyflytying.com/newsletters-archive.html

http://www.frontrangeanglers.info/newsletter/oct12/New-Directions-in-baitfish-construction.html

I have been busy tying some new flies so as soon as I get some decent pictures I will post them with instructions.

Kahawai bust up

wow had the most amazing days fishing yesterday. went out fishing in Whangaparoa where i was fishing the rocks, fishing was slow to start until i got chatting to an old fella who came down fishing and we noticed some birds coming around in big numbers further round the rocks and realised there was a work up. I tore off round the rocks and managed to put a bungled cast in close proximity and i was into my first kahawai. I quickly bled it and put another cast in and was into another one but unfortunately i got broken off. by now the work up had gone but i noticed it back where i had started so tore off back to the start. i quickly got my line in and within minutes had another 2 fish including one horse of a kahawai. i had a yak to the old guy again and found he had gotten a couple of snapper. seems the snapper sit under the kahawai and hoover up the leftovers coming down. I was almost going to go home when i noticed it was moving towards the beach so i tore off round and the action was all on again with a massive bust up that was just boiling with fish. a few of the locals had now come down with kids and some were fishing soft baits and catching nothing and i was straight into fish after fish. i gave a few away and got one of the kids to play one of the fish i had. the action just never stopped and by 4pm i had to go and pick up my wife from work. there were dead anchovies galore littering the shore from being washed up and i am sure it would have come round again.

here's a link to something similar to what i saw although not quite as hard out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V62ccbLY604


here is a photo of the fly i was using