Marcus (a regular with Red Tag), leaves his Tasmanian handmade Peter McKean cane rod in the state and comes down regularly to visit rod and fish with both being very active on each occasion, as shown above with the third fish at the top of the first pool!

All this action was on dry flies, as part of the tradition on these trips, and the joy of using the rod.

It is single dry fly ‘upstream only’ fishing.

The guide has been known (very) occasionally to think nymph (not to be uttered out loud), and as for wets … the cane rod hasn’t even seen a wet fly since it was made, let alone cast one.

The #4/5wt – 7foot+ cane can really handle good fish in tight conditions.

Philippe, a first time ‘Red Tagger,’ gets our first river fish of the season on the Blue Damsel fly.

Spotted doing the usual leaping clear of the water feeding trick, Philippe sighted, stalked and presented the Blue Damsel spot on.

It augurs well for the coming summer opportunities!

This hook-up was literally a bee’s knee from the edge, and again the emerger did the trick.

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 earlier this year 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.

Waters covered with Red Tag ranged from the faster southern streams to lowland meadows to clear water spring-fed rivers.

The fish were in excellent condition, often sighted feeders or polaroided ‘on station’ and gear ranged from #2wts to #4wts on the rivers and #5 & #6wts at Currawong Lakes.

Gavin stalks a feeder working upstream, waiting to sight its position accurately before presenting the fly.

Successful presentation, this plump wild brown pounder is typical of the small waters wild trout on day 1. These small waters really surprised the Pro Angler team with the quality, quantity and, at times, the size of the trout in them.

On another river somewhere, again a small water stream and lots of action to keep the crew both on their toes and fully focused.

Attempting the ultimate ambush! Eddie had (polaroided) spotted this ‘monster’ brown idly cruising along the bank under these trees so the challenge was on. Could the combined efforts of these three crafty, skilled and experienced anglers outwit one of nature’s natural hunters? You will have to get a copy of the Pro Angler DVD to find out!

The boys then went on to do a number of days with Bob McKinley from Fish Wild Tasmania on the central highland lakes which was also very successful and will be part of the DVD and TV shows, details of which will be noted here as the project finishes.

Day 1 saw some good fish to hand on a #14 brass bead-head nymph. Although we release the vast majority of fish, this one of Ben’s supplied a nice entree that night.

Day 2 belonged to Peter, with the only single day trifecta of the season – one on the wet, one on the nymph and one on the dry.

This is Peter with his hands full on the dry fly take. Result was a beautiful wild brown trout around the 1.5lb mark, an excellent small stream fish.

After heavy downpours on the lowland rivers, visiting German fly fisher Daniel had to go wet!

They wouldn’t look at a dry (not a rise all day), ignored the nymph but took the Woolly Bugger with relish.

Best results in conditions like these were casting out and across into the fast water, then retrieving with plenty of fly action along the face of the backwaters – ‘fishing the face of the D’ as we call those breakouts.

This was one very pleasing result of six or so on the Woolly Bugger for the day.

New flyfisher Gee inspects the result of only her second, yes that’s right, second ‘on water’ cast with a fly (emerger what else?) while regular ‘tagger Simon is delighted with Gee’s start. It was an excellent well-conditioned wild brown trout.

She then then followed up the next day with this sizeable rainbow and a big smile to match.

November was very busy, with many returning anglers.

Roy was one of them and managed to get a particularly good late spring day along with some nice wild browns to hand.

A fitting end to a fun flyfishing workshop, Denise netting for a successful presentation and a hook up by husband Steven.

Earlier, on day one of the tour, Steven had created Red Tag history by being the first ‘Tagger’ ever at Currawong Lakes to have a trout take the Blue Damsel before we had one on the mayfly or emerger patterns in any season.

Yes, the mayfly have been a little late on these lakes because of our colder start to spring, yet the damsels are already attracting fish and this was still October!

It all goes well for a long and exciting damsel fly period.

This time on Currawong Lakes with Red Tag, first up a very nice early spring wild brown, then later on some great fun with a few lively rainbows.

First the fighting grin, above, then the fish, below, a bit hard to see with Dave hanging on prior to release, but look at the depth, superb condition for so early in the season.

Next month will be the start of the mayfly hatches around our rivers and lower lakes.

If you want to have a go at bringing a sucessful fly you tied yourself, in my view the Dark Brown Emerger is one of the best.

Also a great all round fly for the majority of the season

Hook: any size #14 – suitable for straight backed nymph ties
Tail: a few dark brown cock hackle fibres
Body: Dark Brown Antron or similar body material
Ribbing: fine copper wire
Post: white calf-hair (or equivalent)
Hackle: parachute tie of ginger cock feather.

This is a durable and very visible ‘in the surface’ mayfly emerger pattern that can bring up polaroided patrolling fish, deceive bubble-line lurkers and attract mayfly risers.

Also check out Tassie’s Dangerous Dozen Flies. All irresistible to Tasmania’s famed wild brown trout.

April is our last month on the rivers in Tasmania, but the dry fly is still working fine as Ian shows only to well with another fine stream specimen to hand.

Early in the day and he is onto a nice wild brown on the emerger.