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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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!

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.

Good fly fishing mates Ken & Don decided to stop off for a couple of days with Red Tag on their way through Tasmania.

Day one was a top day, but day two a more challenging one with the, by now, familiar cloudless sky and clear waters.

After seeing a very good brown leaping clear of the water chasing damsels and dragon flies, Ken exclaimed how do we get that one! ‘Put this blue damsel on and I’ll see how Don is getting on’.

Hadn’t gone twenty paces when Ken yelled ‘might need a hand here Roger’ with a very well bent #4wt and this 3+lbs wild brown on.

That fish certainly brightened Ken’s day.

Don was not forgotten by the trout either, here he is caressing a nice one in to hand the previous day.

Novice fly fishers, Mike & Joanne had a lovely day in early March improving skills and catching dinner! Above, Joanne and Mike starting out.

Both had fish to hand by lunch time, Joanne with her first ever wild brown on the fly and then Mike with this lovely stream fish that became dinner after snapping up another ‘hopper presentation.

After the hiding the combination of weather and fish gave us on the last outing it was a very relieved guide that reports on a most successful UK duo’s day at Currawong for the last January trip.

John had done a little and Di no fly fishing to date, had a great shore-based lakes fishing introduction to Tasmania’s fly fishing options.

John with his first brown is delighted with his efforts, while Di gets aquainted with her first ever wild brown trout on the dry fly.