About Bailees Flybox

Purpose-built euro nymphs for New Zealand rivers.

Bailees Flybox was built around a simple idea — depth, drift, and intent

These flies aren’t designed to look good in a box. They’re built to get down, track naturally, and stay in the strike zone where New Zealand trout actually feed.

A man with a mustache and wearing a black cap and hoodie working on a model or small mechanical project at a cluttered workbench, with various tools and equipment around him.

The focus is on euro-nymphing patterns that are simple, durable, and proven across changing flows and conditions.

Patterns are tested on rivers like the Whakapapa and Tongariro across changing flows and seasons.
Many begin as journal notes before they ever become shop patterns.

This is a small, focused collection — refined continuously, not mass produced.

If you value depth control, clean drift, and flies tied with intent, you’re in the right place.

I tie flies the way I fish — deliberately.

Bead size, weight placement, and profile matter more than flash. Each pattern earns its place through time on the water.