How it came together: wife Jackie, who I met at a Tourism Tas e-marketing workshop, was looking for a surprise present for husband Darren (seen above netting trout) who owns the Puddleduck vineyard on the Cambridge to Richmond wine route east of Hobart.

Darren was a lapsed flyfisher and Jackie thought his upcoming birthday should be shared with his long time friend and (once often) flyfishing mate Paul (seen below releasing this very fit rainbow ) and with Darren being full time and hands on with the vineyard deserved the opportunity to rejuvenate and revise his flyfishing skills.

With time short and a quality flyfishing experience needed, she booked them into a couple of days/overnight at Currawong Lakes as these have been fishing well.

Not to be let down the boys had a ball with Paul getting off to a flying start and then Darren with his length of presentation, excellent nose positioning and front of palate bite got into the action — at one stage sixin a row on the Blue Damsel.

Darren, below, with the first of these Blue Damsel feeders gets the feel of a good brown again.

Paul showing good form, below, on a lively rainbow taking Red Spinners.

The day ended swapping yarns over a drop or two of Puddleduck’s finest and reflecting on how tough life is down here, having to balance two of Tasmania’s world quality activities — making wines and casting flies. Well someone has to do these things!

Take a look at Darren and Jackie’s efforts at Puddleduck Vineyard.

Christina had a flying visit to Tasmania and just had to have a go at flyfishing while here. This was a single full day fly fishing tuition booking, on the grass to start with teacher going through the backcast/rod loading phase.

Then on to the water and trout action soon followed — here Christina is into a good brown.

Simon was last out in 2005, but obviuosly lost know of his enthusiasm or guile with his wild brown techniques.

Firstly laying out a nice presentation on one of Tasmania’s springfed rivers, above, and then getting a wild brown trout to shore on this quiet lowlands broadwater.

Red Tag regulars, Iain, Rebecca and John returned for their longest yet small waters stint with the addition this time of John’s wife Lorraine, having her fly fishing introduction.

Iain and Rebecca were armed with their new, lovingly and beautifully built hand made Taransky cane rods, a 2/3wt and a straight 3wt for Rebecca.

What a work of art these rods are and to Rebecca’s credit she stuck with her cane rod through wind and heat with determination and great results.

Rebecca is delighted with her first ‘caning’, above, while Iain proudly looks on and then to top off her efforts, this magnificent 3+ pounder wild brown was brought to hand with a real team effort.

High bank polaroided by guide, perfect presentation by Rebecca, great rod control on the cane 3wt and finally well netted by Iain.

This was the toast of the trip till Iain took the small water monster, top, on his Sage ’00 — yes, a 5-pounder on his 00 (was too windy for the cane) in the last session of the trip.

Below, Iain shows how to put a bend in the 00! This is the best small water wild brown landed by a Red Tagger since guiding Tasmania’s small rivers and streams. Both tales are getting bigger as you read.

Not to be forgotten, John was quietly and successfully going about his love of Tasmanian stream fly fishing with Iain’s straight 3wt cane rod, seen below with a very respectable wild brown.

Finally to top off all-round trip success here is Lorraine, below, with one of her wild brown’s taken on her first fly fishing tour.

To top off the commitment of this dedicated fly fishing group, it must be said not one nymph was even considered during the many days and varied weather over the whole trip with the single dry fly only presented to every fish.

Check out the Calendar for some top spots till available until the end April.

Grasshoppers are now in full swing and should last well into April, second round of ‘spinners in March look like providing top quality dry fly fishing until the end of the season.

Don’t miss out on some of the best wild brown trout small waters dry fly fishing in the world. Drop us a line and come on down.