We're about 7 days from delivering the new Airflo Ridge supple fly lines to the NZ market. This is a great new technology with three awesome tapers that we've designed for the New Zealand market.

Design - Since we started Manic I've been working with a team of New Zealand's top guides and fly fishing experts. You may have noticed that I'm fairly opinionated myself, in spite of all of my idea's and opinions I think it's critical to get a high quality team of guys on board to help with product design. That way we end up with a product range that suits the entire NZ market, not just product that suits Rene Vaz and my style of fishing.

This design process has been particularly important when working on this new range of fly lines from Airflo. What Airflo have created is a new supple coating that performs well under temperatures from sub zero up to + 35 degree's celcius. For us here in NZ this is a great new technology. We end up with lines that even in the dead of winter on a cold Tongariro morning these lines come off the reel soft and fishable rather than hard and wiry. Also it means that the lines float well on the surface and ride the currents for better drag free drifts and improved mending.

The next part of creating the right line is our part and that is getting the right colours and tapers for the NZ market. This is what we've ended up with.

New Ridge EGO - This line has the biggest head so we called it the EGO. The total head length is 64 feet long which is made up of a short front taper to bowl over heavy nymphs and indicators and ensure good turnover even at distance, next is a long belly which improves mending on big rivers and aids distance casting and the Tongariro roll cast. Lastly this is backed up with a long rear taper that helps control the long casts and helps transfer energy on long mends. This line is a perfect Tongariro or big river fly line, it also performs well for distance casting on lakes. The colour is a Mid Tan colour which is visible on large rivers for good line control whilst still being subtle enough not to scare the locals.

New Ridge Explorer - This is our agressive back country line. Designed for bucking over heavy nymphs and punching through the wind the Explorer has a short front taper a mid length belly and a long rear taper. It's produced in a dark olive colour perfect for clear back country rivers and is an ideal line for loading fast rods at any distance for easy casting and maximum line speed.

New Ridge Tactical - Our popular Ridge Tactical taper is being reborn with the new supple coating. The line features a long front taper for ultimate presentation of dry flies and small nymphs. This is the perfect line for the technical angler where presentation is paramount. The Tactical comes is a pale lichen green.

Non Stretch - All of the new Ridge supple fly lines are built on our non stretch cores for maximum energy transfer during casting and mending and also for instant hook sets.

I managed to sneak a day out this week on Lake Otamangakau with Gary Lyttle from Taupo Hunting and Fishing and his good friend Paul. Despite fishing through blizzard conditions we managed a few nice fish and I got a chance to try out a new rod.

One of my favourite types of fly fishing is fishing lakes from a drifting boat, so despite the doubtful weather forecast I couldn't turn down the opportunity to fish with Paul and Gary.

Fishing in one of the many down poors of the day ..... that's what a good jackets for!!

This trip was a great opportunity to try out the new Scott S4 10' #5. I managed to land fish well in excess of 7 pounds without too many problems (except when they swam under the boat), the rod had the power to cast a full intermediate fly line and enough feel to pick up even subtle takes. I can't wait to get the rod out onto the rivers and see what it's like for Czech nymphing. 

Gary Lyttle is an expert stillwater angler, having cut his teeth on the stillwater fisheries of the UK. To learn more about this style of fishing check out my article on Modern Loch Style Fishing.

We fished a variety of flies for the day, from woolly buggers to nymphs. The real key to success was good line control in the windy and turbulent conditions.

This is what Otamangakau is reknown for, Trophy Rainbows.

What really made the day was Paul's trophy brown.