Tasmanian Fly Fishing guides - locally owned and operated

RiverFly 1864 has been operating since 2005, when it was originally founded as a river-based guiding business.

RiverFly 1864 a family owned and operated business by Daniel and Simone Hackett, which has grown to become one of Tasmania’s most respected guided fly fishing operations. Supported by an impressive rate of repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations, the business has grown to include Tasmania's only multi-day wilderness fly fishing offerings.  

RiverFly was a Tasmanian Tourism Award Finalist (2013, 2014), a Silver Medalist in 2015, and the Gold Medal Winner for 2016 & 2017, in a first for the Australian fly fishing industry. In February 2017 RiverFly 1864 was awarded the industry's top accolade, The 2016 Qantas Australian Tourism Award, along with the Silver Australian Tourism Award in 2017.

Daniel and Simone are proud to have developed a brilliant team of skilled and enthusiastic fly fishing guides, with fly fishing experience from across the globe, and excellent teaching and guiding skills. Our guides are equals, with each offering consistent guiding and teachings, but all from their own backgrounds and with their own individual personalities. No single guide is the best guide, a strong bank of knowledge is better than one.

Book your RiverFly trip with confidence as this team is Tasmania’s finest and each member makes great company on the water.

RiverFly 1864 gives generous support to the Tasmanian community, the environment, and individuals in need. Organisation's we support include the the Just Like Jack Foundation, and we have proudly generated more than $200,000 cash and in-kind contributions towards the conservation and management of Tasmania's famed UNESCO World heritage Area since 2010

2016 Gold Australian Tourism Awards
Winner Specialised Tourism Services 2016

Daniel Hackett

Operations Manager, Head Guide & Instructor

Daniel has been a full time professional fly fishing guide since 2002, after leaving his profession in aquaculture. This choice of career was no surprise – his first job was as a gamekeeper’s assistant on the West Coast of Ireland, where he spent his teenage years cheekily poaching trout in the Bishop’s Estate in between the odd appearance at secondary school.

It’s an over-used term, but Daniel knows Tasmania’s famed meadow streams like the back of his hand. He’s drifted customers along Brumbys Creek, South Esk and the Macquarie River on more than 1000 trips, not to mention the similar numbers of days he’s spent on the smaller wading and walking rivers of Tasmania. He’s also the most experienced wilderness Western Lakes guide in Tasmania, spending much of each summer deep within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, based from the RiverFly Wilderness camps. Experience in Ireland, England and Kiribati add to Daniel’s broad knowledge.

Outside of guiding Daniel is a Fulbright Scholar, and a PhD researcher focussing on the managment of wild places and soundscapes as wilderness. He has graduate and post graduate qualifications in Protected Area Management and Governance, fisheries management and aquaculture. He has been a regular contributor to FlyLife Magazine, and has appeared in Trout Magazine, Fisk and Fri, Australian Traveller, Catch Magazine, Mens Journal, GQ and many more. His book ‘In Season Tasmania: A Year Of Fly Fishing Highlights (2007)’ won the Tasmanian Print Industry Craftsmanship Award.

Simone Hackett

Co-Owner and FFFI Accredited fly casting instructor

Simone is not only the silent engine behind RiverFly 1864, she’s also developing a niche in her own right as Australia’s leading professional female fly fisher. A keen fly fisher herself, Sim’s bubbly personality and enthusiasm to help anyone and everyone has made her the go-to person for beginners thirsting for knowledge. This has led her to open RiverFly’s own private fishery and tuition ponds at Josef Chromy Wines in 2013. From this gorgeous location, Simone is able to walk beginners through everything they need to know: from what gear they require, through to basic casting techniques, fly selections, and approaching those first tentative casts at a rising fish.

Simone supports her community in the following ways –

Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Advisory Council board member (tourism)

Visit Northern Tasmania - Director

Co-Founder Just Like Jack children's charity

James 'Jimmy' Newstead

River Guide

An experienced oarsman, James spends every other summer in British Columbia, fishing to salmon and steelhead on the famed coast. Closer to home, and James is often found on the South Esk and Brumbys Creek when he's not building driftboats for fun.

Brendan 'Beevor' Turriff

River Guide

Beevor is a character with an ear for a good pirate shanty, and an eye for a good river. A local legend known for his great photography and fishing exploits in the blogosphere, Beev’s is one of our most enthusiastic and outgoing guides and a patient tutor. He is a keen saltwater bream fisherman on his days off, and also has experience fishing on the north island of New Zealand. He is a regular contributor to Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News.

Brendan supports Take Flight – established to raise awareness and funds for Angelman Syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition affecting just 2,300 people in Australia.