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!
Used and Abused gear review – Orvis Pro Waders & EPIC 476 FastGlass II fly rod
Orvis Pro Waders I've just ticked over 100km wearing the Orvis Pro Waders (which i bought with cold hard cash). For me, toughness is the most important thing. In the past Gore-Tex waders haven't been tough enough to prevent early leakage from blackberries, gorse and scoparia, which led us to the Patagonia Rio Gallegos featuring more puncture resistent materials. Unfortunately the latter models of these waders became notorious for seam-leaks, which led us on to the Orvis Pro Waders, which...
Fly fishing Tasmania – Late summer fishing report
Late summer fishing report Summer fly fishing in Tasmania has seen the whole suite of La Nina weather patterns, from scorching hot to cool and wet. This has led to hot and cold fishing each day, but better than average size fish which has been great. We are fishing hoppers two to three times a week, mixed with caddis and mayfly which are going well on the small streams. The north-east streams are starting to really come on as things...
Summer sight fishing – Tasmania
Summer sight fishing is in full swing! Damsel feeders and early hoppers are driving good sight fishing on the rivers and streams, with excellent river heights currently. The wilderness lakes are also fishing well, with some extremelly large (healthy) fish coming to hand this season. We've been using the 1864 Blue Damsel and Scruffy flies as our go-to patterns, backed up by a 1864 Black and Peacock sightfished as a single nymph to the more fussy trout. Fisheries to watch:...
Mayfly and caddis – fly fishing Tasmania
Great to have mayfly, caddis and beetles on the Tasmanian fly fishing streams currently. Brumbys and the South Esk have had multiple species hatching, while the creeks are lowering to good sight fishing conditions. All the rain has produced very fat fish - happy days!
Tassie holiday voucher program – for mainlanders!
Tourism Tasmania has partenred with select Tasmanian tour and accommodation providers to provide our friends on the mainland with $300 travel vouchers. RiverFly 1864 is one of the featured operators, so if you are from WA, SA or QLD and planning a trip before December 15th, apply for your voucher now! The ballot opens today, and closes on the 2nd of November 2021. All the rest of the details can be found here on Tourism Tasmania's website.
1 Minute Tip – How to tie the Penny Knot
We've had lots of requests for instructions on how we tie our super quick, super strong tippet-to-fly knot, so here it is, our 1 Minute Tip to the Penny Knot. Enjoy!
Mates rates for locals supporting locals – 30% OFF
If you're keen to experience Tasmania's best fly fishing, and want to support local business, we are offering our popular 30% off 'mates rates'for locals again in 2021. Beginners are welcome, and for the more experienced anglers, we’ll guide you to the best sight fishing found on the island. You’ll be helping to support Tasmanian jobs, while experiencing some amazing hidden gems in your home state. Here’s the options: RiverFly day trips: Fish the hatches on Tasmania’s best rivers, suitable for beginners...
Fly fishing Tasmania – the giant willow aphid hatch
In 19 years of guiding there’s been a few memorable environmental bookmarks. These have included the Millennium drought where I remember guiding a whole season without a rain jacket, and more recently the introduction of environmental tailrace flows to many of our northern rivers (for the better!). None of these occurrences have had such an impact on the fishing as the introduction of the giant willow aphid Tuberolachnus salignus, producing some Tasmania's best fishing hatches. We first noticed aphid infestations...
Excess guiding stock for sale – spring clearout
Excess new and used guiding stock for sale (spring clearout!): Rio Gold 6wt floating flyline - as new, no box, used a couple of times only. $85.00 Rio Euro Nymph flyline (suits #2-5), used twice only, $40 Secondhand original Lamson Guru 3 fly reel. Fully machined and anodises. Only used in freshwater, few blemishes but excellent working order. $125.00 One-off locally made fly tying station - two drawers, large work space and heaps of storage for bobbins, threads etc. I...
2020 / 2021 RiverFly Season report
The 2021 Tasmanian fly fishing season dominated by La Nina weather patterns: higher than average rainfall, great flows and chubby fish, all influenced by easterly flows from Christmas onwards. The catch-22 of the easterly flows was completely unpredictable hatches. One day would be great for mayfly spinners, other days were dead as doornail, and we fell back to terrestrial food sources such as beetles, hoppers and damsels. The hopper season was the latest I’ve ever seen, starting in March (two...
Tasmania – Catch Magazine ‘Tasmania: Plateau Lakes” and new river vids
The RiverFly team has been busy producing new fly fishing articles and videos over the past summer. With the off-season now upon us (we open again in August), it's a great time to grab a seat and get stuck into one of these pieces. Both Peter and Beevor starred in some great little river videos produced with Tourism Tasmania and FlyLife Magazine, while Daniel and Peter pulled together an awesome photographic piece on Tasmania's plateau lakes for Catch Magazine which...
Guided sea trout dates – September 2021
For the past few years we've been working out the best locations to target sea trout and baitfish feeders in Tasmania's northern estuaries, and this spring we are exciting to be guiding on them. From Stanley to the north-east tip of Tasmania, our northern coastline has dozens of medium sized rivers and small creek mouths where silver sea run trout and larger resident fish prey on migrating baitfish running the tides. The fishing is visual, exciting, and the salty trout...