Jon was our next introductory 3-day workshop ‘Tagger’ and besides getting some great fish at Currawong on day 1, he also took the first wild brown river fish of the season in the backwaters on the lowlands rivers.

This lovely brown is less than three years old and is one of the wild spawned browns in the creeks at Currawong Lakes.

Here Jon breaks the wild river fish duck for the season, a very fit brownie approx 2lbs, full of vim which took a slightly weighted Tasmania fur fly (red tag version) fished just below the surface.

Another top conditioned early season brown, lurking alongside the bank to Jon’s right.

This one picked up on a brass beadhead nymph. This section will dry up in the next few weeks, just shows that fishing the flooded backwaters can be quite productive.
This was still August, late Tassie winter!

In addition on day 3 we saw the first mayfly hatch out in a quite, sheltered back water. Trout didn’t take it, but further inspection revealed many well advanced nymphs so close to go.

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.

Late September introductory workshop was not the best weather day, for these starters into fly fishing. But the day was successful for Lee with his first ever wild brown trout on the fly.

Gary ‘of the 2wt large wild brown fame’, had a day at Currawong (weather driven) then a second day on the Macquarie river.

Both turned out to be good fish days, if very different experiences. First up weather not so hot but the fishing was at Currawong Lakes. Gary releasing his first to hand for the day, a lovely wild brown.

Then a number of top condition rainbows among them. The conditions at Currawong were fantastic after those winter and early spring rains.

This photograph shows the edge growth and feeding grounds which have produced top mayfly nymphs and hatches.

Then on the Macquarie, top conditions for a mayfly hatch and a good fish on here.

This is it, a magnificent river wild brown … they don’t come in much better nick, or more wild, than this.

Robert and son Peter came down for a return and soon got amongst them. Peter’s patience and calm presentations were rewarded with this early morning sipper, above, taken on the emerger.

Next it is Robert’s turn to get onto a nice wild brown, again on the dry, while Peter helps out with the netting.

This was a very well deserved, and worked for, brown by Peter. Double hauling on the #4wt to get a dry almost across the broadwater, then skilfully guiding the resultant trout through the reeds. I think many a wily trout will fall to Peter’s presentations for years to come!

Now an established regular ‘Tagger’, Trevor always gets fish to hand and enjoys his trips.

On this ocassion he is releasing a very well-conditioned and good sized rainbow trout picked up feeding in the shallow margins.

He has already booked his ‘hopper day in March 2010.

Learning was the aim, achieving was the game!

This lovely returning rainbow, was just one of four top quality fish to hand and several more to the fly for Vincent.

Sighted, stalked and caught by the angler it was a fitting fish to complete a great teaching workshop.

Staying at the beautiful heritage ‘Priory’ in Bothwell, picked Vincent up at 7.45am and we headed over to the Currawong Lakes for another top day on the fly.

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.

After a mixed day on the water end of August, Adrian got this nice well-conditioned rainbow to hand.

Had a number of hook-ups with some good fish on (this one, below, put a decent bend in the #5wt) but with all the feed and water around they were not taking the fly hard at all and gentle hands and a soft touch were needed for success.

The featured film is a 45-minute fly fishing travelogue, The Source — Tasmania demonstrating the State’s variety of wild trout waters. Highly recommend it.