The Complete Guide to New Zealand Trout Lures

by Derek Quilliam

Published by The Halcyon Press, Auckland, New Zealand. First published 1999. Size: 285mm x 210mm. 210 pp total. 256pp including 63 colour pages of completed flies.

This is a big work, well researched and beautifully presented. There are over 500 colour photographs of individual flies together with notes on the materials used, and a little background information where available. One of the things about this book that I like the most is that the photos of the completed flies measure a large 70mm x 45mm. This makes tying them much easier.

Here, at last, is the book which fills the gap in New Zealand’s angling literature – a comprehensive pictorial guide to trout lures, ancient and modern, which constitutes part of the angling lore of this country.

More than just a guide, there are nearly 500 individual lures listed, each with its own definitive photograph, pattern, commentary, and a brief tying guide for fly tiers or those who wish to have someone tie any lure for them.

The clear photos give an accurate perspective of how each lure looks. Most anglers will have seen some of the lures, none will have seen all of them: Innovative and interesting techniques of construction can be found throughout. It is certain that this book will be a source of inspiration for yet more creations. But, transcending all this is the authority which this book brings to our angling heritage. Where possible and appropriate, the author has got the creator of a lure to tie up his or her invention for authenticity. Careful and thorough research is evident throughout the text which is informative, easily readable, and often entertaining

This is a valuable work of reference and a practical one. It is a book which no serious angler will want to be without.

Derek Quilliam, the author, was born in New Plymouth in 1946 and educated at Wanganui Collegiate, Canterbury University, and Victoria University, Wellington; where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1972. He followed a long and distinguished family tradition by entering the legal profession practising in New Plymouth and Feilding before establishing his own firm in Napier in November 1984. He lives in nearby Clive with his wife Wendy. They have two children.

He has a wide range of cultural, artistic, and sporting interests, including, in particular, photography and fly tying.

His photography interest has brought him competitive success and he is featured in the 1992 New Zealand Photography Yearbook produced by New Zealand International Photography Magazine, for which he has supplied numerous articles. He currently supplies a film stock library and many of his photos have featured on postcards and calendars. Among his many other interests is, of course, fly fishing.