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As a result of fishing in competitions I have got used to measuring the length of fish that I catch, rather than weighing them, and then releasing them to fight another day. It's quick and simple and of course if you keep the fish wet and handle it carefully it puts little extra stress on the fish…

Whilst the tips I have set out below evolved from fishing in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, in general terms they are equally appropriate to a whole range of fisheries. These tips are all designed to help you locate trout to encourage their cooperation.   Location, location, location Location is…

In about 2000 I was lucky enough to stumble onto BFR75 Modular reels and have been using them ever since. BFR stands for "British Fly Reels" but sice about 2004 these reels have been made in China. Progressivly over time I have added to my collection of these reels and I now have 9 separate reels…

Quite simply, this is a check list of all those things that I regard as important, and that I need to be sure to do, in order to get the most out of every fishing competition or practice session and in my case even to social fishing outings. I go through this check list before heading of to an…

The number of fly boxes you carry is obviously one of personal choice. One difficulty you may encounter when you are setting up your fly boxes is which flies you should include, and how many flies you should carry in your fly box or boxes. The last thing you want to be doing is standing on the bank…

On many occasions over the years I have been told that trout are true opportunistic feeders and that they will eat almost anything. From my experience this statement is both true and false. If you approach your fly selection on the basis that trout eat anything, over time (probably your first…

I like to fish wet flies in the rain. If you are one of those fine weather fishermen you are missing a lot of sport. On sunny days the fish swim near the bottom of the river, lake or stream for a number of reasons. They do not have eye lids and the sun can damage the eyes. More importantly the…

Detailed below are all the materials you will need to tie all the flies in the course "abc of fly tying for trout" plus heaps of other flies. The overall weight of this kit is 3kg. Over the years I have also used this as the fly tying kit that I take to international competitions such as the…

A fly line is a fundamental piece of specialized equipment for the fly fisher. Modern fly lines are made from special polymer materials which are extruded around a core generally of monofiliment or more recently braid. The key difference of the two core materials to the fly fisherman are the…

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] Whilst it would be nice to have the right rod, line and leader set up for each sort of water in a river or stream it is not always possible. In competitions in particular you can…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In fact in both Lake…

A wet fly is a fly designed to be fished below the water's surface of the water or a dry fly that has been drowned and is being fish below the surface of the water. Basically there are two main types of wet fly: The type is representational flies which are flies tied to represent food that trout…

See also: Getting started – wet trout flies Getting started – salt water flies Getting started – bass and native fish flies Getting started – the gear There are only really two types of flies dry flies and wet flies. A dry fly is any fly that is designed to be fished on or in the surface film of…

The amount of dissolved oxygen in water can have a significant effect on fish activity and well being and consequently from a fishing point of view its useful to understand why and when there may be more or less oxygen in water. Oxygen is absorbed into water in only two basic ways. Through…

Playing fish It's not just pricking fish that is important its landing them: Make contact with your flies as soon as they hit the water and maintain contact with your fly or team of flies at all times. Slackness in leaders will give fish time to spit the fly without you even being aware they have…

It was on the latest club outing to Kalkite on Lake Jindabyne where I was introduced to loch style fishing. I was picked up at 9.00am by the punctual and jovial Steve Chatterton. Attached to the 4WD was his latest acquisition, a serious boat made of plastic and powered by a 60 HP Yamaha. Within a…