The Weekly Five - 25
Don't miss our Bumper Weekend Edition
Welcome to The Weekly Five Episode 25, where we briskly scan the topics of political interference in Alaska, prized Ukraine titanium, Heli-fishing in New Zealand, Aussie Nipple Dusters, and a Fiordland flash flood. Enjoy and have a great weekend!
With the minerals (including 80 billion pounds of much needed copper) at non-permitted Pebble Mine now valued at US$894B (that’s US$81M daily for 30 years), proposed environmental rollbacks at the EPA will be giving Bristol Bay’s salmon anglers sleepless nights. Watch the Unearth documentary if you get a chance.
Ukraine based Vladimir Rachenko who builds classic inspired fly reels under his VR Design brand, has just finished production of a new series of English-made 4” Quattro click & pawl reels; a perfect match for 7/8wt Spey rods.
Also worthy of mention: In a beautiful collaboration with Yamame, his Trutta Perfetta 3″ Ti on the Yamame Trutta Perfetta 8′ 5wt rod (designed by Nico Vreugdenhil on a Mike McFarland blank) is a quite exquisite pairing – and, as an aside, the perfect gift to send to your favourite Exploration Angling editor.
Anecdotally, it seems New Zealand has had its busiest ever summer of inbound fly anglers. Growth, particularly US angler numbers, is likely attributed to continued release of demand stemming from the long Covid lockdown, plus increased exposure via social media, fly fishing magazines and international Lodge networks, oh, and some mighty fine fishing down under. Guide and lodge bookings a year ahead are now necessary to secure preferential dates. Looking for a remote multi-day heli-fish trip into the South Island in 2025/2026? Here’s a good place to start your planning.
If you’re into chasing Aussie pelagics, or just looking for an enjoyable read, subscribe to FlyLife and read saltwater fly tier extraordinaire Chris Beech’s take on the Nipple Duster in their Autumn (No. 118) issue.
Photo Credit: Chris Beech @ Flymax
It has definitely turned autumnal in NZ now. Dodging showers and with an ominous weather forecast, your editor managed to get into a Fiordland stream with an angling mate last week. A flash flood added some unnecessary excitement whilst casting to a rising brown mid-river on day two. On day three with clear water again, the upstream gales were so fierce, the fish faced downstream to feed. Good times, and with certainty, we’ll be back on this river again soon.
Photo Credit: Southflyfisher
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I met a great guy at a local hunting lodge last Friday. He’s wrapping up a summer working in New Zealand before heading back to Canada. We got talking about hunting and fishing, as you do.
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Northern Dynasty stock price is up 29.7% overnight. They're the Canadian mining company holding rights to Bristol Bay. Seems that others might be thinking the same about its future.