Lynne was our last wild trout outing for the 2007/08 season with an overnight fly fishing workshop. Lynne had wanted to fly fish ‘a river somewhere’ since she saw the show on ABC TV some time ago.

Finally managed to get the time together and this is the result. A great couple of days, learnt lots, fantastic Autumn weather, came to grips with our KOCPIT theory and presented the dry perfectly.

This fish was sighted surface feeding, stalked and presented to spot on … result lovely first up wild brown.

I said earlier the last week of January had the lot, but I wasn’t prepared for superrod Jack! “I’ve only got the one day Roger, down here on business, it will have to be Saturday”

Well Saturday came round. Usual early am pick up in Hobart, took a look at Jack as he got in the Pajero, regular looking fly fisher, nice bloke, “looking forward to a good day on the water” was his position.

Got to the stream, day looked great, No breeze, overcast and about 15°C with a top predicted of 20-22°C.

“Nice looking stretch Roger,” was the opening comment. “Yes, think you should get a few today”, was my reply.
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Debbie not only had great weather for her 3-day introductory flyfishing workshop, but had success on both the lake and river environments with rainbows and wild browns to hand.

Day one was the Currawong lakes intro day and where rainbows were brought to hand.

This was followed by the river wild browns where this nice stream fish again fell to good presentation of the (‘hopper) dry.

The first cast back, or is it the first back cast! Anyway it was a great moment.

To many flyfishers this may just look like a cast on a river somewhere, but to my long standing (make that wading) client Gerald it was something he had been working on for over a year. Because since his last trip down, in our previous season, he has had his left foot amputated to the heel!

Now Gerald loves fly fishing Tasmania; the small streams, light gear and delicate presentation, ‘good presentation Rog, that’ll get one out’ I can hear him saying. No easy way out on the boats for him, if he was going to fish for wild browns then it was stalking or nothing!

With a special prosthesis fitted into his waders and an oversized boot he was ready.

He was also determined to do a two-dayer if possible, the plan being day 1, warm up, day 2, action!

Day 1 resulted in a couple of little ones on the nymph and a nice one lost on the dry — but day two brought five good wild browns to hand, all on the dry, three dropped adn a couple of other misses. Well done Gerald! Look out wild browns next season!

It is pleasing to see the increase in couples enjoying flyfishing Tasmania while holidaying down under down under. Here, Noah and Sarah had a beautiful day to hone their dry fly techniques and get some nice wild browns to hand.

First up Noah gets some weight on the line early in the day on this tight spot, while later on Sarah’s big grin reflects her joy and reward for her perserverance and improved presentation skills with a good one of her own on the PB ‘hopper pattern’s.

Garry (father of Matthew) had a day out on his own with Red Tag and had a ball. There must be something, as well as the trout, in our water that brings out the best in these Queenslanders.

Not only did Matthew star on a later trip (see Matthew’s Monster below) but here Garry gets a first class wild brown (around the 3lb mark) on the trial Stalker series #2wt Red Tag is testing for Pro Angler!

With some skillful rod work, good tackle and quick thinking Garry finally got this lovely fish to hand — another one on the pink bum ‘hopper.

Very taken with this prototype from Pro Angler and the boys tell me they will have a 6’ 6” or 6’ 9” model in the next season’s range — keep your eys open for them, they are little gems!

After a cool morning start and some presentation practice, Zoe gets into the swing of things.

Having travelled all the way from southern England to Tasmania, she couldn’t resist the temptation to try and pick up a wild brown trout or two on the fly.

This one was headed for the dinner table.

I think Zoe was toast of the diningroom back at her digs with this one.

As I explained, the only way you can taste a wild brown trout in Tasmania is catch your own!

Dry fly enthusiasts Anthony and Brendan, shown casting above, ex internationals now from Queensland, had a top first up introduction to Tasmania fly fishing for wild browns with something like 30 odd fish to the fly and 15 to hand between them.

It again shows how the dry and mild autumns are extending our quality fly fishing into the last month of the season.

All fish to hand were on the dries and the majority of those on ‘hopper patterns.