Lists

We are lucky enough to have two of the Lutjanus family of fish endemic to Central Queensland, Fingermark (L.johnii) and Mangrove Jack (L.argentimaculatus). Mangrove jack Fingermark   They are both very solid fish that have powerful teeth (hence the Jack is often referred to as 'dog' or 'dog…

Published on :Nov 25,2009 =NSW= Tallowa Dam was constructed at the confluence of the Kangaroo and Shoalhaven Rivers in 1976 for the Sydney Catchment Authority to form what is known as Lake Yarrunga. Lake Yarrunga is a popular recreational waterway and particularly popular as a canoe / kayak…

=NSW=Tantangara is one of my favourite lakes not only because its fished pretty well most of the time but also because it is harder than most of the lakes in the scheme to access and consequently it doesn't get as much fishing or boat pressure as some of the other lakes. Completed in 1960 by…

=NSW=Lake Eucumbene is one of 16 lakes in the iconic Snow Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme and was completed as the second dam in the scheme in 1958. The full water level is 1030 meters putting the lake around 100 meters higher than Lake Jindabyne. The dam was created by damming the Eucumbene river…

==Even though Rocky Valley is only 265ha in size (roughly 8.75 kilometres long and 2.5 kilometres wide at it longest and widest points) because of its large snow melt catchment it is the main storage dame for the Victorian Kiewa hydro electric scheme. It is located directly in front of the Falls…

== South Esk. Longest river in Tasmania. Session 2 010 Nationals. I has what Peter Walsh called the swamp after last competition. A beat of around 200 meters long but 90% of that behind tangled willow trees. Amongst the trees there was no acces to the main river but there was access to pockets of…

=NSW=description How to get there aaaaaaaaaa For detailed maps search Falls Creek on Google Earth. Open season bbbbbbbbbb Services & facilities available cccccccccc Target species dddddddddd Food chain eeeeeeeeee Multi-line Members Linkblock [start-member] [list Link="p=6637" Title="What trout…

  2010 Nationals session 3.  Beat 10 below the road bridge. The river was up over a meter from the second session and was basically unfishable. Rav and Mark Youngman instead on trying to fish their beats up near the gorge insisted or being relocated. I am sure my beat was equally dangerous and…

=NSW=There is some excellent fly fishing in Braemar Bay and closely accessible from Braemar which is just as well as that is in my opinion the only draw card. There is a launching area there but it is problematic at best. Unless you have a 4 wheel drive and are comfortable with launching from the…

==There are many rivers and creeks surrounding Gladstone, as well as a couple of close by dams, many of which offer great fishing at the right time of the year. Gladstone is a major Queensland city located approximately 550 kilometres by road north of Brisbane and 100 kilometres south-east of…

=NSW=Text photo1 photo2 photo3/td> Lake *name* water flows are as follows: Water flows into *name* from: text text Water leaves *name* via: text text Safety first: Given the water inflows and outflows it's not surprising that water levels in Lake Jindabyne vary considerably so caution is…

This is a list of flies that I know all work well for the lakes around Miena and Bronte in Central Tasmania. For the sake of convenience I have broken the list below up into 4 distinct sections: The first table deals with "Matching the hatch" and is best read in conjunction with an article I first…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

Hi Kerry, Thanks about your email looking for information on Lake Maroon. I love Maroon and have had a couple of podium finishes there in Fly Fish Australia competitions. I am not aware of any guides that fish the Lake Maroon area so I cant help you there but I have set out a little information on…

== I have fished the Boyne pretty much through all seasons and understand why it is regarded as one of the iconic fishing locations for the Gladstone Region. It can produces Barramundi all year round even though the number caught is often low. Other target species include Mangrove Jack, Grunter,…

==Located near Imbil south of Gympie Borumba Dam is unique in that it offers both great Bass and Saratoga fly fishing. The layout of the lake is interesting in itself and basically forms a cross. On the north east axis you have the dam wall and main lake and opposite that you have the Yabba Creek…

== The Calliope is a big river system and provides a variety of fishing options from very tidal hot water salt water at the power station near the entrance to almost fresh water above the Old Bruce Highway bridge just outside of the town of Calliope. Throughout its reaches it offers a range of…

==Cania Dam has a reputation of being an all round fishing venue but in reality for me it is best suited to the warmer months when there is plenty of insect activity. Even then, for the best results, fish a morning session from at least half an hour before sun rise to when the dawn bite window…

== Mast head and other off shore reefs Rundle Island (top of Curtis Island) Facing island reefs including Perl Rocks and Sable Chief Jenny Lind and Seal rocks Channel markers Gear options: 1) General fishing: 15/50 with 30lb braid, 50 flouro and a #4 fastatch clip. This can fish for “big fish”…

== Gladstone is blessed with a lot of fishing options including iconic rivers such as the Boyne and Calliope rivers, Awoonga dam which is famous for its barra and of course expansive estuary waters including a 40 kilometer stretch of water between Curtis Island the Main land called The Narrows. On…

== The Narrows is a 40 or so kilometre stretch of water that runs between the mainland and Curtis island. For me the southern end of the Narrows as far north of the Crossing just below Ramsay Crossing is the gem of the estuary fishing in Gladstone. The reason I focus on that area is that it…

== Even though South Trees Inlet is connected to the Boyne River it is a separate water course in its own right. Historically it was an inlet with a problematic braid linking it to the Boyne River but the transfer of water from the Boyne River to the inlet was very light. Between 2002 and 2005…

==Awoonga Dam was created by damming the Boyne Rive with a  rock fill structure faced on the lake side with a concrete skirt to mitigate erosion in the case of overflows. The 650 odd meters of embankment is 540 meters high at its highest point and was built from rock excavated from a quarry on the…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

=NSW= Opened in 1976 Brogo Dam was created by damming the Brogo River with concrete faced compacted rock dam wall. It has an uncontrolled unlined rock spill way which unfortunately allows fish to escape down the Brogo river when the lake overflows but does not allow bass to return to the dam from…

=NSW=The Buckenderra Arm of Lake Eucumbene is one of my favourite fishing locations for a few reasons. Fortunately for me its less than 40 minutes by sealed road from my front gate to the Buckenderra Holiday Village where I launch my boat. On top of that the launching facilities are fantastic…

=NSW=Located in that part of New South Wales that is still referred to by some as “old town country”. By virtue of how it is accessed the lake is virtually split into three areas of public access. The only access point I have used, and consequently the focus of this post is via Burrendong State…

=NSW=Completed in 1967 Lake Jindabyne is part of the iconic Snow Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme. Its an iconic lake has a reputation as a brown and rainbow trout fishery. It also produces reasonable numbers in the coldest of months. Jindabyne is the gateway for the NSW snow resorts and as you can…

=NSW=Tantangara is one of my favourite lakes not only because its fishes well most of the time but also because it is harder than most of the lakes in the scheme to access and consequently it doesn't get as much fishing or boat pressure as some of the other lakes. Completed in 1960 by damming the…

=NSW=The Thredbo River runs from just east of the ski fields of Thredbo to Lake Jindabyne where it enter the lake at Waste Point. Once known as the Crackenback River it is very accessible and consequently receives a lot of attention from both fly fishers and those pesky lure fisher folk. Moving up…

=NSW=The Tumut River runs for 145 km from Blowering dam just east of Tumut to the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai. During its passage it flows through the picturesque town of Tumut before cutting through fertile and generally green alluvial plains which have built up over a millennium. The river…

==Perhaps the most iconic lake in Tasmania and for many the most iconic lake in Australia. Arthurs is a hydro lake that was created by the damming of the Upper Lake River in the early 1960's and the flooding of the areas that contained Blue Lake, Sand Lake and the Morass Marsh. From a fly fishers…

==I Have only fished the Upper Derwent River a few times now around November between  2005 and 2009 Nationals so I am by no means an expert on this fishery. Having said that I have researched it and this information may be helpful. The general flows have been around 50 cubic meters per second (50…

This was my first trip with David Fong as my fishing partner. David had taken on the responsibility of towing the WRFC club trailer down to Jacobs Well and because I had never been to Jacobs Well I had undertaken to follow him there. The trip was long with a lot of traffic. I was difficult…

==This is an popular recreational lake located in the heart of Ballarat. It dried out in the drought but filled again in 2010 and is now a top fishery once again and is shared by fishers, sailing boats, sculls and other users. Even with all this activity the lake fishes well throughout the season….

This fly is part of the series of seven different colours combinations that I tie of the iconic CXI Special fly in. There are days on Aitutaki in particular where bonefish will only take a fly with a bit of yellow in it. These are the other colours in the series: Christmas Island Special – Pink….

A common problem I encounter is that other vehicles such as this truck often block my driveway so I cant back my trailer and boat in. You wouldn't believe it, just a week down the track here is another car blocking my driveway. Because we have a 50 meter or so long driveways which adjoins our…

Z MAN SOFTIES  When fishing locations such as estuaries and other relatively slower running saltwater fisheries my most common goto combo is my Shimano Autoglass 6.5 feet long fiberglass rod with 20lb power pro yellow braid connected to1.0 meters of  9.5lb Grand Max fluorocarbon leader with an…

One of the things I still enjoy about fly fishing is tying a fly and then catching a fish on that fly … it's a fantastic sense of achievement. Unfortunately fly fishing options around where I live in Central Queensland are limited by strong prevailing winds and strong tidal flows so more often…

We are lucky enough to have two of the Lutjanus family of fish endemic to Central Queensland, Fingermark (L.johnii) and Mangrove Jack (L.argentimaculatus). Mangrove jack Fingermark   They are both very solid fish that have powerful teeth (hence the Jack is often referred to as 'dog' or 'dog…

AKA: Dry fly hackle Hackling a dry fly The technique for selecting and tying in a dry fly hackle for a right handed fly tier is as follows. If you are left handed please remember to switch the instructions around. The ideal feather for a dry fly hackle should: Be long so that you can tie a…

This is my approach to “Mal de mere”, “sea sickness”, “motion sickness” or whatever you want to call it. It is a terrible affliction and can spoil what may well have been a great fun day. The reason for sea sickness seems to be two fold. The first factor is that our balance centre, which is in the…

When you think about the hook to use to tie a fly on there are several considerations that should come into account. One area which is often overlooked, or at least not given full consideration, is the holding mechanics of the hook (ceteris parabus i.e. if all other things are the same such as the…

I have made this particular soft plastic for a couple of years now and have managed plenty of solid flathead in the Gladstone Narrows prior to my move north of Brisbane for family and health reasons. The body length of the original soft plastic is 3.5 inches. With the help of family I am…

Threadfin salmon are one of those fish where you need to understand the water more than the fish. They are not usually sitting in obvious places waiting to be caught. They move with the tide, they follow the food, and they use the current to their advantage. For me, the key to threadfin salmon is…

My Fastach sinkers as shown in different sizes below can be a very useful sinker for use in paternoster rigs in estuary and other  tidal coastal waters.   It is a round "hollow" lead weight in a range of sizes with a hole thought the sinker. Through that hole I add a length of doubled over…

I'm not sure where or when Max Christensen came onto the scene but in any case he has left a worthwhile legacy in the Yeti. I have modified the original tie a little to suit my requirements by extending the tag to a tail and tying a Zonker strip along the top of the hook shank rather than just a…

At the 2003 Australian Fly Fishing Championships held at Mt. Beauty this was one of the few flies that produced more than one fish. It is a favourite fly at Lake Bullen Merri where it gets its name BM Special. Because of its history of success it is often regarded as a quintessential Rainbow trout…

Mudeyes are the nymphal stage of the Dragonfly. There are two families that are particularly important to freshwater fisher folk in Australia. The Couta Mudeye is of the Family Aeshnidae, genus Hemianax and is one of the most popular freshwater fish bait throughout Australia. The lava or nymph are…

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly. It's…

Developed in New Zealand to represent a small fish Matuka style flies were  originally tied with feathers from a kind of heron called a "bittern" or in the Maoris language "Matuka". They work well as a stripping fly in situations where bait fish may be on the menu and the most popular colours in…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The Mallard & Claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret…

From what I can gather the original Wiggle Minnow was conceived by Mark Felty of Felty’s flies in Sydney. By varying the materials used, the colours and size I have accounted for trout, bream, flathead, mangrove jack and even barramundi on wiggle minnows. The recipe I have set out below is just one…

As the name implies these flies are built using a soft plastic lure body. I like to use 2" and 3" crescent tail type soft plastics as they tend to have a little more movement than some of the alternatives. For general prospecting or when targeting bream and whiting I use the 2" version and when I…

This is a shrimp or prawn imitation which I made up as an alternative to my Mud Prawn for competition fishing trout fishing. That's right trout fishing. I had been using small versions of my Mud Prawn for trout feeding on shrimp with considerable success and I wanted to carry that success into my…

In the last few years I have identified three flies that have elements of their ties that are similar. Depending on who ties them they can be almost the same or can be diverse as two Woolly Buggers tied by two different fly tiers. The three flies I refer to are of course the Flash Harry, the Dirty…

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…

This fly has stood the test of time and has been on this web site since 2005. Over the last 10 or so years it has been my 'go to' fly when fishing to sighted fish or prospecting the shores of Lake Jindabyne particularly around our home village of Kalkite. The medium weight of the TMC 3769 hook is…

It tied this fly when last in New Zealand as a merger of a couple of flies to represent their small native fish called a Cockabully. I used it quite successfully fishing the seams in in fast rivers on a fast sink line and decided it add it to my fly box for future use. I am confident that with less…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

As many of you will be aware there is a Welsh fly called a "Green Peter". It was designed as a dry fly. In a crunch one day when I was fishing a slick and targeting fish that were taking just below the surface I included a Green Peter dry fly in my team with two English wee wets behind. There was…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. I really enjoy tying flies and so as I have seen various patterns I have tied them and tried them. Most have been discarded and just a few have…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved on English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The Mallard & Claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this Mallard & Claret…

I was introduced to the Doobry a few years ago as a good middle dropper fly for loch style fishing in midge feeder waters. At about the same time I started using lime snatcher flies and red snatcher flies in similar applications. As time has passed I have settled on recipe for all three flies. …

There are plenty of "Blobs" around but many of them look very much as the name suggests – just a blob of fur and feather. This is a "blob with attitude" and because it actually looks like a fly I find it a little easier to tie on than its very basic second cousins. It has a place in my fly box…

An Alexandras was one of the first flies I purchased prior to becoming involved in fly tying. I purchased a box of 20 or so just because I liked them and had read about them somewhere. It was a while before I caught a fish on one but once I did I slowly developed an understanding of the flies form…

It was the summer of 2000 that I first became involved in English style Loch Style fly fishing and slowly I accumulated an arsenal of techniques and flies. The mallard and claret was the first for me in this series. Whilst it has been tweaked at the edges a little this mallard and claret pattern…

A variant of a old English wet fly this variant is in the same class as an Alexandra this fly as an attractor fly particularly when rainbows are the target. It is different to the original in that the dyed blue hackle has been replaced by blue barbells from the chest feathers of a male peacock and…

Most English wet flies of this type were originally tied as imitations of specific impoundment bait fish or to simply gain the interest of fish and illicit a strike. I have tweaked the original recipe by adding a thorax of claret seals fur. That breaks the harsh lines of the original tie and adds a…

This is a inexpensive fly to tie that works well on bream as a specific targeted species or as a second fly fished about a meter above a heavier fly such as a mud prawn or an estuary fly. Materials   Hook Thread Head Body Collar Gamakatsu SS15/T size #2-6. Clear mono Clear pearl bead Synthetic…

If you went back just a few years and you a asked an average fly fisher to name his for her favourite fly chances are it would be a Fuzzy Wuzzy. Originating in New Zealand in the 1930's this fly was first dressed in colours of black and red and was designed as an evening or night fly representing a…

This British fly fly gets heaps of mentions in the UK magazines that I read. When it all boils down the "Cruncher" isn't that different to so many nymphs that you see but it does have a trigger point in the form of the front hackle and of course as you would expect it does catch fish. I tend to…

Whilst this a  New Zealand design by Eric Craig probably in the early 70's this fly has been adopted by many Australian fly fishers as their favourite night time fly when the mudeye are hatching. Whilst the original version uses Pukeko feathers most in Australia use swamp hen breast feathers . ….

This fly has a number of particularly useful applications for Bass and Estuary Perch as well as trout. It main claim to fame is that particularly in discoloured or rough water the movement of the zonker strip and the inbuilt rattle are often enough to illicit a strike.  As a prospecting fly it can…

This is an old pattern and whilst it can be dressed in many different ways I prefer it dressed as described below which is similar to the original form with the exception of the tail which I prefer to be much finer than the original. I guess that makes it like a small Woolly Bugger. This fly works…

Whilst not of significance individually to fly fishers Daphnia are certainly a common and substantial food source for trout particularly rainbows. They are Crustaceans of the sub-order Cladocera (Water Fleas). Individually Daphnia are less than 0.5mm in size and colours range from pale green to…

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

Leeches are invertebrates and belong to the family Annelida which is the same as worms. There are some 20 different genera of leeches distributed around Australia and many are available as food for trout and other fish. The general form is similar they have bodies that are not segmented and are…

Over the last few years some of the best fishing I have had has been polaroiding to wild brown trout in the relatively clear waters of Lake Jindabyne. I find my self spending more and more time engaged in this "hunting" like pursuit. The more time I have spent watching the behavior of fish when…

In the late 1880's a Bavarian immigrant to America tied a fly because worsening arthritis meant that he could no longer collect live minnows for bait. The fly was a Muddler Minnow and its variants are as relevant today as when it was first tied. Whilst the original and many of the variants continue…

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

The Tom Jones fly was first tied by John Lanchester for use on Victorian still waters. It has nothing at all to do with the welsh singer by the same name. The original was tied with fur wings and fur body whereas my variant is tied with fur wings but the body has been replaced with peacock herl,…

I am not sure of the source of this fly but I have had the recipe in my system for a long time and certainly before the onslaught of Google and internet searching. In the interest of full disclosure I decided to get some history on the fly and so searched 'patriot fly'. That search gave me hits on…

The 'Fiona' (Shrek's lady) as I have called this fly is a counter balance for the increasingly popular fly called a Shrek. It is in fact the same tie as the Shrek except that it incorporates different coloured materials. Both are basically Woolly Buggers by design and just as the emerald green is a…

This fly was out of left field as far as I was concerned and when I was first introduced to it I had no great expectation of it finding its way into my fly box. I was wrong. The bright tinsel body certainly stands out and rather than spooking fish as I expected it seems to trigger a response from…

A New Zealand fly tied with an overlaid wing and tied as an evening fly to imitate their freshwater crayfish known as Koura. The preferred fishing technique in New Zealand is to fish it slowly along the bottom. It certainly works well when fished that way in Australia but it has also found its way…

The original Invicta was created by eminent English fly tier and tackle dealer James Ogden in the 1870's. With just a few tweaks this fly is as relevant today as it was 140 odd years ago. This is a great attractor fly at times when yellow winged hoppers and other insects with yellow body parts are…

As many of you will be aware there is a Welsh fly called a "Green Peter". It was designed as a dry fly but is also a great Loch Style  bob or middle dropper fly. I tie a version with legs and without legs. Sometimes the legs are just the trigger you need to elicit a strike regardless of if your…

Properly described as Sloan's sunset fly after the designer this is a fly that I generally reserve for dawn and dusk fishing of Rainbow Trout waters. I use it as an effective middle fly in those situations generally with something much more sombre on the point and bob. I am confident that my tie is…

Seldom, at least in my case, fished alone this fly is a great top dropper or bob fly when lock style fly fishing. I particularly find it useful when yellow winged hoppers or other insects with yellow parts are on the trouts menu. It looks nothing like a hopper of course but I think the little bit…

I think that the Zulu tied with a black hackled body and a red tag has origins that go back to circa 1600 England. Not only a great dry fly but also a fantastic top dropper fly for loch style fly fishing. The original features a wool tail and probably a wool body with both the body hackle and front…

Seldom, at least in my case, fished alone this fly is a great top dropper or bob fly when lock style fly fishing. I particularly find the yellow version useful when yellow winged hoppers or other insects with yellow parts are on the trout's menu. At other times pink is a great trigger colour and…

This wonderfully named fly came to light in Australia when John Horsey published an article about the 2008 Fly Fishing Championships that he came fourth in just a few months earlier. He went onto say 'I switched to a slime line and put a Black Straggle Fritz Taddy on the point, kept the Damsel on…

One of the best search flies in slow moving or still deeper water using a sinking line. If fishing from a fixed position cast it out, let the line sink to the desired depth, and then retrieve the line using a constant stripping motion, a pumping retrieve or a combination of both. The stripping…

Conceptually these are a very simple fly but when tied with the right materials and in the right density they are a great all round fly. You can use them as a stream fly or for polaroiding or prospecting but in my opinion they are at their best when used as an attractor fly in a team of loch style…

Crane flies are of the family Tipulidae and of the Order of Diptera or true flies and are the largest family of flies in Australia with some 800 species. An alternative name particularly in the United Kingdom is 'daddy long legs' but of course they should not be confused with the wispy spider often…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. 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…

The Zulu tied with a black hackle body and a black tail has origins that go back to circa 1600 England. This fly deviates from the standard a little and has a white under-tail of antron tied in to represents a trailing shuck, seals fur dubbing and a soft hackle at the front so if it is used as a…

Well this fly is really interesting. I have had this recipe in my fly archive since around 2000. I have certainly seen it in a fly fishing magazine in the last few years and of course I have looked for that and have searched the web but can't find any reference to this fly any where. I have the…

Crane flies are of the family Tipulidae and of the Order of Diptera or true flies and are the largest family of flies in Australia with some 800 species. An alternative name particularly in the United Kingdom is 'daddy long legs' but of course they should not be confused with the wispy spider often…