Red Tag’s introductory fly fishing workshop was just what Martin had been looking for, judging by the results from his two day/two nights package with us.

After the regulation ‘on grass’ gear set up and casting session, it was onto the water at Currawong for for the first ‘still water’ intro period.

Martin soon got the ‘feel’ of both casting and trout. This was one of three good rainbows to hand and a couple more opportunities in the first water session.

He kept up the improvement and results on the next days river introduction with some five to hand from a dozen or more to the fly.

“Fly fishing is an art, an art well worth the learning” maybe putting it a little on a pedestal, or should that be easel, but it is a great way to fish, not too difficult to get the hang of and once learned usually ends in being your preferred (if not only) way to fish.

In other words, it lets you stop and smell the roses while pursuing your fishing passion.
 
At Red Tag Trout Tours we offer a range of fly fishing workshop options, from short days to full (wild fish inclusive) days and extended tours that build on the day to day experiences covering still waters, rivers and streams and a variety of fly fishing techniques. You can even add in a session or two of fly tying as well.
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From left to right — Rebecca, Tom, Jane, Jason, Paul & David head in for lunch after the introductory casting and morning fishing sessions.

Note the nice kg+ brown Jason is carrying, having just caught his first ever on the fly — dry at that.

The venue here was Currawong Lakes, an ideal location for group workshops. With Jenny looking after the catering in excellent lakeside facilities side it enabled me to concentrate on the casting and fishing requirements for the day where six were looked well after.

In the afternoon, as skill levels grew and with increased insect activity, more fish came to the fly with yours truly netting Rebecca’s first, in this case a very nice rainbow.

It wasn’t just the anglers making firsts. It was the first time I had seen Robin Redbreasts taking hatching duns off the water in the same way as the swallows do.

In fact Jason had one come so low over his emerger pattern it actually created a ‘false rise’ imitation with the wind from its wings.

Fishing tales • First timers • Flies • Dry • The fish • Wild Brown Trout •

That is dedication and determination for you.

Ernst, along with his friends Andrew and Jen, was staying at our Cliff Top Cabin where we had had a short tying session the night before.

Determined to get the copper bead-head nymph right Ernst is so engrossed in the tying job, his fresh, done to order, breakfast remains untouched.

As you can see below, he also had some great fishing times over the three days.

Next up it was husband & wife, Andrew and Jen, who not only shared a lovely stretch of water, but Jen is proudly showing her first up wild brown to Andrew, who not to be out done follows up a few minutes later by proving to Jen what she can do he can match it!

This is one of the delights of guiding and/or teaching couples, they can share the experience, some great fishing and enjoy together the lovely environment which is Tasmania’s wild trout fishery.

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It is always great to see young enthusiastic fishers getting into fly fishing, so it was a pleasure for me to give Max, 12, a few hours coaching the other day in order to help him get the basics before he was heading up to Arthur’s for a trip with his dad and a mate of his dad’s next day.

Well as luck would have it ,the teaching day was windy with very few fish showing and although Max stuck to it and seemed to get a good handle on things, I was a bit disappointed for him not to have christened his new Pro Angler Wizard outfit.

After a couple of days I got a call from Max to say he not only christened the rod but did it in style with five to hand for the day — the best effort of the group.

Dad reckoned his grin was nearly as big as the fish — well done Max! Here’s to many more tight lines in the future.

This was a day of ‘firsts’ if ever we had one.

Brett and son, Corey, had never fly fished before … it was the first trip in the ‘new’ Red Tag wagon plus our first clients of the season.

After a slow start, I blamed the fish for this much more than the enthusiastic anglers, the afternoon session was full on. By the end of the day 10+ fish to hand (all released), some excellent conditioned rainbows amongst them up to 2+kg which included individual fish stalked and taken on small ‘woolly bugger’ wets.

Although we have had the occasional two anglers together hookups, this was the first time the anglers were at crossed purposes, sorry crossed lines, (see below) as their respective quality trout decided to go in opposite directions. Youthful enthusiasm won over experience with Corey landing his fine fish but Brett dropping his.

A great final fly fishing workshop and wild fish tour for the season just gone. Andrew, Gail [centre] and Donna getting to know what a fly rod does first up day 1 and the final wild fish released by Gail on the last session of the tour.