Developed in New Zealand to represent a small fish Matuka style flies were originally tied with feathers from a kind of heron called a “bittern” or in the Maoris language “Matuka”. They work well as a stripping fly in situations where bait fish may be on the menu and the most popular colours in Australia is black / red and brown / brown.
At the 2003 Australian Fly Fishing Championships held at Mt. Beauty this was one of the few flies that produced more than one fish. It is a favorite fly at Lake Bullen Merri where it gets its name BM Special. Because of its history of success it is often regarded as a quintessential Rainbow trout fly by many Victorian fly fishers.
In its larger sizes, this fly fishes well and is equally at home fished as either a general prospecting fly retrieved slow and deep around weedy margins or as a fly for windy conditions where it can be allowed to slosh around for a few seconds and then can be slowly retrieved or as a point or attractor fly in a loch style fishing team of flies. In windier conditions it also works well when ripped across the surface.
