Download the contest details here.

Just received this lovely response to Red Tag’s latest newsletter from a former client. Hope you don’t mind me sharing it.

It’s been many years since I fished with you, but that was one of the best fishing experiences of my life. I still consider you one of the top two guides I’ve ever fished with, and I’m not sure who’s in second place. Great fishing, great food, great time all around.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to Taz again, but a terrific memory. — Frank Smith

If you’d like to subscribe to the newsletter [it comes via email 2-3 times a year] please click here.

As I have said Currawong Lakes is a great place for a group of keen learners to have a go with a good chance of getting some nice fish to hand and seeing a bit of action while picking up much of the skills needed to cast a fly.

Good mates, Leigh, Pete, Craig & Mathew from the Hobart area joined together at the end of April, while trout were still taking dry flies.

Although it was a tough day fish to hand wise, light leaders and aggressive fish making it difficult for the learners to hang onto many, it was still a top day for the boys.

Final tally was one to hand, one to the shore, two dropped, five broken off and three misses.

Above, Pete is on to a good one, taken on the emerger and Mathew gets one on the un-weighted nymph to hand, below, which brings a big smile.

While Leigh and Craig are still stalking their targets along these nice reedy shores, below.

Ian and Rosemary were Red Tag’s 2008 ‘Tassie nights’ 3 day/two nights all-inclusive flyfishing package winners and they had a ball earlier this season.

Ian, above, kicks off a somewhat misty day one with an early hook up to a nice stream wild brown.

Then he followed up with supplying entree that evening, a very nice wild brown trout — remember the only way you can eat brown trout, wild or otherwise, in Tasmania is to catch your own.

Not to be outdone, Rosemary wanted to learn and join in the fun, and after some practice casting and presentation work it was off to Currawong Lakes to see what happens.

The damsels [blue variety for the catching of trout] were really on and soon Rosemary was into action and then releasing this beauty, below, again taken on the Blue Damsel.

A great trip with top stream and lake fish for both Ian and Rosemary.

Marcus and good mate Campbell came down for three guided days fly in early December.
Marcus to get back in the swing, which he did successfully and Campbell to be introduced to the gentle art.

Above, Marcus is onto a nice solid and very feisty rainbow on the emerger, while below, Campbell after a steep learning curve on day one with dropped fish, missed chances and a break-off on a ‘big’ brown, came good on day two with this lovely wild river brown trout, again on the emerger, for entre as his first wild brown to hand.

It is always nice to ‘break the duck’ with a new rod and Colin is very pleased the way his 6′ 4pc #3wt handled a fiesty wild brown trout first up.

On the previous day up at Currawong, his 9′ #5wt got a real workout on some top conditioned rainbows and big browns.

With clear water, light tippets and non-weighted nymphs plus emerger patterns the browns won a number of contests, but this 2lb rainbow, above, being released and the 4lb brown, below, (IMGP 3896) earned Colin the traditional ‘Cherry Ripe’ reward.

Whereas on this occasion the trout had the last laugh.

Received my copy of the new Pro Angler magazine the other day along with some of the new PA gear.

The new boots are great, lightweight and very comfie! Also am having trouble controlling myself, guess what I got in the package …a new Aire #2wt 4+1pc 6′6″ fly rod and it is a gem!

Can’t wait to put a fly over a fish with it. Might get a day in before Christmas, but it does mean that the next (experienced) stream fisher will probably christen it for me — lucky devil.

The new Stalker Otway fly reels are also great value … and I have a couple of those with a #2 and #4 on them now in the kits.

Get the full Pro Angler news here.

Thanks to all Pro Angler people and Red Tag clients who came to our recent Tassie nights at Sydney, Melbourne and Geelong.

They were great evenings, despite picking up the dreaded ‘lurgie’ in Sydney.

These shots were from the final night in Geelong and this year the lucky winner was Ian Morgan, who has won a three day/two nights all inclusive Tasmania fly fishing tour compliments of Red Tag Trout Tours and Tourism Tasmania.

Below, Frank from Tourism Tasmania, draws the winner while Gavin (Pro Angler) looks on and Red Tag holds the bag.

To Gavin, Andrew and Trevor well done again and thanks for the support.