Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Living Vicariously

I started The Rusty Spinner with the intent of writing for the sake of writing, and to have an outlet where I could talk fishing without boring anyone or making a general nuisance of myself. One of the unexpected, ancillary benefits has been that I've met any number of like minded (read: similarly obsessed) bug chuckers. Most are local, and tread the same rivers I often wade. Some hail from the far ends of the globe.

One of the far flung followers of The Rusty Spinner makes his home in Papua New Guinea. I correspond with Ruhan Neethling from time to time; occasionally he'll email me with photographs of his latest piscatorial adventure. Most recently, he sent me a collection of photos that document some of the time he has spent in New Zealand. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit jealous.

Having perused these photos - and having mentally superimposed my own image into each snapshot - I now feel obligated to share them with my readers. I've no doubt you'll find yourself daydreaming just a little bit, and wishing that this was the year you were finally able to make that trip about which you've always dreamed.

Thank you Ruhan. 

We'll start with a little fish porn

Then a little Kiwi humor
More porn

More humor

Damn

Road signs directing you to the local watering holes ... awesomeness on a grand scale

Come on now ... you must catch fish that weight under five pounds

No ... No, I do not
Ruhan ... hope this isn't odd of me to say ... but I want to be you ... for a day ... no ... a month
What really impresses me - even more so than the trophies he has to his name - is the depth of Ruhan's talent. Clearly, he's a competent angler, but Ruhan is also an exceptional tyer, at least as comfortable at the vise as he is on the river. His free form Atlantic salmon flies are worthy of framing.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

sweet fish, plenty of jail time for the flies brohiem, bird of paradise will set ya up in the klink for 5 to 10 ;)

BKill said...

Unless you live in Papua New Guinea.

Dustin's Fly Box said...

That last fly is now my screen saver!! AMAZING!!

Nushranger said...

That looks about right for Kiwi land. Lots of great fish and lots of hiking to find some pigs. There are smaller fish but when you see a 25+" fish why cast to anything smaller? Great ties by the way.