Taupo anglers may be able to assist and contribute their experiences dealing with Bruno Kemball from Hatepe – see the following emailed request:

“I am an angling historian and live in Durham in the UK. I recently bought a packet of flies (see photos below) that were tied by ‘Bruno’ Kemball, owner of the Red Spinner Tackle Shop at Hatepe. He was actually called Arnold Vero Shaw Gerard Kemble, so where the ‘Bruno’ came from is a mystery. He was born in India in 1906 and died at Taupo in 1985.” … etc.

After we checked with the writer for permission to repeat his request on TRM’s blog, he replied:

“Thanks for that. Hope you got the photos of ‘Bruno’s’ flies OK, are you going to put them on your website? as I don’t think that there will be many of his flies or packets still in existence, particularly after what you have said about his flies! The flies in the packet are what we call North Country hackle or spider flies that were used in the fast flowing rocky rivers in the north. I thought that ‘Bruno’ would have been more into tying dry flies that were popular in more sedate chalk streams the south of England where he lived before emigrating to NZ.I see that Bruno is mentioned in Hickling’s book ,as well as a few others that I found on google books.“

I am sure many will remember Bruno selling his flies, always sensitively handled with the utmost respect by tweezers in tissue, which made them twice as expensive…

Note his address was at ‘Hatepe via National Park’ (not Taupo!).

If you have any special memories you can share of Bruno. please send your contribution to ross@tongarirorivermotel.co.nz