Friday Fly Day - Mike Wilkinson

With the winter season now upon us and our favourite haunts now closed here in the South we turn our attention largely to the Southern Lakes and the many smaller still waters of the Queenstown & Cromwell region. And who better to give us the lowdown on essential Manic flies for these still-waters than our man, Mike Wilkinson of Cromwell...

"Fishing the Central Otago Lake margins, I like to twitch wee nymphs to sited cruising fish. Manics swimming damsel with it's bent shank and marabou tail fished on a leftys loop knot gives a lively action to entice the bite. Or working a water boatman along the weedy margins and my favourite midge pattern a Rob's redhead midge around the silty flats. The touch of red in the plastic bead is great to get noticed by the trout. Being unweighted it's great for placing out well in front of a cruising fish with minimal disturbance... an exciting way to sight fish!"

SWIMMING DAMSEL

WATER BOATMAN

ROB'S REDHEAD MIDGE