Cicadas are one of the few insects that genuinely change how you should be fishing for a few weeks each summer. Once they start emerging in numbers through December, January and February, trout switch onto them fast - the naturals are big, clumsy, and hopeless once they're on the water, thrashing around and making enough noise to pull fish up from well off the bank. That's the whole logic behind fishing a cicada pattern: it's not a subtle, delicate presentation game like a lot of dry fly work. You're imitating an insect that's bad at landing, so a heavy-handed cast that lands with a proper plop isn't a mistake, it's the point. Get that mindset right and these flies will out-fish almost anything else you've got tied on through the hottest part of summer.
The three patterns we've picked for this range cover slightly different jobs rather than doing the same thing three times. The Extra Terrestrial is the most versatile of the three - sized down it reads as a beetle or blowfly outside cicada season, so it earns its place in the box year-round rather than for a few weeks only. The Flip Flop is built specifically around bush cicadas, with a bright wing designed to stay visible in the broken light you get fishing under cover. And the Highlander leans on sheer buoyancy, doubling as a dry-dropper indicator fly as easily as it works as a searching pattern on its own. Between the three, you've got most high country cicada situations covered — the trick is just having the confidence to fish them the way the naturals actually behave, badly and loudly, rather than trying to make them delicate.
This carefully curated Cicada selection for New Zealand waters, contains a total of 27 flies.
Just click on "Add To Basket" and then adjust the quantity in your shopping basket.
Please Note: All boxed fly selections are shipped free of charge to New Zealand using a fully tracked and signed for service.
Product details — Shipping & Returns — Featured collections
Cicadas are one of the few insects that genuinely change how you should be fishing for a few weeks each summer. Once they start emerging in numbers through December, January and February, trout switch onto them fast - the naturals are big, clumsy, and hopeless once they're on the water, thrashing around and making enough noise to pull fish up from well off the bank. That's the whole logic behind fishing a cicada pattern: it's not a subtle, delicate presentation game like a lot of dry fly work. You're imitating an insect that's bad at landing, so a heavy-handed cast that lands with a proper plop isn't a mistake, it's the point. Get that mindset right and these flies will out-fish almost anything else you've got tied on through the hottest part of summer.
The three patterns we've picked for this range cover slightly different jobs rather than doing the same thing three times. The Extra Terrestrial is the most versatile of the three - sized down it reads as a beetle or blowfly outside cicada season, so it earns its place in the box year-round rather than for a few weeks only. The Flip Flop is built specifically around bush cicadas, with a bright wing designed to stay visible in the broken light you get fishing under cover. And the Highlander leans on sheer buoyancy, doubling as a dry-dropper indicator fly as easily as it works as a searching pattern on its own. Between the three, you've got most high country cicada situations covered — the trick is just having the confidence to fish them the way the naturals actually behave, badly and loudly, rather than trying to make them delicate.
This carefully curated Cicada selection for New Zealand waters, contains a total of 27 flies.
Just click on "Add To Basket" and then adjust the quantity in your shopping basket.
Please Note: All boxed fly selections are shipped free of charge to New Zealand using a fully tracked and signed for service.
We offer free, fast and reliable delivery across the UK.
Most orders ship within 24 hours.
Not in love with your purchase? - No problem.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery on eligible items. Items must be unused and in their original packaging. Just contact us to arrange your return.
Need help? - Contact our support team anytime.
