Trent (left) and Lachlan get a great start to fly fishing

Lachlan into his first fish while still working the nymph

Trent returning his first on the fly – a good rainbow fell to the Blue Damsel

Then its Lachlan’s first on the dry (Blue Damsel again)

Finally, Trent gets the biggest for the day (on the Red Tag of course)

Best thing was, all the fish on the dry were polaroided, stalked and presented to as ’sighted fish’. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Paul picked up this plump rainbow on the dry during the still water teaching session.

He then got this wild brown on the emerger during his first wild fish session.

Hong Kong visitors Ivan and Angie saw an article in a Hong Kong travel book about fly fishing in Tasmania’ at Currawong Lakes and wanted to try it out.

Red Tag was happy to do the teaching and both enjoyed a very new experience.

Both got right into the action on a lovely spring day.

We had our first workshop of the new season the other day and to look at the weather you would not believe it is supposed to be winter down here (only a couple more weeks).

Although the wild browns in the river didn’t know they were supposed to be the stars of the day, Bill and Dan had a great day with some action on our private fishery, one nice plump rainbow to hand and some near misses and dropped chances.

Three excellent results from the day:

1. Bill and Dan enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot.
2. Rainbow to hand was in top nick for so early in the season
3. The amount of mayfly nymph in the water was astonishing considering the water is only two years old.

It looks great for a very rewarding and enjoyable teaching and learning experience for future Red Tag workshop attendees.

Here are just two stills from an action-packed video from the Bentleigh Pro-Angler team.

Click here to view the YouTube video.

Gavin & Eddie, from Pro Angler, Bentleigh, had been ‘talking’ about coming over to film and fish in Tasmania for our wild trout, ever since Tourism Tasmania and Red Tag Trout Tours have been presenting our Pro Angler/’Tasmania’ nights for some five years or more.

Well, they finally made it along with assistant Stuart, and Wow!

After 60 fish to hand over four days, four different waters and more than 75% return on the dry fly. They can’t stop talking about it! Three days on a wide variety of rivers, and one day at Currawong Lakes, in total probably 120+ fish to the fly, they have video show footage par excellence.

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With the range of Red Tag’s extended tours and introductory fly fishing workshops based out of Somercotes you get it all.

Delightful two-bedroom cottages on the estate built with handmade bricks, open fires, beautifully appointed and originally built for the indentured estate workers (circa 1840s).

The Ticket of Leave building where up to 11 ‘halfway’ convicts lived and worked in the 1830s & 1840s. It is one of the oldest buildings on the estate (circa 1820s)

This 1920 John Deere steel-wheeled tractor is part of a wide ranging static display of farming machinery dating back into the 1800s.

Somercotes was settled in 1823 by Samuel Horton and it is one of the select number of Australian properties that has remained in continual family ownership.

It borders the Macquarie river, one of Tasmania’s best lowland fly fishing rivers for wild brown trout for well over 100 years. Set in lovely grounds of ‘old world’ flowers, shrubs and trees it adds a peaceful, charming and interesting heritage aspect to our tours.

We now have both a private stocked fly fishing teaching water and the wild trout river to maximise the trout fishing options.

Somercotes, being situated in the centre of the Macquarie river system and in close proximity to other wild trout waters, both flowing and still, provides Red Tag Trout Tours with a wealth of fly fishing options and fishing techniques in the extended tour packages.

A couple of first day learners, having both got their first ever trout on the fly on the teaching water, start working the first gentle section of the wild trout river. Both had success on the dry fly.

Nearby is the historic Village of Ross, centre of the Tasmanian wool industry and, in my view, the best heritage town in Tasmania.

Well worth a visit, Ross also boasts one of the oldest and most beautiful stone bridges in Australia.

Much of the early pioneering land settlement and development in Tasmania took place around Ross and along the Macquarie River valley.

A female convict factory, Wool Centre (arts and crafts) and an original woodfired bakery feed both the imagination and the body.

Sheltered grass areas to start casting layouts …

On to the (new) still water and the rainbow trout challenge …

Then the best action of the day – first wild brown trout on the dry! All this and we haven’t left the workshop property!

With the addition of our new Red Tag registered teaching/introductory stocked water at our heritage cottage accommodation, Somercotes, we can now offer the complete range of introductory packages as well as our traditional experienced angler option.

The still water had young rainbows introduced in mid 2011 and by March this year they were between 250-350g and by the next season should be around the 500-650g mark … a good sized fish to target for anyone looking to learn the art and skills of fly fishing.

Having more than 16 years experience guiding and tuition behind us, we understand the range of expectations beginners to fly fishing may have, some learn better with the practical hands on and learn as they go approach, whereas others like more theory and explanations before picking up the fly rod.

With the diversity of waters at Red Tag’s disposal, we can now cater for the whole range of our client’s requirements using this base facility.

From under cover theory session, to on-lawn casting instruction, stillwater casting and fishing skills and finally wild trout waters – all at the one location: and this is only day 1.

For extended workshops of two or more days, we can add on a variety of rivers and streams from our base location, include Currawong Lakes for those extra big fish, which means covering the range of fly fishing techniques and water variety.

As to numbers, one on one and two-angler packages are great as these maximise the teaching opportunity for the learner.

However, single full day workshops can be up to four people ex-Hobart with Red Tag transport and we can accommodate larger groups by arrangement.

Both beginners broke ‘the duck’ on their first ever day of fly fishing.

Tye got the first one ( a plump little rainbow) on the ‘dry’ on our new teaching water followed by this wild brown in the river.

Then Belinda got her first of two nice wild fish on the river. A very successful start to their fly fishing adventures.