Fly Fishing

Single 40c 'Rainbow Trout with Red Setter Fly' gummed stamp.

The rainbow trout thrives best in lakes. In New Zealand lakes where food is abundant, the species grows amazingly fast, with fish weighing up to 8kg caught at less than four years of age. Rainbows are more readily caught than brown trout, which adds to their appeal to the angler. Rainbow trout were introduced into New Zealand in the 1880s. They are a highly piscivorous (or fish-eating) species, with smelt being their most common prey. Anglers often use flies that imitate the small fish species to lure the trout.

Single $1.00 'Sea-run Brown Trout with Grey Ghost Fly' gummed stamp.

Sea-run brown trout are ordinary brown trout which go to sea before returning to spawn in fresh-water. In this process of their lifecycle, the fish develop a distinctive silver colouring which sets them apart from their river-and-lake dwelling counterparts which generally display olive and brown hues. To catch sea-run brown trout, anglers seek to imitate small fish such as smelt and whitebait.

Single $1.50 'Brook Trout (char) with Twilight Beauty Fly' gummed stamp.

The brook trout or char is relatively scarce, which makes it keenly sought-after by anglers. It has a dramatic marbled, dark olive green colouration with red highlights. This colouring makes the brook trout or char one of New Zealand's most beautiful freshwater fish.

Single $1.80 'Brown Trout with Hare & Cooper Fly' gummed stamp.

A native of Europe, the brown trout rapidly colonised most of the rivers and streams south of the far north after being introduced into New Zealand in 1867. The brown trout is renowned as a challenging quarry, with catches averaging some 1.5kg to 2kg in weight. Widely distributed in cold, clean waterways, with a quality instream habitat, the brown trout feeds mainly on aquatic insects. Anglers imitate the brown trout's preferred food sources with artificial flies such as the Hare and Cooper.