Fly Fishing Tasmania – Brumbys Creek

One of the highlights of fly fishing in Tasmania this season was the springtime mayfly hatches at Brumbys Creek. We were stoked to be able to share it with Jo and Steve Starling, whom captured it on Go-Pro during the day, and have released the short film on their Youtube channel. For anyone who grew up watching 'Starlo' on Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures, you'll remember what a great narrator and all round nice guy he is. Enjoy the view!

Summer fly fishing Tasmania report

Summer has been great on the rivers, with excellent flows and warm temperatures. We've experienced our first hopper falls of the season, more than a month earlier than normal, and currently have damsels, hoppers and mayflies on the menu. Best flies have been the 1864 Blue Damsel, and size 14 Scruffies. Brumbys Creek damsel feeder on the dry Cormorants have been hitting the rivers and lakes quite hard, but there has been no shortage of fish and sightfishing to be...

Season opening, August rundown and what to expect from El Nino…

Season opening and August rundown The fly fishing season is off and racing in Tasmania, and what a change it has been from the past three seasons of wet and cold springs. Instead, this August has seen very mild weather, and ideal water conditions. The Western Lakes are running just above medium levels, and nice and clear without too much in-flows. Fish have been up against the edges searching out scud and snails, but still willing to charge down a...

Thinking about chasing a Tasmanian fly fishing trophy this season? Here’s five tips to help make it happen:

Thinking about chasing a Tasmanian fly fishing trophy this season? Here's five tips to help make it happen: Big fish need lots of space, and lots of food. In the Tasmanian context this means a lake or river with low fish numbers, and unlimited food. These include Western Lake headwaters with poor gutter connections to other lakes further downstream (Western Lakes headwaters), or rivers with low fish numbers, but consistent summer flows and high levels of...

Fly fishing Tasmania – March 2023

The ants are here! Autumn fly fishing in Tasmania always features the most diverse hatches, from mayflies through to hoppers, willow aphids and grubs, through to damsels. Ants are perhaps the most elusive, but the warm autumn has brought on clouds of flying ants during the past fortnight throughout the northern midlands. Look out for repetative sippers in the afternoon, or clouds of flying ants above hawthorn trees or tall grasses. The ants themselves can be tiny, often size 22,...

Fly fishing Tasmania – Autumn report

Autumn is here in Tasmania, and cooler water temperatures and higher flows have arrived a couple weeks early. This will likely mean the end of this year's short hopper season, but judging by the dry fly fishing this week, the seasonal change marks the start of the most steady match-the-hatch fishing of the season. Autumn river hatches on the Tasmanian fly fishing rivers include small black spinners (#14-16), beatid mayfly (#16), and terrestrial aphids (#20), with all providing great match...

Fly fishing Tasmania report – February 2023

February is off to a great start, with plenty of settled and mild weather, and excellent river and lake heights. The lowland rivers are featuring good periods of mayfly spinner action during most days (particularily the smaller species), and excellent damsel fly hatches, including the South Esk, Brumbys Creek, Meander and Mersey rivers. The north-east streams are featuring masses of snowflake caddis, particularily the esk and St Patricks rivers. Hoppers have started in the drier catchments; look for areas where...

Marsupial Gear Chest Pack review

I'm a big fan of chest packs, having used one for the past 15 years or so. Unfortunately my old favourite Patagonia chest pack has worn out (multiple failed zips), so it's time for a new one. I'd been struggling to find one that i liked though: most are too large, and have way too much hanging and dangling off of them, ready to get in the way. Recently a customer showed me his new one (thanks Nathan!), a chest...

Entry level waders – Orvis Clearwater 2023 review

Orvis Clearwater waders This season i replaces a handful of guest waders, as i do each season. After going through the usual considerations of Simms, Patagonia and Orvis, I went for the latter in the Orvis Clearwater. We've had great value out of previous Orvis waders, surviving wear and tear better than any of the other brands (all of which i own). The 4-layer construction is handling Tasmania's famed prickly bushed very well, along with abrasion from clambering over fallen...

Fly fishing Tasmania – summer report

The Tasmanian fly fishing season has moved into more regular predictability since December, and the high levels of spring. Day's featuring influences from low pressure troughs and occassional easterly gusts are dynamic, featuring on and off hatches through the day, while steady highs are combining with perfect water levels and fish fattened by two seasons of great flows for excellent fishing. We've fished dries only since late December, and beetles of different forms are having a great season on the...

Fly fishing Tasmania report – Nov 26, 2022

After weeks of major flooding, washed out roads and bridges, great fishing is back with a vengeance! Just this week we had a mix of super productive nymph (under dry) fishing, followed by three days of solid sight fishing with the dry fly. Our best pattern by far was the 1864 Para Scruffy. The South Esk catchment across north-east Tasmania has been fishing particularily well, though the Meander is the exception with continued high flows. With the road repaired and...

Orvis Pro Wading Boots – UPDATED 200 km used and abused review

Wading boots are one of the most important bits of equipment for me. The need to be light when wet (for comfort), tough (for value), and have good grip (for practicality). This season i spent more money for a single pair of wading boots than ever before, paying for a pair of $500 Orvis Pro Boots. After seeing a heap of pairs on customers last year, these boots seemed to be the best of the next generation. For me there...

1864 seasonal fly orders closing September 1 for summer hiatus

A huge thanks to all of the fly fishers that use our custom 1864 trout patterns. We are super proud of our patterns, and it is exciting to hear about all the places that our flies get to (as far away as Colorado and Mongolia!). Unfortunately we are a victim of our own popularity, and simply can't keep up with our orders in a timely fashion throughout the peak season when we are focussed on guiding. So that we can...

Fly fishing Tasmania with RiverFly 1864

Just two weeks to go until the new season, which also marks my 20th season! More than anything, we look forward to getting back to sight fishing our favourite creeks, from raft fishing the mecca of Brumbys Creek, to walking the smallest of headwater spring creeks. This short new clip features some of our favourites...see you on the water, Daniel Hackett

1 Minute Tip – How to tie the quick dropper knot

We get lots of requests from guests on the water about how to tie our super strong, quick dropper knot. Well here it is, step-by-step instructions. Thanks!