Robert (Bob) Frandsen Streamer Collection 2014

Robert Frandsen Streamers

Back in 2012 with the original Streamers 365 project, Bob had sent along a wonderful series of Matuka streamers in addition to the expertly tied and packaged feathering streamers. For the 2014 edition, Bob has put together a fantastic collection of 24 streamers once again using many traditional Matuka streamers along with New England styled featherwing conversions.

The collection features several patterns from Australia's most prominent early fly designers such as Dick Wigram, Critchley Parker and Phil Parson as well as several patterns produced and sold by well known tyer and supplier J. M. Gillies.

The word Matuku comes from the Māori word for the Australian bittern, a bird whose feathers were used to create the first Matuka streamers. The flies proved to be quite successful with fisherman, so much so that the bittern were hunted to near extinction for their feathers. The flies were first made in New Zealand and brought over to Australia in the late 1920's by Parker Critchley and Dick Wigram. Parker Critchley developed both the Red Peril and Yellow Peril and Dick Wigram was credited with quite a few pattern including the Green Matuka, Lake Beetle, Black Matuka, Black Beetle and the Penstock Fly.

Matuka flies are distinctive in their appearance and are tied using hackles that are lashed to the shank with tinsel or wire. Part of the lower barbells are stripped from the hackle stem to allow the hackle to sit flush against the hook. Because the feather is bound to the shank, the amount of movement is reduced when coma red to a New England or Rangeley style streamer. The means that the angler need to impart action into the fly. Click here for a tutorial on how to tie Matuka style streamers.

Maxfield's Whitebait was originally tied using a badger wing, but is now normally tied using grizzly feathers. It was designed by G. Rowney and named after a local shop owner by the name of Maxfield. Whitebait is a term given to several species of young fish often used as bait. species: The most common three whitebait species are inanga (Galaxias maculatus), koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) and banded kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus) with inanga being the most common species in the mix.

The Blue Hawk is one of a few streamers that is credited to having an Australian origin. Bob made some changes to the original pattern by adding a bucktail belly and tying the fly on an 8xl streamer hook. The original fly was tied on the same shorter shank streamer hook used with the Matuka patterns.

The Mouldy Plum is the lone original in the collection and is based upon a wet fly design. The original has spawned several versions of wet flies as well as Spey offerings and a couple variations of the streamer inception.

For more information about the New Zealand and Australian flies, you can check out The Complete Guide to New Zealand Trout Lures and Fly fishing in Australia and New Zealand.

Thanks Bob for sharing your streamers with us.

Click the images below for larger images and fly recipes.