reviews

NZ Trophy Waters, Volume 4

By Scott Richmond

NZ Trophy Waters, Volume 4, by Bruce Mason. Video. Can be purchased online at www.fishingvideo.co.nz for 40 New Zealand dollars plus 14 NZD for shipping. Can also be rented at some fly shops.

nyone remotely contemplating a fly fishing trip to New Zealand should take a look at Bruce Mason's video series. The first three volumes in this series were reviewed on Westfly last year. The latest is now out, and like the others it will get you excited about a trip to the southern hemisphere and show you what to expect when you get there. All scenes are shot on the South Island.

This fourth video has five sections:

1. Low Flows; fishing during for spooky trout during drought conditions. It will be a sobering viewing for those who think that catching trophy-sized browns in New Zealand is a piece of cake.
2. A Day with Clients; a pair of British anglers are followed around for a day. This should give you a feel for what it's like to be guided in New Zealand, and reveals that even NZ guides can break into unseemly language when the unexpected happens.
3. Still Waters. Host Keith Mitchell shows how to tie some flies, then how to catch fish with them on a New Zealand lake.
4. Pressured Trout. Producer Bruce Mason goes on the other side of the camera and offers tips on dealing with pressured trout. This is a must-see section for anyone planning a trip to New Zealand--or the Henry's Fork, for that matter.
5. The Forecast Was Right. The camera follows an angler on a day when the weather alternates between pleasurable and horrible. And the fishing follows a similar pattern.

As in the previous volumes, the videography is outstanding and unobtrusive. The fish are large, the scenery gorgeous. Do they have small trout in New Zealand? Or highly-trashed streambanks? No doubt, but it's certainly not obvious from Mason's videos.

One difference between this video and its predecessors is that there are more "amateur" anglers. The previous videos featured Robbie McPhee, among other excellent fly fishers. While there's a great deal to be learned from watching experts, it can give the false impression that catching five to ten pound brown trout in crystal-clear water is like falling off a rock.

I recommend this video as well as the other three for anyone who thinks they might visit New Zealand or, for that matter, anyone who just wants to stay home and fish vicariously.

Bottom Line: Beautiful videography of outstanding fishing situations. NOT your typical "nice fish" video. Reviewer Rating: 4

Scott Richmond is Westfly's creator and Executive Director. He is the author of eight books on Oregon fly fishing, including Fishing Oregon's Deschutes River (second edition).

Uploaded 12/17/2004.

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Fourth in a series

Videographer extraordinaire Bruce Mason.