Wild Tasmanian Trout – fly fishing ‘pic of the day’

A 3lb wild Tasmanian brown trout, caught by first timer Jeremy Whelan on the Macquarie River. After five years of bad drought, the Macquarie River is on its way back to health: frogs are everywhere, the river is still flowing over its banks, and fat trout are eating the first of the red spinner mayfly hatches. It's all good!

Wild trout, Upper Macquarie River

    Hatches are starting on Brumbys Creek, Four Springs and Brushy Lagoon, while...

South Esk River Draft Management Plan

  Have your say or lose the South Esk River: G’day fellow anglers / angling club representatives,  A quick and very important note in regards to the South Esk River, one of Tasmania’s most visited river fisheries. The State Government has just released a Draft Management Plan which will govern future use and management of the river, and there is a period for public comment open until the 11 December 2009.  Of importance to anglers are the recommended minimum environmental...

Wild Tasmanian trout – fly fishing ‘pic of the day’

A wild Tasmanian rainbow trout, caught by RiverFly Tasmania fly fishing guest Gary T, yesterday. With all the rain, the Earthworm Fly does the trick again!

Wild Tasmanian rainbow trout

Proposed Tasmanian irrigation developments – update for anglers

A favourite dry fly stream

Back on July 7th I posted a blog entry outlining a number of concerns about the various proposed Tasmanian irrigation schemes, and the effects that some of these schemes could have on Tasmania's $60M recreational fishing industry. To date, none of the concerns have been put to bed. One of the glaring initial concerns from my first post was a lack of transparency in regards to the processes involved in considering schemes such as the...

RiverFly Tasmania fly fishing report – September 2009

Trout Fishing like its 1959... 

Tasmanian trout, polaroided and landed by RiverFly guests August 2009

 Earlier in the month I wrote a blog (online diary) entry titled ‘fishing like its 1959’. Back when Australian fly fishing author David Scholes’ was fishing the Tasmanian streams, early-season flood fishing was the first event of the year, followed by the classic mayfly hatches of spring Show Day. Well, for the first time in my 8 year guiding career, we’ve...

Tasmanian trout fishing – quarantine breach

Disturbing news last week was the illegal importation of freshwater mussels and yabbies from mainland Australia. Both species are exotic to Tasmania, and were intended to be used as bait by visiting anglers. Locals at Great Lake were instrumental in locating the noxious species (bait), and the offenders. Well done to the locals and responding Inland Fisheries Service officers. There is less to be said of the anglers who brought the bait into the state, and the Quarantine officers who let it...

Sage rods – new for 09/10 available now – Xi3 and the 99

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the Sage Xi2 saltwater rod was getting a makeover this September. Great news is that the new model, the Xi3, is available for order now through the Essential Fly Fisher in Launceston (03) 6331 8944.  Expect a rod designed to pickup long casts, and redirect them with accuracy and ease. Oversize guides will be a feature, allowing the line to shoot further, and easier, whilst still remaining accurate to 2 feet—that's within gulping distance for...

Tasmanian trout fishing – fishing like it’s 1959

Stewarton on the middle Macquarie River, in flood.

The 09/10 Tasmanian trout fishing season is well and truly underway, with huge rainfalls and flood-fishing in the northern midlands being a major highlight. Winter rainfalls in Northern Tasmania have broken various records, with a record wet in July, and above average falls already landing during August. The result has been flood fishing opportunities never experienced by many; the type of fly fishing that David Scholes made famous, but the type of fly fishing...

South Esk River in flood

South Esk River, Cataract Gorge below the basin.

The fly fishing season in Northern Tasmania has got off to an excellent start, with some of the largest floods in 35 years in the South Esk catchment. These floods provide great feeding opportunities for trout who forage for drowned worms and other terrestrials.  The South Esk Catchment drains almost 25% of Tasmania's catchment area, and includes the South Esk, Meander, Macquarie, Lake, St Pauls and Elizabeth Rivers, as well as...

Sage fly rods – Orvis Helios

Since the introduction of the world's lightest fly rod, the Orvis Helios fly rod, we now use recommend and sell Orvis. The Orvis Helios range comes in two tapers, both medium or fast, to suit anglers personal style.

Trout fishing Tasmania – early season 2009

Western Lakes Tasmania, early season

The Tasmanian trout fishing season opens this Saturday (the 1st of August), and Tasmanian fly fishers haven’t had it this good in five or more years. Heavy and consistent winter rainfall has seen all the rivers flood at least once, including the previously drought-affected Upper Macquarie River. The flood fishing opportunities in river backwaters and flooded gutters should be a certainty; the only question will be where to head to when the...

RiverFly Tasmania fishing report – July 2009

  Western Lakes Tasmania, winter sunrise Fly Fishing Tasmania—lots of rain, and the season to come Great news for Tasmanian fisher's has been the big-wet of late. Just a few days ago, Mole Creek (on the Mersey River) saw 150mm's of rain (that's half-a-foot!) in a day, and all the rivers, including the drought ravaged Macquarie River, are in flood. And by flood I mean that they are well over their banks! The drought-depleted and algae-bloom...

Tasmanian Trout Expo – meet the authors Phil Weigall, Greg French, Daniel Hackett

The Tasmanian Trout Expo is on again this year, from the 29-30th of August. For the first time in a number of years I'll be there, this time to man the Petrarch's Bookstore stand—on sale and display will be dozens of fishing books from Petrarchs, who have a special niche-focus on a well-stocked angling selection for its customers. As part of the weekend, I have arranged a special book launch and signing from well-known Australian author Philip Weigall, who will be...

Protected: Proposed Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes and anglers

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Tasmanian Western Lakes pre-season exploration

Western Lakes Tasmania, winter sunrise

Crazy! That's what my mates said when I mentioned I'd be spending last weekend in the Western Lakes wilderness region. My reasoning was sound though, a pre-season reconnaissance mission out to new waters, to see how the winter spawning had went, and find a few doors to knock on come August—perhaps a trophy water or two that I would return to come season's opening. It's staying one-step-ahead, which is important for...